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[SJC <indexer AT localnet.com>]

Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
> Well, I guess I'm not making real window quilts, just insulated 
> curtains. 
As long as you have several layers quilted together you have a quilt, by 
definition :-)  so nobody can say it's not 'real'....  But in this case 
you want to have at least one layer that's not stitched together with 
the others, back or front, doesn't matter which.  Heat/cold will be 
better stopped than if you have stitching lines that go all the way 
through; that's the weak point when it comes to heat transfer.  By 
having one layer that's not stitched down with the others any more than 
is essential you can gain several degrees. 
> I don't want to spend any money; so far I've spent about $5 on 
> fabric remnants on clearance at Goodwill, and pieced them together into 
> quilt faces. I have to get 3 or 4 sheets for backing ($2.99 each at 
> Goodwill, unless I can find some on the $.25 rack). 
Man, we need better secondhand stores here.  They want $5/6 for a twin 
sheet here.  Once in a while I can find them cheaper at a yard sale but 
not often.  Last time I went out of here I came back with lots of used 
sheets I got for around $1/apiece.  I like sheets for weaving rag rugs 
and I've no clue why our Goodwill/SA stores are so high here, but they 
stay that way and getting worse.  This summer some had Ball jars for 
$.75 ea, quarts.  I could actually have bought new cheaper.  As is was, 
I just dried more stuff rather than canning it so I used fewer jars 
total.  Used to find them free at any junk shop but not any more.  
Fortunately at some yard sales clothes are cheap and I've no problem 
with cutting up a $.25 skirt into chunks to sew back together...have a 
big pile of stuff by my chair right not for taking the buttons and 
zippers out, then they'll be ready for whacky, whacky....
> ....My wool will be the insulation.
>   
If you're using carded batts, want to make sure they are quilted well to 
keep wool from shifting/felting when they are washed.  I found that out 
the wrong way :-) ; on the first one I did had quilting lines way too 
far apart .   The quilts I've done with carded batts I ended up quilting 
with no more than 2" open in any direction to keep wool from shifting 
and some of that has shifted, despite my best efforts.  I was using a 
Romney/Shetland blend, as it was what I had at the time.  I think the 
safe spacing would vary some depending on which wool you use.  For the 
next ones I did have better results by deliberately felting the carded 
batts together by making thin-ish batts and layering them between 2 
cotton (they'll beard and 'stick' if you use poly) sheets, checkerboard 
style in 2 layers, and felted them in the machine , then removed the 
sheets.  Then you have a nice batt for the window quilt; it's the same 
way you'd make a mattress pad, except you don't need near as many  
layers) and then using that big flat batt for your window quilt.  That 
way the fiber will already be somewhat stabilized to start out with and 
that will keep you from getting those little wads of wool between your 
stitching lines.  I have a Lincoln fleece here I'm going to try for a 
quilt batting, staple is about 7", curious to see if that works out to 
be easier.  Afraid it might feel a little coarse, even through the 
fabric, guess I'll find out this winter.  I'm thinking I might make one 
layer of Lincoln batts and a layer of Romney so the top (well, one side, 
anyway) is softer.  Not sure exactly how they'll work together but it 
seems worth a try.  I have the picking done but won't do the carding 
until snow flies, other stuff in the way now.

Lobster was $3.12/lb yesterday at the dock in case your sister is back 
home, must be similar up her way.  My company got 4 of them to take back 
home with them.

SJ, in Maine