down for batting??
 

A friend wants a quilt with down batting . Anybody tried that or know what problems I might have with that.
I have a couple of down quilts that I don't use anymore and would be happy to find a use for them.
Looking for any advice or help I can find. Sue

Sounds like she wants a duvet instead of a quilt. See if what she has in mind is a cover for her down duvet; you could still make one for her and quilt the face of it without using batting. I've never heard of a batting being made with down.

Otherwise, suggest a wool batting - Hobbs and Quilters Dream both have wool batts - for fluff, warmth, and drape without heaviness.

Jan in VA

Down is very difficult to handle if you are trying to stuff something with it. Are you thinking of using a down quilt as the batting for a quilt? Not sure I would want to do that, and actually don't know that anyone has. What would your needle do if it encountered a quill? I agree with the duvet cover if she wants down.

I don't think down last forever like a wool batting might.

I tried to sew extra lines on a feather down quilt to stop the filling moving to the bottom and it was so hard to do that I gave up before I even finished one line and then had to unpick it. My advice to you is DON'T DO IT. lol I agree with OCquilter that the down breaks down over time.

I would think your needle wouldn't be happy sewing over the feathers. I'm curious to hear more.

I have never heard of a down quilt either. I think she wants a down comforter. The way to work with down - if you decide to go that route - is to wet the feathers then put them in the square or channel in the cover and sew it up.

My daughter bought a kit & made a down vest when she was in high school (in the 80's). She had feathers EVERYWHERE. Personally, I would never mess w/down for anything.

Thanks so much for the information and advice . I'm going to have to think about this. Sue

I have three down quilts that have silk covers waiting in my quilting room for me to "fix" them. They were bought in China and are beautiful, but if you lift an end up, everything slides to the bottom. And if you have rough skin or a hang nail, it mars the silk. And I'm suppose to FIX these! Down is very hard to deal with . I guess the putting them into squares wet might be an answer but what a lot of work! And I don't have the patience to do repeated patterns in the first place! I figure I'll let the kids "fight over these quits" after I die.

Chances are this request comes from someone who doesn't really understand "down".