Another Batting Question
 

Hi fellow quilters, I am normally a Warm Product Batting user. (Warm & Natural, Warm & White, Warm Blend) but I am going to quilt a bed quilt for a friend in ccccccold Washington State. (I've seen the pictures with tons of snow.)

My friend lives in a house that is an energy hog and she keeps the heater as low as possible to keep the cost down. The main part of the house is heated by wood stove but I understand that the bedrooms are ....nippy.

To me, W&N does not give enough support under those conditions and I'm looking for an alternative. I hear that wool is a warmer option but I have never worked with wool batting before.

What other options would you recommend for a comfy-cozy warm Washington quilt?

Maybe a fleece batting would work. I'll be watching this thread to see the other suggestions. BrendaK

I live up north and I use Warm in all my quilts. When it gets really really
cold (think -30C) I double my quilts.

Use a combination or double up he batting you like. I have never done this but it is a common practice.

Michigan gets pretty cold too. I would vote for wool. It is very easy to work with and has a higher loft than W&N, so your quilting shows up more. Use a nice flannel for the back. I personally don't like the way that fleece doesn't breathe, but this doesn't bother a lot of folks.

We used a Cotton batting and fleece back for my F-I-L's quilt and it is very warm. It also (machine) quilted very nicely.

I love wool.

wool--it's delightful to work with, breathes so you never sweat under a very warm quilt. I doubled it on a winter quilt that I did for the g-son to use at our house in a room that can feel pretty chill when we've had a fire in fireplace downstairs. It still was lightweight feeling and very toasty.

I grew up in the Arctic, in a wood-heated house. When it's cold, one quilt won't be enough no matter what batting you use. Here are three options I would recommend:

1. Use Warm and Natural, with a flannel backing. The flannel makes it warmer, and keeps the quilt from sliding around if she layers multiple blankets/quilts.

2. Wool would be even warmer, or a layer of wool with a layer of W&N.

3. Warmest of all would be to make the quilt, then attach an extra back to turn it into a duvet cover. As long as she isn't allergic to feathers, a heavy feather or down duvet is the only single-blanket way to stay warm in a really cold bedroom. If you quilt the top like usual, it can also be used just as a quilt in warmer weather.

Whatever you choose, I'm sure your friend will appreciate it!

We had a very unusual winter in Washington! I keep the heat down and use a thin quilt plus a double fleece blanket, which is usually on the floor by morning. I run kind of warm, though!

Yes I was going to say that. You can always put extras on the bed. In the winter here, I have at least four layers.

Wool gets my nod every time!

In my recent attendance at MQX, several of the instructors shared that they use both a cotton batting and a wool batting. It also gives more loft when FMQ and the designs pop more.

I have had quilts done with cotton and wool, wool on the top and cotton on the bottom next to the backing. They are quite warm.
I am interested in the Duvet cover that Jennifer 23 mentioned. I grew up with fluffy quilts, and have not really seen them since.

Whichever batting you choose, I would also suggest using a nice thick flannel for the backing. I made a quilt for my niece with cotton (W&N) batting and the flannel backing. She's nice and toasty in her bedroom that's been known to have frost on the walls in the winter. I used Moda flannel and would highly recommend it.

So nice to see you here!

Use a wool batting...warm in winter, and breathable in the summer. I think Dream makes the best wool batting that I've found.

Ditto. Happy to see you!!

Made note of this. Since most of my quilts are being made for Northern Indiana and Michigan.

Consider a relatively new batting by W & N; it's called Warm n Plush. It is a bit thicker, it gives a nice quilting definition.

Warm and Plush would be my recommendation, it's thicker than W&N. It needs to be quilted closer than W&N, I believe about 4" apart but double check the package.

I bought a queen size pkg. of Warm and Plush from Walmart.com, had it shipped free to the store.
Great price!

Nice to see you back! Jo Anne

If you don't mind polyester, I've heard that's the warmest. Quilter's Dream makes a polyester batting they say is as warm as Down. They say the Hobb's Tuscany silk is quite warm, and yet it's really thin, unlike the wool, so maybe doubling the silk with the wool would be an option, if you want to stick with natural fibers. Both the wool and the silk are lightweight.

You can stay with the warm and natural or go to a wool for the batting. But, I would use a flannel backing. That little change can makes a amazing difference. If they need more than the batting/flannel additions, they should add a second quilt. This way the first quilt can also be used in the warmer months.

I am also in the double bat category but it is difficult to handle on a domestic. No issues at all on a longarm. While so many recommend wool, my personal preference when going for warmth is a layer of 80/20 with Hobbs Polydown on top.

The warmest and heaviest quilt I own is double batted but it is an old wool army blanket my DH picked up at good will for like $2 and a layer of Hobbs polydown over that. The thing weighs a ton and it is so very warm. One thing about it I don't like is that scratchy wool army blanket is still scratch even through the cotton backing fabric. But that is not an issue when it is layered on my bed with other blankets and a sheet between me and the scratch.

Also it gets pretty darn cold here in the northeast and I also have multiple quilts piled on in the dead of winter. I also keep the house really cold. I sleep best in a very cold bedroom with lots of quilts. My normal winter pile on is sheet, down comforter, quilt with 80/20 batting, then the aforementioned double batted quilt. But this winter I left the double batted one hanging and used the scrappy log cabin one I just finished that has a poly batting. There were plenty of nights I was tossing stuff off because I was too warm!

I think a double layer of W&N would work with flannel backing. I think the W&N does keep the warmth in.

Looks like I'll be doing some research into the Dream battings, Warm and Plush, Hobbs Polydown, and doubling up with wool. So many choices, who knew? Thanks.

You can use wool and warm and natural together, layer them. Makes a real nice warm bed cover.

I have warm n natural in a quilt with a flannel backing and it is very warm!!!

Your warmest quilt would be wool batting (preferably old fashioned wool carded at the woolen mill), and tied. We make the ties loosely - don't pull the first knot tightly to keep the air in that area. If you've ever put insulation into a house, you know that you don't stuff in it. It needs to be kept loose to trap air. It's the air that is the insulation. The same happens to quilts. Machine quilted is not near as warm as tied because the layers are all smashed down and don't have any air in them.

Good point, mavis. Unfortunately I am not a big fan of tied quilts. I think I will go with WB + Wool. The quilting will be custom but not overly dense. That way I should have air-space. A plan has been conceived. I'm always happy when things get into gear.

I still favot stacking two quilts to having one super thick one. Easier to wash or dry clean, for one thing.

I think i would favor using two " lighter weight" quilts over one "very heave one" for a coupke of reasons.

I think it would be eazier to wash or dry clean a thinner quilt and "layering" gives a person more options temperature wise.

Good point, bear. I remember one of the craftsy teachers talking about layering half of a wool batting (she carefully pulled it apart) over another batting. I'm still waffling. Will decide when the time comes and my friend finishes the top. (I got "voluntold" for FMQ.)