hsquiltingmom

Hi,

I have been asked by a very dear friend (we grew up together) to make a quilt for one of her sons and daughter in laws. They are military and they are being transferred to Germany. I want to make sure the quilt will be warm enough, so I am wondering what batting to use. I thought of the 80/20 blend, and I thought of polyester. How cold does it get in Germany? I know they will be there at least 4 years, and I know they can be sent anywhere being military, but I want a quilt that will be warm for them. She has me making 3 king size quilts this year.

Prism99

The climate in Germany is very similar to the midwest, I believe -- snow in the winter, although usually not the sub-zero temps we get in Wisconsin.

If you can afford it, a lot of quilters really like wool for batting (Hobbs brand is what I would recommend). Polyester is supposed to be warmer than 80/20 cotton, but I think that really depends on how closely it is quilted. Close quilting reduces the loft (and therefore the warmth) of any batting. An advantage of polyester is that it dries much faster than 80/20. I usually like 80/20 for adult quilts, polyester for child quilts that will get washed much more often. Since the family is military, I'm thinking that the lighter weight of polyester would be easier to handle with multiple moves, plus the faster drying time could be helpful if they have to use laundromats.

Edit: The lighter weight of polyester would also be helpful in terms of keeping mailing costs down (and airline luggage weight). I would stick with a brand-name polyester batting, though. My favorite is Hobbs PolyDown.

MissM

I was in Germany for 9 years working as a civilan for the military. I was stationed at Landsthul Regional Medical Center which is in the south western part of Germany. We always had a lot of snow, but it was usually the big wet heavy flakes. It was cold, but not sub- zero cold. Also there was never to much wind, since we were in the mountains, and had plenty of trees for shelter. Warm & Natural would work well for warmth. If they live off post they will be provided a washer and dryer for laundry in the place they rent. If they have on post housing, they will still have a washer and dryer to use also.

Ginaky

My son was born at Landstuhl in 1976!

laxgrandma

I, too lived in Germany for several years. The weather is somewhat dependent upon exactly where they will be located. If they are in the far south, they will have much more snow in the mountains. But most of Germany does not experience extremes of temperature as a rule. Summers are much cooler than much of the US. 60s and 70s as I remember. Winters would hang in 30s mostly. In spite of how far north the country is located, the Gulf Stream moderates much of the climate of central Europe. It is gray a lot. It will also depend upon whether they will live "on the economy" (in an apartment or house they rent in the city in Germany) or if they will be in military housing. When I lived there (many years ago), I found that Germans kept much of their homes much cooler than what I was used to. Often they didn't heat bedrooms much. But they had those wonderful down comforters! In quarters provided by the military you can often control your temperature to some degree. We had steam heat and radiators which were first come, first serve. Meaning that since we were on the first floor, I got all the heat first and easily kept our home toasty. However, the military turned the heat on on a specific date and turned it off on a specific date. If there was an early or late cold snap, no heat! So I don't think you have to make the quilt for extreme cold. What I would do is ask them where they will be stationed exactly and then check the averages at http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=DE.

1000scraps

Hello, I live in Germany and I must say, this winter is nearly a summer..... And it depends where they are going, Southern Germany will be colder than the northern part, where I live!!!
I take for my quilts a normal poly batting and for the backside I take fleece or minky!!! That's really cuddly and warm!!! And dont't quilt too much so that the quilt stays soft and cuddly!!

Jan in VA

Germany has a good cold, snowy winter in most places. I lived there for 7 years in the 1970s.

For warmth, lightness, softness and drape, and ease of mailing, I'd strongly suggest Hobbs or Quilter Dream wool. It is so much more comfortable in cold, cool, and merely spring weather than 80/20 or Warm and Natural, in my opinion. I think polyester battings just make one sweat rather than keeping one warm! They really shouldn't be used in quilts for tiny babies who still can't regulate their body temps well yet.

Jan in VA