We have an old "feather bed" or "eider down", it is absolutely ancient and is currently stored away. If she is talking about the same thing - it is an old kind of duvet (ours dates from the 1920s), the down (usually duck) is stuffed into channels, the fabric containing the feathers is usually very dense and I do believe it was waxed or treated some way to prevent the pin feathers poking through. The whole thing was then encased in a satin/sateen cover which was then stitched on. Personally I don't like them and the same goes for feather pillows, they tend to clump and are not great for people with allergies. They are murder to wash and you have to keep tossing and shaking them about as they dry otherwise the feathers clog together.

I doubt these days anyone sells the feathers to "do it yourself"...they would be a nightmare to control and absolutely no help to your respiratory system.

Thanks everyone for all the information! Earthwalker, this is exactly what she wants and she has bags of down from a goose farm. It has all been cleaned. I know how they are to wash as I have one myself and the down always falls to one end. Whoever made mine didn't "channel" it. It makes total sense to do that though.

I do have to say I got rid of my featherbed. It hadn't been channeled either and the down always ended up on the edges of the bed rather than in the center where I wanted it. At that time I didn't even own a sewing machine and certainly wouldn't have tried to correct the problem. Although I did read about it. I'll read about almost anything.

When I was a young girl I used to stay at my Aunty Lil's home in the country, she was an old timer and I used to sleep in her spare room in an iron bed with a straw mattress on it with a feather mattress on top of that, both of which she made her self. On top of the bed was a duvet which she also made, filled with feathers, this had channels sewn into it and she stuffed the feathers into the channels. As far as I can remember she never quilted these duvets. In the morning we had to shake all three of these items as during the course of the night everything settled!
Just to add to this story Aunty Lil's wedding ring was made from gold found in the local Cardrona river, I always thought that was so romantic! I am so pleased I experienced
some of the old ways before they died out completely. Hope she is looking down and reading this!!!

Gal

I wouldn't try anything like that for myself and certainly not for someone else. Non sew people thing just about anything can be done that they can think of. I would tell her very nicely, she can try anything she wants to, just not you.

I agree, I would never try it either.

When a down comforter is made, the top and bottom are sewn together most of the way around. A small approximately 6" hole is left open. The feathers are then blown into the opening and the opening sewn shut. Some are made with multiple baffles, which are filled and sewn shut separately. In Germany, as I'm sure in other European countries, you can order your down comforter with the exact covering, feather and weight you want, lighter weight for summer or heavier for winter.

Those feathers have to be treated to be free of "nature." Probably not something for the do-it-yourselfer. Besides, there would be a lot of naked geese running around to even fill a pillow case - let alone a comforter.

Thanks! I had some one pm me who has been reading this and has made them. This is exactly what she said to do and has given instruction for the multiple baffles.

These have been cleaned. She has bags and bags of down so I have no doubt she would end up with a nicely stuffed comforter.