Temperature Quilt-Along: Weather data, fabric cutting, material organization

Hello, fellow quilters, yesterday we prepared the worksheets for the Temperature Quilt-Along – here is the article in case you missed it. Today we are taking the next steps. I’ll show you how and where to find the weather data with the daily high and low temperatures for your location and enter them into the temperature chart form. Then I’ll show you how to prepare and cut the fabrics and give you a tip on how to organize your materials for the whole year.

New here?

Is this your first time hearing about the Temperature Quilt-Along? Then welcome! We will sew a Temperature Quilt together. This quilt represents the daily temperatures you have measured throughout the year and tells your own personal weather story in 365 blocks. You can join in and sew along at any time.

Would you like to take part? Wonderful! Then read the announcement article with all the information first.

On the following page you will find an overview of all the articles that have been published so far: BERNINA Temperature Quilt-Along – all previous articles.

Find weather data on the Internet

A temperature quilt shows the highest and lowest values for a location over the course of a year. Yesterday you received an annual calendar and temperature sheets for the Snowball and Flying Geese quilt with the worksheets. We will now enter the maximum and minimum temperatures for each day in these documents.

First determine the location that you will use for your temperature quilt.

You can find the weather data for this location on the Internet, in the daily newspaper or on a weather app on your cell phone. I use and recommend the following weather site:

timeanddate.com

Open the page and enter your chosen location in the white field (city or country) at the top right:

Then click on the “Weather” tab in the black line and select “Yesterday/Past Weather” in the second menu. You will receive a practical overview of the daily temperature range over the last 14 days.

Do you need a longer period of time to look back on the weather data? Then select the month or year in the “Select Month: Past 2 weeks” field at the top right. I can look back to Sept. 2009. Use the blue arrows on the right and left to move the daily display.

Take a look around the site, there are lots of exciting things to discover.

Transfer weather data to data sheets

Now take the annual calendar and transfer the highest and lowest daily temperatures from the website to the document. 

Always enter the lowest daily temperature on the left and the highest on the right. You’ll find all template downloads in this article.

You also enter the temperatures on the quilt pattern worksheet.

Will you be sewing the snowball? Great! Then take the temperature sheet for this quilt version and enter your weather data.

Write the maximum temperature in the large area of the relevant row and the minimum temperature in the small area.

As an additional help, please note the month names above the columns and the day numbers 1-31 to the right and left of the rows. Cross out the bottom 3 days for February and the 31st day in April, June, September and November.

Are you sewing the Flying Geese? Then write the highest temperature in the large center triangle and the lowest temperature in the side triangles.

Make a note of the months and days here too and cross out any extra days in February, April, June, September and November.

Tip: Coloring temperature sheets

Optional tip: If you like, gather colored pencils that roughly match your fabric colors.

Then color in the areas on the temperature sheet to match the temperature you have entered.

This is what my worksheets looked like when I finished the sample quilt with the 2023 temperatures for the town of Bollingen:

Cutting fabrics

Before you cut the fabrics, strengthen them with ironing spray. This makes the fabrics more stable and easier to work with. We do not cut the fabrics completely, but first cut about 50% of the quantity.

Unfold the fabric and spray it on one side with ironing starch. Iron the fabric dry. Then fold the fabric in half (fabric width 110 cm is folded to 55 cm).

Place the folded fabric on the cutting mat and make a correction cut on the upper edge. Important: the folded edge (right in the picture) must lie exactly on a longitudinal line of the cutting mat, as shown in the photo. Then turn the fabric over so that the cut edge is facing downwards. Everything clear? Just follow the photos.

All fabrics for both quilt patterns (Snowball or Flying Geese) are cut into 2.5” (6.5 cm) wide strips over the entire length of 110 cm (folded to 55 cm).

I cut 1 strip of each of the dark colors for my needs. Fold the remaining fabric together and fold the cut strips twice.

You can see that I have cut several strips for the approximate color requirements, depending on the color, so that I have enough stock for the first six months.

A little order is a must

It is best to store all fabrics and documents in a box. I use a sturdy, hinged shoe box. The fabric and temperature overview is stuck in the lid. And the cut fabric strips are stored in the deep compartment on the right and the other fabrics on the left.

All the worksheets are at the top. If you are working with the recommended colored pencils, there is also room for them in the box.

Now it can start soon, or what do you think? I’m really looking forward to it.

Have fun exploring the temperatures and cutting out the fabric!

If you have any questions, please write to me and use the comments function.

Happy Sewing,
Jutta