Insulation sold at Joan's...

Hello,
I'm making a trip to Joan tonight with the wife to make my first DIY UQ. Would there be any point to making an UQ with the Insul-Bright Insulation you can buy there? I understand there are brand name insulations all over the internet, but it doesn't take a top secret process to make hollow polyester fiber insulation. Has anyone ever used this stuff? How warm did it keep you and how well does it compress? Any recommendations on what I can use instead if this is no good?

Anyone ever use Mylar Fleece?

Synth underquilts are fine for the warmer temps. I would think any fiberfill would be usable. The problem is twofold. Bulk and weight. Fiberfill sold for at-home quilts is not designed to be packable. It doesn't really compress well. Hollow fill of one sort or another is easier to compress but even so it will be bulkier if you are talking about a deep winter temperature UQ. Down to the mid 50's you would probably be fine with a thicker regular fiberfill quilt. Anything below that you might find it is worth while to get the outdoor focused synth fiberfills. For really cold temps, if weight and bulk are primary concerns you still can't beat down.

Insul-Bright does not compress well. It is rather stiff and doesn't conform very well, either. The mylar fleece looks like the store brand of Insul-Bright.

Jo-Ann's sells quilt batting which works for top or under quilts. It's about 1/2" thick. It usually comes in a pre-cut size for a bed. Get a big one and cut what you need.

I've made an underquilt using this material and it works fine. It's not as efficient and doesn't compress as well as Climashield, but it works if that's all you have. It's cheap and local and good for a first-time quilt project.

One layer would make a good summer quilt, two layers for colder weather...depending on temps and how warm you sleep, of course.


Jerry

My current underquilt is made from two layers of quilt batting and works ok as a three season (in South Carolina). It was a great gateway drug into building my own underquilts. I keep it in a Sea to Summit small compression sack and it compresses fairly well. All in all it has worked well for me and was a great learning experience. Also, if I screwed it up I didn't ruin a piece of something expensive, just some quilt batting.

I saw some "Down Alternative" fluff stuff at either Jo Annes or Hobby Lobby. Do you think that would make a better Under Quilt that the foam?

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Originally Posted by Terry_Dodson

I saw some "Down Alternative" fluff stuff at either Jo Annes or Hobby Lobby. Do you think that would make a better Under Quilt that the foam?

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Is there a specific name for this "down alternative" material at JoAnnes? I'd like to see it. Sounds like it might be useful. Will probably have to get it on-line from JoAnnes, as I have never seen it in the local store. Thanks

I found a product at Hancocks called insul-fleece which I used between the layers of a sewn poncho liner under quilt. Didn't have the chance to really do much testing last winter but did get down to 32F comfortably. I don't believe it is structurally strong enough to be used alone as an under quilt.

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Originally Posted by psyculman

Is there a specific name for this "down alternative" material at JoAnnes? I'd like to see it. Sounds like it might be useful. Will probably have to get it on-line from JoAnnes, as I have never seen it in the local store. Thanks

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I don't remember the specific name. I just remember it said down alternative on the label. It was near the make your own pillow materials in a clear plastic bag. Looked like a lot of really light fuzz almost like milkweed fluff. the bag was pillow size, i poked a small hole in the top of the bag and squeezed it into about a softball size in my hands. Let go of it and it slowly (naybe a minute) grew back to its original size. I did not look at it anymore cause i purchased some IX to make my quilt. :)