Temperature Quilt Fabric Book for 2024
As soon as I got up on Tuesday 31st December I stitched the last temperature block for 2024. Luckily (!) it was a very rainy day so I could decide on the weather code for the day with confidence.
I’d already sewn the other 2″ blocks into the 16 block pages and had them up on the design wall ready to take the photo above. This shows the full year of 366 days (it was a leap year).
I started this temperature quilt project on January 1st 2024 and blogged about it in this post.
The blocks are 2″ (finished), with the lowest temperature on the background and the highest on the organic circle. They are attached through hand sewn needle-turn applique. This is like a mini version of my first temperature quilt, the Weather Bubble quilt, except I’ve used all linen/woven type fabrics.
To make things a bit different to previous temperature quilts I also recorded daily weather through a stitching code. The different running stitches and knots I’m using correspond to…
Sunny: running stitch around the circle, Cloudy: running stitch inside the circle, Rainy: knots inside the circle, Snowy: knots outside the circle (I only got to use this one time!).
I’ve used either white or black thread, which ever contrasts best with the fabric colour. The thread is Aurifil 12wt wool and I used Aurifil 80wt for the needle-turn applique.
Circles were cut freehand with scissors. After 366 of these I am now very good at cutting a perfect circle to exact size with scissors! I then just turned the seam allowance under as I stitched rather than gathering around a paper template first, which is the way I made the weather bubble quilt.
Over Christmas I have been busy stitching ‘the legend’ which is the name for the key on temperature quilts (I have no idea why, I think it is an American thing). These have become the last 2 pages in the book and explain the weather code and which temperature degree is assigned to which fabric colour.
I also embroidered and appliqued the cute cover and spine and wrote out the info page using a permanent pen.
I used left over background squares for the back cover along with those odd blocks which were the days that I made a block then later misplaced it and made a second, only to find the original later! I kept these in case the same day (in temperature and weather) was repeated and I could use them. It never happened with these three and one other (a duplicate of one of these duplicates!) which I decided not to use here.
I stitched the book together on Tuesday afternoon using my usual method. I have a PDF pattern for this which is available here.
I also have a whole online class about making fabric books available at The Thread House Academy here.
I started making fabric books two years ago now and this is my 13th. I’m working my way to a whole shelfs worth! They never cease to bring me such joy as precious objects and textile art.
So that’s a wrap on 2024’s temperature quilt project! However I have a finished quilt top for another temperature quilt for 2023 that I’m looking forward to sharing once I’ve quilted it.
And what about 2025 I hear you ask? Well I am having a break from recording temperature on a daily basis but that doesn’t mean I won’t get around to turning this year’s data into some sort of textile art at some stage, I just need the right idea…
This fabric book is fabulous! While I may have a bias towards temperature projects, I think this is your best book yet. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work. You are an inspiration!🥰
I admire your work and your creativity so much. You are an inspiration to so many of us followers. A temperature fabric book is definitely on my bucket list for 2025. Guess I had better start collecting data and make fabric decisions. Thank you!
Your temperature book is fabulous! You inspired my temperature quilt last year! I love how you added the daily weather to your book! Looking forward to your next inspiration.
Georgeous! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Love, love, love your temperature book! It’s a very creative idea, and I admire how well you stuck with it. Seems fairly straightforward to put together, but I think the thing that “makes it” for me, is that you used only woven fabrics. Those linens have such beautiful texture! And the color range is quite nice. I think you’ve inspired me to consider how I can use linens more in my makes. I don’t think they’d work well as a whole quilt – all linens would be too loosey-goosey, but, I can see incorporating them more into other pieces. I already know linen is lovely to stitch on. I still haven’t tried Aurifil wool thread. I keep imaginng that it has “hairy” texture. Maybe I’m wrong about that. But I do love my set of Aurifil 80-weight threads. They’re a go-to for hand applique, for sure. Thanks for sharing details about this project. It’s truly fabulous!
I have been inspired by your Temperature & Weather Book, it is fantastic. I am in the process of completing a Temperature Throw from half hexagons, then join into one, top half is highest and lower half if the lowest temperature for each day, but I am finding it a bit grueling joining it together, I have all the data ranging from July 2023 to June 2024 and when I saw your video on Instagram of the book, I was inspired to have a go and will now buy the PDF of putting your fabric books together.