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How to Quilt>Wool Fabric for Quilts
It is relatively common to use wool in quilts. The first wool quilts I saw were made for soldiers during the Civil War to protect them from the bitter cold winters. Those wool quilts were made from the remnants of other blankets and worn out wool coats or dresses. Because the quilt top and backing were heavy, warm wool, there was no need to include batting, thus saving money and other materials. As quilting has grown, the interest in wool for modern quilts has expanded and now more quilters are making wool quilts. There are two ways to include wool in your quilt. One is to use the wool as it is made. That is, either straight off the bolt or to cut apart clothing - coats, dresses, skirts and the like. The newer wool has been treated so it will not shrink - be sure to check the marking on the bolt to ensure that is the case. The other way to use wool in a quilt is to "felt" it. That is to shrink it by washing it in hot water and drying it in a hot dryer. The benefit of felting is that the wool is less likely to fray and fall apart. In addition, once it has been felted, it will not shrink any further. The downside to felting is that it makes the wool very dense - just like the felt you purchase for any other craft, and more difficult to quilt. Hand quilting a quilt made with felted wool will probably frustrate you more than hand quilting a quilt made with batiks! However, these quilts will machine quilt beautifully, and because of the thickness of the fabric, the back of your quilt is less likely to pucker during machine quilting. These quilts are outstanding for cold weather and drape beautifully. You could add batting, but it is not necessary because they are already warm and have some bulk to them. If you decide to add batting, there are wool / cotton blend battings that will enable you to wash your quilt - assuming you have felted your wool fabric first. If you haven't felted the fabric, dry clean these quilts only. Some of the high and low points of wool fabric for quilts: Wool retains heat extremely well. Wool probably retains heat better than cotton, and has the same wicking properties (they draw moisture away from your body and allows it to evaporate.) Wool quilts were very common during the Civil War, and were credited with saving many lives during the harsh winters. Wool is a little more difficult to work with than cotton. Because of the thickness, the quilt will be bulkier, and it may require a stronger sewing machine needle to sew through all of the layers just for the piecing - let alone for quilting. Hand quilting is different, and may be not as satisfactory because of the thickness of the fabric and also the weave. Some wools have fewer threads per inch than cotton, so your quilting stitches should be longer, and you may want to use a thicker thread. Until recently, wool was mostly “Dry Clean Only.” New wool is on the market that they say is washable and will not shrink. Using a new biotech process, wool can be treated so it is washable in your home washing machine and will not shrink. This is a great benefit, and will require quilters to know the difference and which wool they have, so a tragic mistake is not made. Wools tend to be more expensive than cotton, and the variety of colors and patterns available is somewhat limited. As quilters venture into other types of fabric, the selection is increasing, so look for a wider variety of wool in the future – including hand-dyed wools. Final thoughts. With all of its challenges, wool makes great quilts. They are cuddly and warm, and drape very nicely. Try wool batting in the quilt for a 100% wool quilt. Happy Quilting!
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This article courtesy of http://www.How-to-Quilt.com. ©2009, Penny Halgren
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