Heritage of Craftmenship
For centuries, what people slept on reflected both climate and tradition. In Europe, beds were layered with animal skins, wool blankets, featherbeds, and hand-quilted duvets filled with wool, down, or feathers.
Every stitch was made by hand—needles had been used for sewing garments for thousands of years, while machines for quilting only arrived in the mid-20th century.
In Poland, hand-quilted duvets were part of the linen craft, overseen by tailors’ guilds in Kraków since 1380. Beyond bedding, artisans produced fine linens, personal garments, and decorative touches, often enhanced with lace, embroidery, and monograms. By the late 1960s, cheaper machine-made duvets caused these workshops to disappear.
How Duvets Were Made in the Past
Duvets were hand-quilted on wooden frames, with filling placed between two layers of fabric and stitched to keep it in place. Fillings included sheep’s wool, felt, and later goose or duck down, while covers were made from wool, cotton, silk, or satin. Creating a duvet demanded time and skill, making it both costly and a treasured part of a bride’s trousseau.
Preserving Traditional Woolcarding
At MyAlpaca, we protect these traditional crafts. Guided by master quilt-makers, we restored a historic 80 years old carding machine.
We also built our quilting frames following traditional designs. By handcrafting duvets and pillows, we safeguard this artistic heritage, nurture a new generation of masters, and create products that are exclusive and beautiful.
