quiltersmuse.com Blog

Milkweed is a wild plant that is apt to pop up anywhere. Certain caterpillars eat the leaves of the milkweed and become Monarch Butterflies. These butterflies, overwinter in Mexico, a fact that I find hard to fathom when I think how far my home is from Mexico and how long it takes me, by jet, to get to California.

Milkweed has another use. Did you know that some women have used milkweed “silk,” as batting? The silky strands are very thin and delicate and hold a seed at one end, inside the milkweed pod. As the plant matures, the pod cracks open, and the wind will carry the silks airborne, along with the seeds, so that a new crop of milkweed will grow next year.

I have not heard of anyone recently who has tried to use milkweed silks for batting. Many strands would be required to fill even a miniature quilt, let alone anything larger. The strands would also have to be well-dried before use, to prevent them from growing mold in an anaerobic environment. I suspect that the quilt could not be easily hand-quilted.

People, in the past, were natural conservators. They utilized everything that was at their disposal, and were, at times, quite innovative. We don’t have to rely on such products as milkweed silks for batting these days.

There are many alternative types of batting available, in various degrees of blends. Basic types continue to be the natural fibers of cotton, wool, or silk, but we also have polyester now. Battings vary a great deal, according to how they are prepared, and which company is producing them. Many of the old quilts I’ve seen have had wool battings. After all, New Englanders had sheep available, and were most often making a quilt to keep warm during the long winters.

Mature Milkweed Pods are found in October, in the New England countryside.

If anyone knows of a quilt that was made with milkweed batting, please share the details, and a photo, if one is available. We would love to hear from you. Write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com

Pat