It was nine feet high and six feet wide, soft as a downy chick
It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese, took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
It'd hold eight kids 'n' four hound dogs and a piggy we stole from the shed
Didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun on Grandma's feather bed
Grandma’s Feather Bed by Jim Connor recorded in 1974 by John Denver
It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese, took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
It'd hold eight kids 'n' four hound dogs and a piggy we stole from the shed
Didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun on Grandma's feather bed
Grandma’s Feather Bed by Jim Connor recorded in 1974 by John Denver
Feathers and eider down in particular have been used throughout the history for warmth in bedding and clothing especially in colder climates. Somewhere around the 14th century, wealthy land owners began to make what we now know as a featherbed. Most people slept on mattresses made of hay as it was plentiful and cheap. It was only the wealthy who could afford a featherbed because it took many, many geese and ducks to supply enough down to make a bed. Live birds could have their downy breast feathers harvested several times a year, even so, it usually it took years to gather the 50+ pounds of feathers needed to make a full mattress. These mattresses were so difficult to obtain that they were considered part of a dowry for an unwed woman or heirlooms to be passed down from one generation to the next.
By the 19th century, regular folk had figured out that they too could gather enough down to make their own featherbeds. Special care had to be taken to ensure the long life of the bed. The feathers had to be aired out which would reduce the dampness and the smell.
A ‘tick’ is cotton or linen bag filled with wool, cotton, straw or feathers and sewn shut. The material the bag was made of is called ticking. Ticking used with feathers needs to be tightly woven so the feathers don’t leak out. Sometimes wax or soap was put on the ticking to help prevent this. Usually featherbeds were used in conjunction with an existing mattress much firmer and usually filled with hay. The featherbed was laid on top of the other mattress to provide softness and warmth while sleeping. Today, featherbeds are utilized in much the same way as those people did centuries ago. Featherbeds are placed on top of an existing mattress to provide comfort and warmth.
Originally, featherbeds were constructed the same way as pillows with only one bag or sack. The one-sack featherbed had to be fluffed and straightened everyday due to the shifting feathers and to release moisture. Eventually, baffles were sewn into the material thereby creating pockets of feathers which would not shift from one place in the mattress to another and thereby needing less fluffing and airing out. In Germany, featherbeds were hung each day from the window, big billowing gobs of fabric and feathers hung from second story windows so the breeze would air the bed and dry the down. Other countries utilized different methods but each day, some sort of turning of the mattress was instituted to ensure the long life of the mattress.
Now, most luxury featherbeds are constructed with baffle box designs, sewn-through channels and multiple layers that provide the air needed to keep the feathers dry and fluffy and yet also keep the feathers from shifting. No need to shake out or hang the mattress every day.
Feather tick on top of you as well as underneath, assured the sleeper’s warmth even on the coldest of nights. Duvets and down comforters were used in northern Europe centuries before the concept came to North America.
Please visit Luxor Linens for the finest luxury white goose down featherbeds . We have down comforters, duvets and featherbeds; everything you need to complete the set and make your next night’s sleep your best night’s sleep. You can read about the history of duvets here.
We are making it our mission at Luxor Linens to keep our customers informed and educated about the products we sell. We welcome your questions or suggestions: contact WendyH at LuxorLinens dot com. Follow us on Twitter @LuxorLinens
Boy in Bed photo credit: George Eastman House
