I’ve jumped on that colorful bandwagon and am making a Temperature Quilt, or as my scientist husband likes to refer to it: a Heat Map.  And, I’m hosting a

…so keep reading for how you can win. Teaser:

Giveaway now closed.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

Here are some examples of heat maps:

And one we are most used to: temperature heat maps.  By the way, between the polar vortex and Australia’s heat waves, the heat maps this year are really getting quite the range.

Over the space of a few days, I’d looked up the range of temperatures in my area, chosen my colors, and then set to choosing colors.  I had bins of my favorite solid fabrics: Painter’s Palette by Paintbrush Studio and what I didn’t have, I found at the Pineapple Fabrics booth at the Road to California, which just happened to be open this week. (See below for more information and the giveaway).

I made myself a preliminary chart, but by looking at Weather Underground’s calendar for this month for my city, I could see I would need to add a couple more lows.  The chart on the right is the final one, and I added a color for rain, since that’s a Big Deal around here. Here’s the website for my city; you can type in yours and get your own calendar.

I was following along with Michonne’s Instagram posts for her Temperature Quilt last year.  Like me, she’s not a fan of the heat (she lives in a hot climate, too) and since I didn’t want a whole quilt of reds and oranges, I switched up my colors.  I don’t think it matters what you do, just keep a chart and be consistent.

Because I recently had rotator cuff repair surgery (aha!  you knew it had been quiet around here…well that’s why), I was back to drawing lines on cloth and cutting them apart with scissors. It’s my right arm that’s out of commission, so no rotary cutting for me for a while.

I put them all in little baggies, labeled with their place in the chart, the color number and name, and the temperature degrees spread.  I went with a three-degree spread because I wanted a lot of variation and colors.

I only made a few of this color, because if it’s over 115 for too many days, I don’t know what I’ll do.

If the day is warmer than the day before, the middle arrow points upward.
If the day is cooler than the previous day, the middle arrow points down.
If it’s a tie, I’ll look at the day’s low temperature and let that be the deciding factor.
If everything is a tie, then it stays pointing up.
Rain triangles always go on the left side of the big triangle when it’s pointing up (even if it is flipped around).

I penciled in the date in the seam allowances.

It’s interesting sewing with the dominant hand mostly out of commission.  I’ve gotten better at wrangling the iron left-handed.  And I iron in steps, as shown above.  Everything is  s l o w e r.

I was excited to get this to use for tracing around for cutting, but whoops. This just won’t do.
I corresponded with the company and apparently I need to iron the seam allowances toward the smaller triangles to make it work.  I haven’t done that.  Those of you who are long-time readers know I appreciate the sculpting that can happen with the direction the seam allowances are pressed. Because I want the larger triangle to pop, this won’t work, but I’m keeping this ruler around anyway. (I ended up using a smaller 4 -1/2″ ruler with a rough undersurface to help things from slipping around.)  [And no, I’m not obsessing if the tip of a triangle is cut off a bit.  There’ll be over 365 of those in this quilt, and since I’m working left-handed, it’s a miracle they are even sewn.]

And so here I am on this nearly last day of January.  I planned this so I’d have pinks in the scorching temps and lots of blues in the moderate temps, but was surprised at the combination of oranges and greens in January’s temps.

It reminds me of the citrus bushes next to my driveway (kumquats) and if you ever drive by, you are welcome to pick some.  It’s citrus-picking season around here (Valencia oranges come on later in the season).  But no worries, I’ve lived before in Wisconsin in during one of the coldest-it’s-been-in-80-years winters, so I am familiar with how it feels be up North.  Obviously their temperature maps this year will be blasting open the lower ranges of possibility:

Pineapple Fabrics is the place where I buy all my Painter’s Palette. (If you use that link, you’ll be taken right to the place to purchase the fabrics.)  There are several of us who are total manaical fans of this fabric and after you try it, you’ll be converted.  Linda has written about why you should try this fabric; I’m in love not only with the colorfastness, but the silky hand and fine weave.

I’d like you to be able to try some.  Because I can’t get to the Post Office (not cleared for driving yet), and because my husband is the one doing all my errands, I’m going to limit this to U.S. readers only.

And you’ve got to get your quilts quilted, right?

When I did the top quilt, all in a rainbow, Magnifico was just new on the market.  Some of those sections are Magnifico, some are So Fine, both threads by Superior Threads Company.

But when I quilted my two most recent quilts: Northern Lights Medallion and Annularity, it was Magnifico all the way for one reason: it makes your quilting look great.  Superior Threads has graciously agreed to give away some thread, too.

If you want to win this bundle, leave me a comment about the hottest day you can remember and where it was.

If you want to win this bundle, leave me a comment about the coldest day you ever lived through and where it was.

Both bundles have one spool of Magnifico Thread, and two yards of Painter’s Palette Solids.  Yep — you have to choose: either the Hottest or the Coldest.  If you write for both (always interesting) I’ll use the first comment you left for your entry.  If you are a follower, you get two double chances.  I’ll close the giveaway February 1st.

And many thanks to our donors:

Leave me a comment!

Giveaway now closed.  Thank you for entering!