Description

This week’s episode is short, personal, and straight from the sewing table. I’m sharing the story behind something I’ve admired for years but kept putting off… a temperature quilt.

After a little nudge from one of our Quilt Scouts (hi, Brendan in New Zealand 👋), I decided this is the year. And I’m walking you through exactly how I planned it — in a way that feels doable for a full 365 days.

In This Episode

• What a temperature quilt is (and the different ways you can track it)
• Why I chose to track daily highs and lows
• How I built a 16-color gradient using Pure Solids from Art Gallery Fabrics
• How I designed a temperature key that won’t fall apart in extreme weather
• The simple HST layout I’m using (one half = low, one half = high)
• Why simplicity is essential for a year-long project

My Fabric Plan

I started with fabric first — pulling from my stash and building a 16-color gradient from coldest to warmest.

All of the fabrics I’m using are Pure Solids from Art Gallery Fabrics (available in the Quilt Scouts shop if you want to copy the palette).

Most quilters use 10–20 fabrics depending on their design. Sixteen felt like the sweet spot for me: enough movement to show change, but not so many colors that it feels chaotic.

A Smarter Temperature Key

Historic temperatures where I live range from -27° to 102°, which is a huge spread. Instead of dividing that evenly, I:

• Tightened the temperature ranges in the middle (where most days live)
• Widened the ranges at the extremes

This creates more visible color shifts during common temperatures and keeps extreme days from overwhelming the quilt.

Small tweak. Big difference.

The Layout

Each day = one half square triangle.

One half represents the daily low. The other half represents the daily high.

It captures contrast, adds movement, and keeps the sewing manageable. When you’re committing to 365 days of something, simple is smart.

Why It Matters

Temperature quilts aren’t really about weather. They’re about noticing. About marking time. About letting a quilt quietly collect memories.

At the end of the year, it won’t just be a gradient — it’ll be a visual record of what this season of life felt like.

📥 Grab the Free Temperature Quilt Planner

If this project has been whispering to you too, I made a free planner to help you get started.

Inside you’ll find:

• Space to map your color palette
• A temperature key worksheet
• A 365 (and leap year–friendly 366) day tracking chart
• Room to record highs, lows, or averages

It turns temperature tracking into a simple daily ritual instead of a mental burden.

👉 Download the free Temperature Quilt Planner here!

If you enjoyed this episode, follow or subscribe to the Quilt Scouts Podcast so you don’t miss what’s next. Leaving a review helps more quilters find this creative little corner of the internet.

Happy trails. 🧵✨