Wow, talk about showing my lack of knowledge... I don't know! I think I want it felted, but now I'm not sure. It's for wool applique. Pattern is O Holy Night from Under the Garden Moon.

http://www.underthegardenmoon.com/st...products_id/61

I would say from looking at that photo that you want the wool yardage not felted. Check out the little plaid donkey. With felting you wouldn't get the pattern in the wool. Super cute pattern!

I buy 99% of my wool from thrift stores in the form of clothes. I completely take it apart, remove any button, snaps, zippers, everything. I wash it in very hot water with little soap and dry it as hot as I can until it as dry as possible. It will never shrink or fade again. Sometimes I like to over dye too, using different dark wool colors with light wool colors. You can get some interesting colors that way. No fabric softner or dryer sheets. Check you dryer vent often as it will make a lot of fuzz.

I've read all of the replies to the original post, and just for my (generally windblown and confused) tree of knowledge, what is the difference? Does felted wool look different, or wear differently? Do they have different purposes? I've been wanting to make a wool quilt--is there something I should watch for?

I agree. I remove the lining, shoulder pads etc. Note that some manufacturers used iron on interfacing on some of the jacket parts to keep them from stretching, which may prevent that part from felting. I usually try and pull this off. Sometimes it comes right off, sometimes it comes off with steam pressing. If it won't come off, felt it anyway.
I would also wash the items in a pillow case. I use several and put some of the wool pieces in each one to balance the load. You can just safety pin the closed, or baste. There is a lot of fuzz that will come off the wool and this will save your machine and plumbing from the stress.

wool in hot water will end up being felt! and the longer you agitate the tighter the felt will be.

I've put my wool in hot water and dryer for applique. If the quilt is ever going to be washed (and who can say what will happen when it leaves your hands), it's important the wool be as pre-shrunk as can be. It also makes it not fray if you "felt" it first.

Good questions, there sure is a difference. Wool shrinks, the hotter the wash and/or dryer, and the more aggitagion in the wash the tighter the wool fabric gets. Felted wool is a tighter weave so it look differently from the orginal fabric. It also wears differently as the tighter the weave the more wind and water proof it can be. Felted wools are used for warmer clothing. Felted wool fabric its heavier in the hand (thicker) and dosn't drape in the same way as wool yardage. Wools can be a very fine lightweight weave or up to 1/2 inch thick. Parkas are made from the thick weave called "duffel". When making a quilt you would want a tighter weave for applique but also a lighter weight. Hope this helps. No expert here, just my thoughts.

Thank you all for your suggestions. MisDixie, you really know your wool!

The jackets filled one kitchen trash bag, plus one grocery bag (which is how the store determines pricing), just to give you an idea of the current volume. There is enough that I could wash half and leave half as is.

My washer is a front-loader, so there isn't a whole lot of agitation going on. Hmmm.

I'll take some pics and let you know what happens!

I hit myself on the forehead (as in "Duh!!) when I realized that in the supplies list it says, "felted wool."

Jeez, do I feel stupid.