How to Make a Traditional Australian Wool Doona

by Halcyon Dreams Australian Wool Quilts Online

Have you ever thought about the origins of your Australian wool doona and how they were originally made?

Today’s modern wool quilts are usually manufactured in bulk in a factory, but in the past, women would make them themselves from scratch to create a warm and cosy family heirloom that would be passed down through generations. But how easy is it to handmake a wool quilt? Let’s take a look.

Preparing the Wool

Wool from the sheep needs to be washed and carded. This is usually done in a mill. For a quilt the wool can be processed in two ways, one – into lock thick strips called ‘rovings’ which are used for spinning and two, into ‘batts’ which are the big sheets of wool that are used as the filling for an Australian wool quilt.

The Quilt Cover

The cover for the quilt can be easily made from lengths of fabric, although one easy way to make the casing for the wool is to use two flat sheets that are cut to the size of the quilt.

The next step involves sewing two edges together to join the pieces of fabric. The two pieces can then be opened up ready for the filling.

Inserting the Filling

The woollen batts are laid onto one half of the quilt cover. This needs to be done carefully to ensure that the filling lies evenly, adjusting the batts until there is a uniform layer of wool. Once you’re happy with the way the filling is lying, it’s time to flip the top part of the cover over onto the woollen layer.

Quilting the Quilt

The outside edges of the doona need to be sewn into place to fully encase the filling and stop it from moving before you start to ‘quilt’ the doona. The quilting is done using the ‘rovings’ which have been spun into a thread.

The spun thread is inserted through all layers of the quilt and tied in place with knots. These need to be evenly spaced throughout the doona. The knots hold the filling in place and stop it from bunching up or migrating to the corners.

The knots can take a considerable amount of time to complete depending on the size of doona that’s being made and the skill and experience of the quilt maker. This can take many hours of work but is probably the most satisfying part of the whole project.

Traditional Wool Doonas Online

Of course, not many of us have the time or patience to make a homemade wool doona, and now they’re so easy to get hold of either in-store or online. However, there’s nothing quite like a traditional handmade wool doona that’s been made with care and love.