I live in FL and use a duvet cover with nothing in it as a coverlet. In the winter it's the right weight. In the summer we just fold it down over the footboard at night.

You can fill your duvet cover with what ever blanket or quilt is the most comfortable,it doesn't have to be fluffy down duvet. OTOH I think some people don't sleep with their comforter or duvet - for example with MIL she uses it only for show and it comes off at night to be replaced with and old duvet for sleeping.

Sky

Curious, what does a crazy cat lady have? (There are quite a few of us here :)

How about considering a coverlet? Or an (call me old fashined) a bedspread? Both can be made of a vast range of fabrics from rip-cord, seersucker, cotton, etc....
Both are made to be either slept under or turned back.

A pretty sheet that coordinates w/ your room can be used as a top cover. So can a flannel sheet.

Try to think outside of the box (er...bed in a bag)!

There is NO RULE that states you have to have a fluffy bed covering. Take a look at several shelter mags & you will probably see the simple bedding looks of simple sheets w/ a light blanket. It's the advertisers & stores selling "bed-in-a-bags" that have everyone thinking that your bed has to be a matched throne.

I prefer the simple look myself. We have a white coverlet & that's it. No shams, no matchy froo-froo stuff. There are 4 bed pillows at the head stacked 2 on 2 for each of us. I love to use lots of different sheets & the white coverlet goes w/ all of them.

We add a quilt or wool blanket in the winter that gets folded to the foot during the day. In the summer, the white is clean & refreshing all by itself.

I used to live near Palm Springs, CA and we used a coverlet. We had a plain, simple one and added more interest through the decorative pillows. In the winter, I just had a blanket under the coverlet.

I now live in the mountains of New Mexico where tonight's low will be 16 degrees versus Palm Springs low of 47. Dh bought us a down comforter based on his wonderful memories of sleeping under one in Germany as a child. I still find the down to be too hot, even here. We stubbornly hang onto it though because it was pricey.

Look at matelasse - should feel about the same as a quilt.

A lightweight good quality down comforter should be fine in warmer weather, as it will breathe. The problem may not be the stuffer, but what the cover is made from and the weight of that. Try using it alone, as suggested.

Oh, I forgot, have you checked the quilts in Crate and Barrel and Restoration Hardware - they are very modern and beautiful colors.

I posted the link to those at C&B below. http://www.crateandbarrel.com/quilts-coverlets/bedding-and-bath/1

Here is a link that might be useful: quilts and coverlets at C&B

I only use the duvet cover in the summer. It seems to work just fine.

In the winter I use the duvet cover with a down comforter.

When I lived in Los Angeles, I used a comforter during the winter, but no blanket. My bedroom might have been cooler than yours since I never turned on the heat. I would suggest that, if you like a particular comforter or duvet, try using it without a blanket, Although California has some surprising laws, I am pretty sure that there is no law saying that you must use both a blanket in the middle and a top layer.

Living now in western New York, where winters are cold and summers are hot, I often use a duvet cover with nothing inside it as a coverlet during mild weather.

We live in Houston and went through a similiar decision making time... I love what we do now: we have a whole cloth quilt (they are one solid color but add a lot of texture to the room from the stitching design) on the bed, with the top of the sheet folded down over it. Then I put our comforter, folded in thirds across the bottom of the bed. So starting at the headboard, we have two rows of standard pillows in the sheet fabric, a row of square european shams in the comforter fabric, and then 1 or 2 small toss pillows. About half of the quilt shows between the pillows and the folded up comforter. Generally I just lift the comforter off and set it aside each night, but when we need it, we just pull it up. This works really, really well for us. By the way, I just bought a whole cloth quilt at Homegoods (Marshalls) in a color that would look GREAT with that blue comforter that comes up on your Macys link, for $39. I can post a picture if that's helpful, just let me know.
Lynn

I live in New England; it's cold in the winter and only a handful of summer nights are so hot you don't want SOMETHING to pull over you.

We use a down comforters from Cuddledown. They offer a variety of options for the many areas of the country. Our's isn't the lightest, but it isn't the warmest, either. We have one for every bed in the house and a duvet to cover them.

A "traditionalist", I use a bedspread over the one on our bed. As for quilts... might I suggest you look into something from Amish craftsmen. They use only solid color fabrics (no prints) and many of the most traditional patterns take on a remarkably contemporary look when rendered thusly.

Here is a link that might be useful: maybe this will help

....Curious, what does a crazy cat lady have? (There are quite a few of us here :)...

Squirrel, dontcha know? She uses her cats to keep warm-! ;-)

{{!gwi}}

Matelasse works well, as someone said above. If our comforter is too hot we just fold it back to the foot of the bed at night, then pull it back up in the morning.

She uses her cats to keep warm

My experience is that cats, which have a body temperature of 101 to 102 degrees, want to nestle right up to me when the weather is really hot, not when it's cold. They're like furry hot water bottles that move about under their own power.

I used to sew for this very reason. I could buy a full / king sized sheet set and make my own comforters with what ever weight I wanted to. My favorite one for NJ this time of the year is flannel on one side and a dark blue twin sheet on the other. I used the heaviest filling I could find. It was for my son's room way back when.

My favorite summer one was a nice piece of fabric with a pink sheet on the reverse filled with thinner batting.

What's nice about being able to sew is you can make what ever thickness comforter you want, then cover it with a duvet cover.

How about considering a coverlet? Or an (call me old fashined) a bedspread? Both can be made of a vast range of fabrics from rip-cord, seersucker, cotton, etc....
Both are made to be either slept under or turned back.

Penney's had a really nice one color bedspread that didn't look like "grandmothers" bedspread. I'm pretty sure it was this one, last time I bought one, the colors were better.

How about a down blanket one size larger than your bed? Or a quilt from Garnet Hill or Anthropologie? Or a lightweight down comforter with no blanket and no top sheet, just a duvet (European style), so you can stick your feet out the side for temperature regulation? Works for me here in FL. (Where it's going into the 20's tonight! YIKES!!!)

This is so timely for me. I have been looking for a lightweight quilt to replace the beautiful bedspread that I bought when we moved to the new house. My DH folds his half OVER THE TOP OF ME bc he doesn't like anything heavy on him. So there I am, a hot flashing menopausal woman with a double blanket on top of me!! I usually roll it off of me and then I get cold (we keep our temp at 68 at night).
I have been trying to find a quilt that has some design to it but not patchwork. I love the matellasse so I just ordered one. Hopefully this will work!!

Good luck finding what you want!

I forgot to mention...I can't use down. I'm allergic.

Some of the matelasse stuff is lovely...wish I had known about it earlier.

We try to stick to stuff that has some color, preferably darker to cover any cat hair and general cat grubbiness...I'm a crazy cat lady myself, so really I don't mean to impugn anyone ;) I just don't want to decorate like one...

I have been trying to find a quilt that has some design to it but not patchwork

That's the hard part, isn't it? I've found quilt-weight to be the perfect weight for us, but I don't like the actual designs that are out there.

Whole cloth quilts might work for you or the Amish quilts--solid colors with geometric patterns. Or the matelasse bedspreads, which have pattern/texture with solid color. That's what I used to have and they have about the same weight/warmth as a quilt.

Or find sheets that you like and sew them together to make a cover. If a duvet is too warm, you can insert a blanket in it. Or find a pretty blanket and make that your cover.

hehe, Tryin' One of my favorite ways to keep warm :)

I still don't know how cat ladies decorate, though!

I'm in the midwest where its 105 during the day in the summer and 90 at night, and then 15 for the high in the winter. So, I use a top sheet, blanket and comforter or duvet and cover in the winter. We keep the heat at 68. In the summer, we do just a top sheet and the duvet cover with nothing in it. Air is set to 70. I do sleep warm and many times will kick everything but the top sheet off, in the summer. I also have been looking at quilts. I am thinking of having one made.

Please define what exactly a "crazy cat lady" is? I hate that reference. It's funny, you never hear anyone say someone is a "crazy dog lady." So what exactly is a crazy cat lady and what does she do?

Tryin2grow, where can I get that figurine?

Well, crazy cat ladies decorate in this fashion:

The guest powderoom is called The Cat Bathroom and not allowed entry by humans due to @$**#% tracked kitty litter,
which also FLOWS nicely into the hall.

We prefer the sprinkling of cat hair over all fabrics and pick those so that the cat hair will be properly displayed.

Rather than pay for expensive trim on our furniture, we
prefer the more ORGANIC look of threads and shreds of fabric on the chairs.

Don't want to hijack so will end here.
Nikki

I'll start a new thread :)

The sheets you are using can also contribute to how warm you are feeling. I have always used Ralph Lauren 200 TC sheets. I just bought a set of Sferra 300 TC sheets and I find them to be noticeably warmer. I was surprised as it doesn't sound like a big difference.

Here in Michigan we use a sheet and a quilt during the summer when the air conditioning is on. If it's a cool night - under 75 - we just open the windows, pull back the quilt and only sleep under the top sheet.

Nicole

Mea culpa. I guess I shouldn't have tried to make a joke for fear of offending all the crazy cat ladies out there. I guess I always pictured CCL's as decorating like Dolores Umbridge does in Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix -- too much pink, and lots of sugary sweetness.

My apologies if I offended anyone.

We have the same problem. If anything is too hot or heavy DH throws it over on me. I solved the problem by getting a duvet (found it on eBay) for our king bed but it's basically a coverlet. We don't use any filling. Underneath the duvet is a small twin size throw that I shortened and leave just on my side of the bed so I have an extra blanket in the winter. Come summer, no blankets. Just the sheet and empty duvet. Works great. (If that's still too heavy for your DH, you could always cut off the 2nd side of the duvet, so it's basically a one-sided coverlet.)

I'm well over being offended at the CCL term :) I just refer to myself as The Momma Cat :) I just didn't know there was a style of decorating associated with being a Momma Cat! (I only have five, my limit!)

Nope, don't decorate with pink!

No offense taken here, I'm crazy, but it has nothing to do with my cats. Squirrel, that's what my DH calls me. LOL

lol, I looove bein' the Momma Cat!

I usually kick my blankets off in hot weather and use flannel sheets all year round. I always like to have something over me and I find them to be comfortable year round. They're not of a heavy weight.

I make sure all my bedding is 100% cotton, which helps a bunch.

We live in Florida. In the summer, I just use a sheet. In the winter, I use a flannel sheet. One thing I miss about living up north is being able to sleep under a cozy comforter (wool, made by my MIL)

Company Store makes several versions of a down and down-alternative comforter for warm climates. That is what I have and I LOVE it. I live in inland Southern California and can't STAND the heat. I'd check there.

I live in South Australia. It gets pretty hot here, although maybe a little cooler in winter than Southern California. In summer I use white cotton sheets and put a thin folded blanket at the foot of the bed in case I get cold during the night. In winter I tend to use a fluffy synthetic blanket with a crocheted rug from the thrift shop over it... yes I know, it makes the room look grandma-ish and old fashioned, however I'm OK with that, and it isn't too bad because the rug is in black and jewel tones.

There are some nice, non-fussy hand-made quilts out there... just key in a few keywords to google images and then page through a few pages, you will see stuff you like amongst the florals and cutesy-country, and once you know how to describe what you like ("Amish" "Wholecloth" etc) then you'll be able to find more of what you like. If I had the money I would probably watch handicrafts sites until something suitable came up at a decent price. As it is I buy random handmade quilts at the thrift shop, and mostly they end up on my daughter's beds because they aren't large enough for my kingsize.

Company Store makes several versions of a down and down-alternative comforter for warm climates. That is what I have and I LOVE it. I live in inland Southern California and can't STAND the heat. I'd check there.

Link is below for those that want it.

Took a quick look in quilts & bed covers.. they have cute stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: The company Store

I just ordered a Pottery Barn quilt as a gift for someone who was looking for a fairly specific design and color, so I know there are many non-fussy quilts out there. And many of them are on sale right now!

For starters: PB, Lands End, LL Bean, Linens and Things, BBB...and then there is the organics category of higher end contemporary/luxury bedding.

The last two lightweight comforters/quilts I've found at Target! of designs that even DH likes.

Same problem here. I live in S. Cal. and just last year decided to get some grown-up bedding.

We had a really hard time finding something that didn't make us sweat all night, no matter how light it seemed. And like you , we needed something in-between.

We finally bought and now love the Thermal Blankets.

We buy the ones that have a little tighter weave as it's perfect for those cooler Spring nights.

I actually found a couple that I can use as the bedspread during the summer because the weave is really nice and somewhat/almost decorative.
Here are a couple pics and below is the description on the package.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

WAMSUTTA EGYPTIAN COTTON THERMAL

KING BLANKET

SAGE COLOR

100% EGYPTIAN COTTON

THERMAL BLANKET

MACHINE WASH AND DRY

Wanted to mention the pictures above are not of my blankets but I wanted to find a picture that would show you the weave, a bit decorative, so that I can use them as the actual bedspread during the hotter summer months.

roselvr, thank you for posting the link. I realized much later that I forgot to include it, but had logged off the computer by then.

We have the LaCrosse Primaloft (a down alternative for allergies) in light comfort. It's perfect for hot weather, yet still fluffy and cozy. It keeps you warm in winter as well (for California - I wouldn't be going using this in Minnesota or something) I don't know what the difference is between the two LaCrosse Primaloft comforters are that are shown here - I think just colors/sizes. We have it in Ivory in an oversized king (no fighting over covers that way) and dd has it in twin in both pink and purple. I'm going to get ds one as well - we all love them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Down alternative comforters at Company Store

Here is a link to more info about their hypoallergenic comforters and warmth levels.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hypoallergenic at Company Store and warmth levels

Sure, in a WI winter it gets a few degrees below zero outside but we have central heating set at 60F inside.

Coldest winters I ever spent were in the Calif. Bay Area in an unheated (and uninsulated) house. The bedroom got down to the upper 30s some nights, and we piled every comforter and blanket we owned on the bed to stay warm.

Maybe there is something psychological, when you hear the wind blowing the snow against the house you might want a little thicker comforter?

I guess the answer to the original question seems clear, keep a variety of bedding or reasonable substitutes to use as needed in descending order:

REALLY HOT - 90 and up
full blast A/C
nothing but the breeze from the ceiling fan (*blush*)
cotton sheet
add cotton jammies
cotton blanket
fleece blanket
wool blanket
switch to flannel sheet
thin comforter
down comforter
add flannel jammies
add fleece jammies + wool socks
snowmobile suit
tent and three husky dogs
REALLY COLD - as in winter camping

*LOL*