I Made my Mattress Out of Wool and Cotton

~Music is some Irish tin whistle improv~
Perhaps more of a 'sleeping pad' once the wool compresses, this suits me well as a small, firm sleeping arrangement. It is an easy project, but takes a good amount of wool. Thankfully, I found some other wool that needed to be used up.
Back when wool mattresses were more the norm (and still in some places), there was someone who came around probably every few years to service them-
“In Italy during the summer, the mattress man, il cardatore, tours Italian homes, pulls out the wool from their mattresses, re-cards it, adds some more, as the process reduces the stuffing a bit, rebuttons and then sews the mattress cover back up again.”
Wool is amazing as a mattress material because it regulates body temperature, resists mold, resists fire, is nontoxic, can be cleaned through airing and sun, and more.

[@Scribe13013]

The sheep seem so enthusiastic about it! You must be a very gentle shearer

[@weedhopp]

Absolutely beautifully fantastic !

[@funarty01]

Nice work, your video made me smile

[@markusimminenteluna6906]

Seems to me that wool would make an excellent insulation.. ~ Keep making awesome inspiring videos..~

[@thegreenwinde]

Yes it is used as insulation. Thanks!

[@82crazyjames]

Keep up the awesome videos I’m enjoying watching them they are very soothing and relaxing and educational.

[@thegreenwinde]

Thank you, comments like this are very encouraging~

[@tallcedars2310]

I would need to make one with 20 times that amount of wool for my wide boney hips to be comfortable. But it's something i can do if I have to, thank you for showing your mattress making skills!

[@tallcedars2310]

The more I think of giving my 8 fleeces away each year, the more I want to make a mattress,. Thank you for the inspiration🥰

[@GRADE8BOLT]

Neat video ....and peaceful at end .....hey i always hated when crickets get loud at end of summer i knew school was soon to start

[@lordenigma6343]

You’re so skilful and talented! I hope I learn some of these skills one day.

[@thegreenwinde]

I learn most of these skills as I go. So just try stuff and see what happens ^.^

[@shannonchmela919]

Thats got to be the fluffiest comfiest bed ever i want one lol

[@ShantiDawning]

Im impressed by Ur Talent. I Love Ur Videos

[@lawn65]

Good stuff keep keeping on living the life stay safe

[@TheMooCowReturns]

Awwww, I love cow they come running for corn! :=8D

[@robin.karawoods]

They’re sheep 😅

[@garethm7510]

@@robin.karawoods 🤣

[@mariocean808]

Fascinating and peaceful

[@Mrfreeze401]

That's just about the best scissor job I've seen! If you're ever looking for an upgrade look up Burgon and Ball shears, heard they're good. *Disclaimer: Machine Shearer

[@thegreenwinde]

Haha thanks ^.^

[@GRADE8BOLT]

Ultimate question....culd you with small back pack and a few tools hatchet some rope matches survive just off plants and ....culd you hunt? Like traps or fish

[@offgridprosperity]

I just bought a foam mattress for my van off facebook marketplace lol i got it for 30bucks and it was originally 599.. clean too! i love your classic style wool mattress too must be nice in its own way

[@thegreenwinde]

nice score!

[@lilvalentine545]

This is such a beaitiful film to watch. I have made my own doona/duvet from alpaca wool in a similar way. you might like to try that too since you have those lovely sheep there. you'll be so warm and cozy ❤

[@thegreenwinde]

Thank you. Id love hear more- you make a fabric or do you use the wool as batting?

[@lilvalentine545]

@@thegreenwinde You can do it either way. The first way is similar to how you made your mattress. lay out a flat cotton sheet. Place your washed wool in an even fluffy cloud across it. Using wire brushes to card the wool makes it loftier. Lay the second sheet over the top of the wool lining it up with the first sheet. I then loosely hand sewed lines across the quilt to hold the wool in place. Horizontal lines then virtical lines to create squares. you could get creative with the stitching patterns if you want. I stitched the edges closed and then went around the outside edge with a sewing machine. I've made probably 5 double quilts this way. Another way is to make a felt blanket, This way you only use fleece , no cotton needed, and you create a 'fabric' with the wool. The easiest way to do this is to find a large piece of bubble wrap, you could use smooth plastic or possibly canvas but bubble wrap works really well. You lay out the bubble wrap, lay out your fluffed up wool fairly thick and as even as you can. Don't allow any thin spots as they will form holes. Spray it all down with warm soapy water and gently roll the whole thing up like a big sausage. roll and rub the whole thing. You can unroll and check to see if its felting. The more you felt it the tighter the fibres will get. When it's holding together nicely you rinse it all out. Dunking it in cold and then hot water will further shrink and tighten the fibres. You can create patterns and pictures with felt too. you can also cut and sew it. make clothes, hats and shoes with it. Some course wool doesn't felt though. wool that doesn't felt is better for batting and stuffing. It's springy and bouncy and resists forming clumps. Fine wool is better for felting and creates a fine fabric. So try felting some wool from your sheep and if it doesn't felt then start asking your neighbours if they have any spare wool or alpaca fleece. different breeds of sheep have different types of wool. Carpet wool breeds are bred to have wool that won't felt. I hope you found this helpfull. happy crafting ❤

[@thegreenwinde]

@@lilvalentine545 Thank you for taking the time to share that, it sounds like a great future project for me. I get cold pretty easily!

[@GRADE8BOLT]

Do you ever feel like you've lived before ? Like 200 years ago you also said you was in irland for a while is there a connection to there as in you've lived there before in a previous life ?

[@daleloope6521]

Amazing!! You are super impressive!! Is the mattress cozy?? Peace, Love and Happiness!!

[@thegreenwinde]

Oh why thank you sir. Yes it is perfect for my needs. I imagine it could use some more wool in time, after the initial compression.

[@margodavison9379]

This is so lovely… could you tell me about how much wool was used? This reminds me of a comforter/quilt I made a few years back using cattail seed fluff as the batting. I overstuffed it and it turned into more of a bed pad! Have you ever made anything using cattail fluff as a down alternative?

[@thegreenwinde]

Hi~ I dont remember how much i used for this one but I made another more recently in another video (called it a futon this time), that used about 50lbs of unwashed wool which ended up being 27lbs washed. Visually, this was a few garbage bags full when fluffed. Now, this was larger of course, but later I halved it, (using the same amount of wool) both because it flattened and because my purposes changed. Even still, it could use a lot more wool! It is now about 4 inches thick. If I am bothered someday to wash yet more wool and the added weight is alright for my uses, I would add more, trying to overstuff it (which would be easy because I put a zipper on it.) But cattail fluff! No, I havent. Do you know the properties of it (such as warmth, springiness, weight etc)? Have you used it as a quilt or pad at all? Did it require a lot of it? Thanks for your comment~

[@margodavison9379]

@@thegreenwinde thank you for the info, I’ve been obsessing over making a wool filled mattress now! When I made the cattail quilt a few years ago I did a lot of research but didn’t find much info… it’s been long enough my memory has faded but I believe I read in a book that it has similar insulative qualities as down. Milkweed fluff is another one, but obviously cattail is much easier to gather a large amount of. I think you can also felt cattail fluff! These seem to be skills that are nearly lost so not much info online about it. Also I’d say the cattail fluff is not as springy as down so it would probably flatten more quickly.

[@margodavison9379]

@@thegreenwinde I forgot to mention I don’t really remember how much I used, but it is incredibly surprising how much the fluff expands once you take it apart from the stalk! I’d like to play around more with it someday, maybe making pillows or stuffed animals or something.

[@thegreenwinde]

@@margodavison9379 Very interesting, yes I've heard of people spinning milkweed fluff. Really, felting it? That sounds worthy of testing! I imagine in general it would be more similar in general to a plant fiber like cotton than to wool and probably doesnt have some of the benefits such as being fire retardant or antimicrobial/bacterial (would want to keep it dry against mold!) but probably has its own special properties. If I come across a source of it, I will have to experiment. If you have any more questions or make your own mattress, be sure to let me know~

[@GRADE8BOLT]

Are you planning on tuffing it out in the tent through winter ?

[@thegreenwinde]

Nah, I'll be heading to the Blue Ridge mountains, it will be another chapter this winter.

[@oaktree2254]

Do you still sleep on the mattress, how is it?

[@johnnywebb6375]

I like this hippy chick..hell yeah

[@GRADE8BOLT]

Also where did getcha go the goat ?

[@thegreenwinde]

He's the one in this video with the collar and horns

[@GRADE8BOLT]

@@thegreenwinde Oh yea he got a buzz cut too ... Missed him first time i watched ...

[@GRADE8BOLT]

And i did not know wool resists mold

[@dcclxxvii5067]

Lumpy

[@simonjimenez4663]

Sweetheart you forgotten about me let’s connect baby girl.