batting for warm weather quilting

[kim B.]

I am making a double wedding ring quilt for my daughter but she is moving to New Orleans. I had planned on using silk batting but we live in Oregon. Will silk be too warm for New Orleans? Would cotton or wool be better? I will be hand quilting.
thank you.

[kim B.]

I live in the same area (coastal MS) and I've made quilts with cotton and polyester and blends. It does get pretty hot and humid here, but it also gets cold in the winter. Below freezing occasionally! The quilt I keep on my bed year-round has a cotton/poly batting.

[kim B.]

Thank you, Sherry. My husband grew up in Moss Point, MS are you near there? Cotton or blend is probably best since I would worry about moths in the wool. This is of course if I ever finish this thing.
Thanks.

[Hannelore N.]

I use a quilt with wool batting (thank you, Ali!!) all year round. It's light, cool in summer and warm in winter.

[Alex A.]

I was going to suggest wool too

[Alex A.]

Hey patternqueen! I live in Ocean Springs-just "down the road" from Moss Point. I love it down here-hurricanes and all. Wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

[Mary K.]

I"m in on the wool wagon as well.

[kim B.]

Thank you all for your advice. I have been wanting to try wool but as a beginner I wasn't sure. Of course my first handquilted quilt would be a queen sized double wedding ring... ahh the things we do for our children. Wish me luck.

[Eileen K.]

Do you want them to use the quilt? If you and quilt it, they may feel it's too "good" for everyday use. BTW, I'd go with wool too.

[kim B.]

I made it clear they better use it every second of every day! Believe me this will not be an award winning quilt by any stretch of the imagination. By the way is there a "best wool batting" out there? Any special treatmen? I did prewash the fabric. Do I need to preshrink the wool or say dry clean only?

[kim B.]

I made it clear they better use it every second of every day! Believe me this will not be an award winning quilt by any stretch of the imagination. By the way is there a "best wool batting" out there? Any special treatmen? I did prewash the fabric. Do I need to preshrink the wool or say dry clean only?

Quilters Dream wool is awesome. It does nicely in the wash machine and dryer, and is hands down my favorite batting and used in all my personal quilts.

[kim B.]

Thank you, cjtinkle. Do you pretreat it in anyway?

[kim B.]

No, not at all. I buy it on the roll, but even the packaged batts come folded and not rolled, and you can simply shake it out and use it. Once quilted, I wash in warm or cool water on the gentle cycle, and tumble dry on low heat, but it's even okay on regular heat.

[Annette R.]

My great grandmother was a quilter in Minnesota. dang cold in the winter and in those days with no air conditioning in the summer in was HOT HOT HOT. I have two of her summer quilts. (I am 70 yrs. old) so these quilts are old. They were done with a flannel sheet as the batting. The one that I still use at times is wonderful in the hot weather. Since I wouldn't use a flannel sheet these days, I do use flannel that is designed for draperies. Usually available in wider widths at JoAnn's or Hancock fabrics and probably other places that have drapery fabric. I wash it first because some of it shrinks but love it for "summer" quilts or wall hangings where I want a very thin batting. I like Hobbs 80/20, cotton batting and other thin battings. Have not used wool but think it would work too. Just wanted to add a different option which has been proven over at least to more than 100 yrs. Ann the traveling quilter, currently in Minnesota where it has been hot this week.

[Judy M.]

I love all this information! I read that the cotton fabrics on the top and backing make the wool batting safe from bugs. Is this true?