carolinequilts Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I had a customer come to me this evening who had a quilt top for a friend of hers with MS. Apparently she is a tiny woman, but still active. I suggested Quilters Dream Poly as the batting because it is lightweight, soft, and warm. I'm not so sure now - would 100% natural (like cotton or bamboo) have been a better choice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I prefer cotton or bamboo for hospital patients because it is antibacterial and is a natural product. Most hospitals I have found want this sort of batting as opposed to polyester. In some cases, 80/20 cotton/poly batting is okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
char pietruk Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I would use the cotton batting also. Customers from the south told me that polyester gets too hot in a quilt. I don't know but maybe someone with MS might be sensitive to temperatures also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Can you make up a couple 36-44 inch square sample quilts (just layers of fabric, no piecing) and see what the drape and weight difference is with them? (Warmth factor also). I have used Thinsulate for my quilts and love its drape and lightweight and wonderful warmth. When I wanted to make a quilt for my daughter for college (with more consistant winter heat than our home) and one that wouldn't be too hot through the year, I was told cotton was natural and breathed. My daughter has never liked that quilt. It is too heavy, and just doesn't do the job her other one does. The same thing happened for me with bamboo/cotton batting, just too heavy and too hot than the others I had made. I haven't tried the wool yet, but will soon. I was thinking that you could check/research the differences for the MS person with the sample quilts to find the right one for her. Sorry it would be work that wouldn't seem to pay, but should in the long run, you would know what to offer for different needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Farnham Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Caroline~ It would be best to have your customer ask her friend what she prefers. MS is a very individual Disease. Everyone reacts differantly. One common side effect of the disease is that the Patient is usually very hot. Natural and Breathability would be the best choice. Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolinequilts Posted September 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Thank you for the suggestions. That's a great idea Laura - I'm going to call my customer and ask her to ask her friend. I'm thinking something breathable might be better, I have two choices of cotton - one that is a bit lighter weigth and Warm & Natural that I find is heavy. Wool is another option - lightweight, breathable, and warm, but might be a bit costly for her. Madelyn - I like the idea of the batting samples and have often thought of doing that just to have on hand for my customers. That's my next project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Caroline, Last year I got samples of all of QD battings (they sell this sample pack in craft size) and I made a sample of each. I only quilting half the length of each batting, placing them under the sandwich as I went. I just did a simple panto. I cut those apart and serged the edges, making two pieces of each batting. I labeled them with a permanent marker, marking one side washed and one sided unwashed. Once the one piece was washed I sewed the two pieces together along the top. Now the customer can see what it will be like when it is washed and how much shrinkage can occur. My customers love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolinequilts Posted September 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Oh - great idea Heidi! I would never have thought of two and then washing one! I'm going to do that! I have a lot of battings though - might take me awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Great idea Heidi. I would use cotton or wool for the quilt. Wool can be cool or warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Caroline I was really surprised how quickly it went. I procrastinated on the idea for about a year but am so glad I did it. It really helps the customer see/feel the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I really don't know about MS patients but have been told by a couple of home health care givers that wool is a good choice for cancer patients since it is very light weight, breaths and provides nice warmth. Also, the newer wool battings wash so well. Great idea Heidi!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakitten Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I love the wool. It is warm without being heavy, it is all natural and soft. The Quilters Dream wool does not cost that much more than the cotton, so cost is not the factor that it once was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calicoquilter Posted September 15, 2011 Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 Caroline, My guild is making quilts for a local hospice and they requested that we use either polyester or cotton batting. Apparently thier patients immunities, etc. are compromised and wool can often cause a reaction. Also, they like poly because the quilts get washed often and isn't as "linty" as cotton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgroby Posted September 15, 2011 Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 My sister has MS, and also lives here in TX...where we are sweltering in the heat! I know when I make her quilts, she wants poly now. The thing is that MS patients often get many weird and very irritating/painful skin sensations, so any weight touching their skin can be very painful (makes my sister actually cry for hours with her legs). It's horrible. So, it's not what's in the quilt that so important, but the effect of the weight, for many. I know MS affects everyone a tad differently, depending upon which nerves in your brain it's 'eating', but these folks can get some really uncomfortable, to downright painful, sensations in the limbs (which feels like it's on the skin). Just our experience...Debbie in Austin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolinequilts Posted September 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 That is really great advice Debbie. I was about to suggest to my customer the cotton or wool, but maybe I should stick with the QD Poly Select? It is very lightweight. It is also soft and maybe not too hot. If anyone else knows of a specific MS patient, this really helps. I don't think my customer wants to ask the patient directly because it is a surprise gift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgroby Posted September 15, 2011 Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 I really do think the poly is a good choice, because of the weight and the washability. Lots of things happen to these MS patients - things that usually aren't discussed in polite company (who, me?). Some folks hardly have any issues, and others suffer terribly. It's hard to know from person to person how the disease will affect them. It's a very individual, daily disease. Since we don't know how the friend is, I would personally error on the side of caution and go with the poly. This way, you won't be wrong, now or in the future...the poly will cover all the bases. But this is only my thoughts...and I hope it helps some. Debbie in Austin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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