Most mattresses are made with the padding in their cover quilted into long rolls which are later cut to size to be attached to the mattress borders. The quilting machines are computer controlled and allow the operator to choose the quilting pattern which determines the look and feel of the cover panel. More stitches equal more tightness and firmness of the cover. Mattresses that are designed to offer a softer feel will usually have a “tack and jump” pattern. The machine will drop down and sew a small circle or other small pattern, and then lift and move six to twelve inches and drop down to repeat the pattern until the cover panel is fully quilted. These stitches will result in deep divots across the top of the panel. The purpose of the quilting is to prevent fibers in the panel from migrating and bunching up somewhere on top due to the sleeper’s motion in their sleep. However not everyone likes sleeping on a mattress with these pronounced divots or indentations.
Another way to achieve the locking of the fibers in place is called hand tufting. This technique requires the use of a double-sided frame that holds a precut panel consisting of a top layer of fabric, fibers and or other materials with a fabric backing. The technician will rotate the frame vertically and then plunge a long needle through the materials, pull it back and hand tie a knot behind what will become the underside of the cover panel. This is a time-consuming process, but a skilled tufting operator can dial in the tightness of the stitches which will result in the mattress feeling the way the designer intended.
At Natural Mattress Heaven we have created the state of the art in organic mattress making by utilizing the time-honored tradition of hand tufting mattresses with the use of the finest organic components in tandem with the innovation of micro coils. In both our Forget-Me-Not and Honeysuckle mattresses we use two layers of fibers over two sheets of micro coils. Our top layer is a blend of cashmere, silk and wool which is placed above a layer of alpaca blended with wool. Under that we have two sheets of 4,000 micro coils (in a queen size) separated by a layer of organic cotton needle punched fiber and backed by another layer of needle punched cotton fiber.
No matter where you shop for a mattress, you will not find anything that offers the comfort and pressure relief offered in these mattresses. The Forget-Me-Not is available in four firmness choices as well as dual firmness at no extra cost. The Honeysuckle is made with horsehair and cotton padding and is on the softer side of the firmness spectrum.
