My favorite blanket in winter as a child was always a tied wool comforter made of 4 in squares...so warm and snuggly..GO for it! I would use wool batting as well. You can afford to splurge a bit on that since the "fabric" costs are so low :)

My sisters buys a lot of wool garments at thrift shops to use for hooked rugs. The response she gets from some of the cashiers are something. Why is she taking perfectly good clothing off the rack that someone could use? And to cut it all up no less! Well, it is on the rack, for sale, and once she pays for it, it is hers to use. She washes it, cuts it up, removes the buttons and linings. She's got a terrific button box, and she does beautiful work as a rug hooker.

I would not be in a hurry to cut in squares. You might want some bigger for backgrounds for applique wall hangings. Vi

I've made LOTS of wool quilts! I often use recycled wools from garments, I de-construct the clothing then wash all of my wools in hot, hot water, some detergent, rinse in cold water, tumble dry when it comes out it is ready for quilting. there are lots of websites, shops, designers who work with wools (you can see a picture of my wool on flannel 'backyard gathering' quilt here on the board.) some places to visit- Sue Spargo; Primitive gatherings; ' A couple of Sisters'; the Wooly Lady; once you start looking you will find lots of links for more- people are finding that working with wools is wonderful-and makes very luxurious fabulous quilts. :)

I agree. Besides, I've never heard of a person in the US running around naked because they didn't actually have anything to wear. Even the poor have clothes. They might not be high fashion or in good condition, but every thrift store I've seen is just packed.

My thoughts to your sis: use the clothing with no guilt..none at all!

Oh yes...I was given some wool last week and I plan on making them into quilts--but since the wool is coat weight, I'm using rather large squares, and sashing them--keeping it simple. I will put poly batting in it and use cotton on the back side--they will become charity quilts.

why does the 'cashiers' even know she is going to cut up the wool- I've never had anyone ask me what I plan to do with any item I purchase- except at Joann's when sometimes the lady cutting my fabric asks if i'm making a quilt. I purchase a large amount of my wools from thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales. if someone comments on the wool items I just say- isn't it wonderful? I love wool clothing. :) they have no idea (& it's none of their business) that I am going to take it home, take it all apart, wash it & cut it up. I am using it for items that will be used, keep people warm... there is certainly no reason to feel a need to *justify* recycling any item for what ever purpose you have for it.

I have a 9 patch quilt that my Grandma made for me many years ago. She set the blocks together with red sashing and tied it. I have washed it in cold water a couple of times and it has held up just fine! I would wash the wool in cold water first, just to get the shrinkage down to a minimum, and use all wool throughout the quilt (blocks, sashing, borders, backing, batting and binding!) It would be a treasure!! Good luck and let us know what you do!

Once it has been washed in hot water (felted?), does it continue to shrink when washed again?

once your wools are washed in hot water, rinsed in cold, dried they are 'done' shrinking- my 'backyard gathering' have been washed/dried many times over the past few years- they hold up very well and are fabulous quilts! I would rather work with wools than pretty much any fabrics. if the wools are fairly tight weaves (like men's jackets) they do not get 'thick'- when washed in hot, rinsed in cold- it tightens up the weave so there is no fraying. you can cut appliques out and stitch down with no turn under because the edges are 'finished'. I've made quilts, penny rugs, jackets, purses/totes, hats, scarfs, I save ever little piece for appliques, any strips go in the basket for wool hooked rugs- you can use every little piece of wool- and since wool on the bolt is $20=$60 + a yard- getting it from recycling clothing means you have a 'treasure trove' of fabulous fabrics that would be very hard to accumulate piece by piece in yardage. you can over dye different textures, designs to make a 'color family' for a project (wools dye wonderfully too) the sky is really the limit when it comes to working with wools. :)

here's the link to the 'backyard gathering' wool applique quilt I made (one of them, I've made 3) if you go to the pictures category & search 'wool quilts' you will find many more pictures of other wool projects members have made or are working on. http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...lt-t20104.html