In chilly climates and during the winter, a quilt can be found on almost every bed. Quilts are warm and cozy, giving that comfortable feeling that ensures a good night's sleep. The usual quilts available are often made of cotton or synthetic materials stuffed with cotton batting. Some climates, such as found in Alaska and New England, require a bit more “oomph” to do the job. Here's where you'll want a genuine wool quilt. When temperatures regularly dip into the teens or colder, a wool quilt is a wonderful item to have on hand. They can also be indispensable when that nasty storm knocks out your electricity for days!
Before electricity, or central heating and modern synthetics, a wool quilt was found in every household. It was, in fact, a necessity to survival in the long, cold winters. Many a woman spent summers 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.
A wool quilt of good quality does more than protect against cold. Both practical and beautiful, the wool quilt serves as a centerpiece of romantic and nostalgic bedroom décor and like it's predecessor of the olden times, may still be handed down to your children with pride, as a treasured heirloom that reminds them of home.
Don't overlook a wool quilt as a terrific gift idea as well.
|
