In cool climates and during the winter,
a quilt can be found on many beds. Quilts help ensure a good night's
sleep by keeping you warm and cozy. Typically quilts are made of
cotton or synthetic materials stuffed with cotton batting. In
climates where it's really super cold in the winter, a genuine wool
quilt is hard to beat. When temperatures regularly dip into the
teens or colder, a wool quilt is a great item to have on hand. When
a nasty storm knocks out your electricity for days, a wool quilt can
be indispensable
A wool quilt could be found in virtually every household before
electricity, central heating, and modern synthetics came along.
These quilts were a necessity to survival in the long, cold winters.
It wasn't uncommon for a woman to spent her summer and fall making a
new wool quilt to protect her family and provide a warm, comfortable
sleep. These old-fashioned quilts tended to be made of various wool
scraps gleaned from other sewing projects. One of the most popular
patterns was the crazy quilt, so named because of the odd shaped
pieces which were fitted together in a random pattern, making the
most of these expensive wool scraps. The pieces were stitched
together until the proper size was achieved. Then the process began
all over again to make the underside of the quilt.
When both top and bottom were completed, batting, lamb's wool or
horsehair were used to make the stuffing, providing insulation to
retain the natural warmth of the wool quilt. Women took great pride
in their work, as the quality of stitchery and construction would
determine how long that lovingly stitched quilt would last. As a
matter of pride, it was a nice thing to be able to hand down that
heirloom quilt to the next generation.
Today, with modern sewing machines and sheets of cotton batting at
our fingertips, a wool quilt is not nearly so arduous to make, yet
is still imbued with that nostalgic pride of the ultimate keeper
against the cold. Today, many of us have such busy lives or simply
don't sew. Don't despair! There are many beautiful, commercially
manufactured wool quilts of excellent quality from which you may
choose.
Good quality wool quilts do more than protect against cold. These
practical and beautiful works of art can serve as the centerpiece of
a romantic and nostalgic bedroom décor. Quilts can be handed down to
children with pride, as treasured heirlooms that remind them of
home.
