Being a teacher, I have learned to identify bedbug bites. Their bites are three in a row...breakfast, lunch and dinner. If your bites are three in a row, they are bedbug bites. Call your exterminator immediately. When you vacuum, throw out the bag sealed in a plastic bag as soon as you finish vacuuming.

If you lived in a cold climate all you would have to do is put them outside now ! I live in Iowa and it is below 0 here now.

yep, Dr. Oz showed the 'breakfast, lunch, dinner' bites on his show ... very informative. Sure hope it isn't bed bugs!

My grandmother, 'way back in the 60's used old fiberglass curtains as batting in a couple quilts (waste not want not).
We had to get rid of them because of the itching. Maybe that's the problem.

I forgot about that stuff! I wonder if that could be it because she said the itching stopped when she removed the quilts.

Another thought to add, a friend of mine used to work at a sewing factory making mass productions of clothing. She began to itch,raised areas on skin,ect. The doctor determined it was a form of mites that love fabric.I've kept that in mind ever since,and wash all new clothes,sheets,ect . as soon as I got home shopping.I try to wash all my fabric that goes into my stash as soon as I get home from fabric store, but tend to be too lazy majority of the time.LOL! I am probably sitting as I am typing this in mite city right now.LOL! yep computer is in my quilting room.Oh geesh, wish I hadn't thought of that..

.meant to add that this all fabric, not only new.

What about steam cleaning it? Don't know whether that would kill anything in it. Maybe an animal was using it for a bed at some point

Don't have any suggestions - just wanted to say I learned a lot about testing for fleas and identifying bedbug bites and how to get rid of them. Just never know what you will learn on the board!

What about wool?

When I taught, head lice were a problem from time to time. Parents were instructed to put all bedding and pillows in plastic bags, and leave it that way for two weeks. then wash the bedding. Mattresses were to be placed in the sun. Not saying your quilt has head lice, but saying to contain whatever it is and give yourself time to figure out what is causing the problem. Good luck!