How do you quilt for Florida?
 

I have just encouraged a friend from FL to get into quilting. She is jumping in with both feet, and I will try to mentor by email and recommend U-Tub tutorials. But, here's the question. I love using Hobbs 80/20 batting and recommended it to her. She reminded me that FL weather is much different that MI. Sooo - what do you gals use for your middle of your quilt sandwich?

I have made several quilts for my florida family. The best review was when I used bamboo batting. This quilt is on their bed year round. They say it is cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. The second was wool batting. I have heard some people say the same about cotton batt but I've not tried that yet.

I know that Hobbs batting has a wool line but I am not sure about bamboo.

Depends on where she is in Florida. North Florida will see very chilly temperatures in January and February. Last year they had an ice storm, it was very cold.

My sister lives in Miami ... and i swear, if it gets below 70 she's complaining she's freezing.....I'm working on a springtime color quilt for her right now for Christmas....and will probably use the 100% cotton, thin batting that i have. Should be just about warm enough i hope.

Wool is lightweight and breathes. It's wonderful for a warmer climate.

My grandmas & aunts are the same way. It gets down to the high 60's at night & you'd think it was sub-zero weather by their descriptions "it's so cold I can feel it in my bones"... ummmm, really?!!!! We would kill for 60-degree weather as a high up here in Illinois.

Ok, off my soap box... I use the same W&N for their quilts as I use for the ones I make to sell up here. I like wool, but since they launder their quilts more frequently (up to 2x/week) down there, I probably wouldn't use it. Definitely have to make sure everything can go in washer & dryer because of how easily mold, mildew & pests grow down there. If they don't dry the quilt all the way in the dryer, it quickly starts to smell mildewy.

Any thin batting will do. Hobbs 80/20 is fine. We use our quilts more for the air conditioning in the summer than the winter.

I thin cotton batting is Cream Rose or Cream White ( Made by Mountain Mist ) . That's is what I would use for a warm climate quilt. Just enough batting so its has a bit of a loft but 100 percent cotton so it breaths. It has a wonderful drape.

I live in FL and the quilts I grab most often to use myself are the ones with Hobb's 80/20 batting. With the fans/AC on all the time, I am still cool often inside.