Are you talking about feather beds? I remember those when I was growing up. Mother made them from duck feathers/down. She used what they call pillow/feather ticking as the outside. The feathers have to be washed and air dried to sanitize them. She would make it similar to a pillow case except it would be the size of the bed you were making it for. She would sew all the way around, leaving an opening large enough to put in the feathers. Then when it was the firmness you desired, you would sew the opening closed. They still sell the ticking, but I don't know if they sell the really wide ticking anymore. I re-covered one of Mama's feather pillows and she used it at the nursing home. She never did like any other pillow. I bought the ticking at Wal-Mart.
We would have these on our beds in the winter time especially, underneath the bottom sheet (of course we didn't have fitted sheets back then). (Oh my am I that old.....Yeh!!!)
I found one for a twin bed at Mama's home when I was cleaning up recently. Of course it is no longer usable since it was made years ago and has been upstairs so long.
They were so soft and warm to sleep on in the winter.