Quilts vs Comforters
7Y’all are my 2nd favorite group of people to discuss important stuff with.
I’ve been thinking a lot about quilts lately. My wife only buys comforters. Meh only sells comforters. I only have one quilt, and its very small. Like, personal travel sized small.
I really think my quality of life is being severely damaged because of this.
I like how quilts look and feel better than comforters. Ironically, more comforting. Less puffy. They induce feelings of nostalgia and grandma’s guest room.
What are your thoughts?
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It depends on the material used as to my preference. If the quilt has a good quality cotton material & it isn’t super heavy, I’d choose it first. I like the light weight feel if a comforter, but it has to be good quality material. I hate the cheap stuff that pills up! Cant stand that!
Handmade quilts are special. Prefer these. They evoke in me reflections on the care with which they were designed and made. I tend to feel connected to the creator’s gifts and dedication.
But comforters are quite pleasant and cheap.
Tho I’d rather have quits, love cheapie nice comforters also.
Not a fan of quilts. Not crazy about the look of most of them. I don’t like the heaviness that’s usually associated with quilts either. I like a light, fluffy comforter that I can basically hug.
Find a quilt you really like. Maybe go to a quilting group in town and see what they have?
Basically, choose wisely, but get one.
I have both. What I have on the bed depends on the weather. When it is cold out I have a comforter (and wear a jacket inside) due to the cost to heat the place. When it is hot I have a quilt on the bed because they aren’t as warm and it is expensive to cool the place. Back when I had a fulltime, professional job I bought a couple of really lovely, different looking (eg not patchwork style) quilts from Etsy (but watch the size as they are erratic, know exactly what you need). The ones I bought survive the washing machine and dryer just fine.
You can also buy comforter covers (also called quilt covers) to make the bland comforters look nicer. Ikea has sold some really cool ones in the past, but I have also used sheets and made my own (One king flat sheet work fine to make a twin one, for the rest of the sizes you need two flat sheets in the size of the comforter). The benefit of covers is that you just have to wash those and not the entire comforter so the comforter lasts longer.
@Kidsandliz do you mean duvet covers?
Nice thing is you can match them to your linens if that is your thing and have more than one weight of duvet or whatever you put in it to use. you can also use it alone if you live where it is hot as hell.
Did you know that traditionally, if you use a duvet you don’t use a top sheet?
@Cerridwyn Yes I meant duvet covers but since they were using the word comforter I went with that. Also duvets are typically sized a bit smaller than a comforter (at least in the countries I lived that used them - where as you say no top sheet). I have made covers out of entertaining sheets whether or not they matched the bottom sheet. If I am also using a blanket I use a top sheet, if not then I don’t.
@Kidsandliz Professionally, I make custom quilts (not patchwork), comforters and duvet covers but at home I prefer the cheaper, washable items since my pets lay on them. I do the same as you: quilt for hotter months, comforter for winter. The beautiful duvet cover I made sits in the closet because it was too heavy.
@Kidsandliz yep
I see them a lot in upscale hotels these days. Much more comfortable than heavy comforters or quilts in a well climate controlled setting (although this being in the US, they usually have a top sheet.
@callow Hey please post some photos of stuff you have made…
And since I don’t like texture against my skin, I don’t like quilts. I have a coverlet (no one mentioned those) that I sometimes use in the summer months. It is sized more like a duvet but very thin because many use them just for decoration over a spread/comforter etc. But I always use a sheet with it because it’s not smooth.
I wonder how people define the different bed covers.
Bedspreads to me always go to the floor. Comforters and Duvets don’t and usually bed skirts to prevent an ugly gap.
@Kidsandliz Here’s a small sampling of what I make.
though.
@Cerridwyn From experience, everyone has different names for bedding. If there is a standard, most don’t follow it. I agree with your definitions
Anybody have any recommendations on a nice quilt I can get online?
@phatmass Try etsy there are usually a number of nice ones (although a pain to look through since it is fairly unsorted) although read the measurements carefully as some of them are non-standard for the size they are claiming.
I have met some Mennonites who make quilts by hand. They are gorgeous and cost more than I would spend.
My aunt makes patchworks and then pays someone to quilt it up. All her descendents get to choose what their handmade heirlooms will look like. She has pix albums of them.
Someone in our family somewhere has the quilt my grandmother made by hand.
These all tend to be cotton or mostly cotton fabrics.
@f00l I know someone who does that as well
Quilts are for decoration.
@medz I have one that decorates my bed.
@Kidsandliz right. Then goes on the floor when you sleep
@medz
/giphy just for decoration, dassit and dats all
@medz Mine doesn’t because I tuck mine in at the foot end
@medz some quilters would agree, Others would say it is made with love for you to use. I think both are accurate and vary with the quilt
Have a custom quillow (quilt that folds up into a pillow) that is put up and not used to keep it nice (critter control). Have a handmade yo-yo quilt put up for the same reason although I would love to have it on the bed. Use a light comforter year-around. Add a light blanket in winter but still have at least part of a leg and one foot uncovered for temperature control.
My wife has a quilt her maternal Grandmother made specifically for her. It lies on the guest bed because its too small for ours, but she often ‘borrows’ it on cool evenings to wrap in and read, and remember her Grandparents. It is soft and warm, cotton material with thin cotton batting inside (Grandmother W didn’t like polyester). My Grandma (maternal) made crocheted afghans for everyone (and for more than everyone). I don’t use mine because it was used so much it has started unraveling in a few places; I need to find someone who can fix it.
Suggestion. The US Military has a ‘quilt’ of sorts called the poncho liner, aka Woobie. It is thin, smooth, very soft after use and washing, surprisingly warm, packs up tight, and while it may not remind you of your family past, a used one might have kept an American soldier warm on cold nights, shaded from blazing sun, and comes in several different camouflage patterns. So you can wrap yourself in it and become hidden, or something close. Generally they had ties around the perimeter to tie into the poncho, or tie to poles or cords when used as a shade, but new ones come with zippers to make a light sleeping bag or zip together for larger sizes.
Sample: http://www.unclesamsretailoutlet.com/Wet-Weather-Poncho-Liner-digital-Camouflage-p/15249-0157.htm
Quilts can be quite lovely, but IMO need to be meaningful. So many mass made quilts that might look okay, but aren’t even Meh Worthy. They look like quilts, but they’re not. The only quilt in my home is one my youngest son received from Project Linus, when he was in the hospital last year. It’s beautiful, and has so much meaning. No other quilt could ever feel that way. In short… Comforters all the way, unless you’re incredibly skilled, or someone loves you enough to spend all that time and effort. Shrug.
@Sillygirl3 In my community for many years the predominant employment for women was in the garment industry. Consequently, quite a large portion of our aging female population are seamstresses. Keeping busy hands helps Alzheimers patients decline more slowly and require fewer behavioral meds. We had an Alzheimer’s unit that had the daycare patients work on quilts for the NICU at the local hospital. The fabric was donated by local businesses, every baby went home with a little 3x4 quilt. They also worked big wooden puzzles and sat in a circle and brushed and braided one another’s hair.
But what about afghans, y’all?