Good questions, there sure is a difference. Wool shrinks, the hotter the wash and/or dryer, and the more aggitagion in the wash the tighter the wool fabric gets. Felted wool is a tighter weave so it look differently from the orginal fabric. It also wears differently as the tighter the weave the more wind and water proof it can be. Felted wools are used for warmer clothing. Felted wool fabric its heavier in the hand (thicker) and dosn't drape in the same way as wool yardage. Wools can be a very fine lightweight weave or up to 1/2 inch thick. Parkas are made from the thick weave called "duffel". When making a quilt you would want a tighter weave for applique but also a lighter weight. Hope this helps. No expert here, just my thoughts.
Originally Posted by ConcreteSher
I've read all of the replies to the original post, and just for my (generally windblown and confused) tree of knowledge, what is the difference? Does felted wool look different, or wear differently? Do they have different purposes? I've been wanting to make a wool quilt--is there something I should watch for?