Recycling feather-filled items?

[Salteena]

Sorry if this has been asked before - but I'm stumped! I have a feather mattress topper that's started developing tiny slits in the cover. It's come to the end of the road, I suppose, but I can't bring myself to chuck it....it's been well-looked after, dry-cleaned, etc, and throwing away such a large item would just seem hugely wasteful. I know you can get a duvet made that re-uses the feathers - has anyone done it and lived to tell the tale? Any recommendations/suggestions welcome....

Can't you sew up or patch the slits, seems a shame to throw it out.

Completely agree, jenroy, but the covering's now getting thin and I suspect that patching up the existing couple of slits will just be postponing the inevitable - the rest of it will go sooner or later (and probably sooner). Just wondered if anyone had tried any of the firms that make new duvets out of your old ones....not sure whether it's cost-effective or whether the new duvets are any good. As you say, it seems criminal to chuck it out. Anyone else who's tried this?