Change of Season... or Heart

I finished another segment of one of my (four) digital temperature quilts yesterday! I might have to make a new Spoonflower fabric! Below is the fabric design I created after finishing the first half of 2026.

I'd always wondered what it would look like if I included weather conditions, so, I created a three-color option to test it. I changed my template in July because I hated my January "broken heart" theme after suffering a genuine heartbreak, losing my husband in April. (I had to catch up about a month of daily highs and lows because I just couldn't bring myself to work on anything for a while.) I kept the old template version, just in case I change my mind one day.

I don't think I'm going to change my mind on the broken hearts. I still have too much of a broken heart. But I might make yet another version of the whole year and replace the January broken hearts with my new heart templates I begin today. I think I like the new heart template a lot...

While looking up the history of the old template, I found photos of my temperature snake, which I finished at the end of February because Parkinson's had become so overwhelming, I just couldn't manage the project anymore. Seeing those old photos, I'm so thankful I stopped when I did. I had no idea what was going to transpire in the two months that followed, and I'm so grateful now I didn't divert attention away from Lizard when he needed it most. I might do another temperature snake project next year. I haven't decided yet. I have plenty of time to think about it. And change my mind a million times...

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

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Too Hot To Sew

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I can't remember why I picked this particular color scheme when I began my 2026 digital temperature quilts, but I am rather liking it now. The color scheme. Not the theme. The theme, broken hearts, absolutely breaks my heart now. I had no idea when I began this project I would be spending at least 11 weeks with a heart so broken, it has been difficult sometimes to keep going on the project.

I am so thankful I decided before February ever hit that I didn't like the broken heart temperature squares and didn't continue them the whole year. I would have abandoned this project all together if it had been 12 months of broken hearts in mid-April.

I thought adding in colors for the weather conditions would be interesting when I first began this particular temperature project, one of four, but the only one with sky conditions. (And I neglected to add a color for smoke, which we've had heavily for nearly a month now!) Before the end of January, I no longer liked the idea. Perhaps I need a different color scheme for this to work, or perhaps I was just too easily bored by the same daily sky conditions over and over and over.

Now that I have six months complete, I wanted to create a cheater quilt panel on Spoonflower fabric, but I didn't want to do the broken hearts AT ALL. I confess, I hate those segments now.

I decided to make a few changes going forward. I decided not to delete the original project yet. But I decided I liked some of my edit screens so much, I made Spoonflower fabric of them. I did a six month version with revisions, too. I like all the new designs so much better than the original.

I will finish the original. I actually like the September and December segments. I might convert the January and April segments to similar designs one day. But for right now, I'm going to finish what I started. It might get permanently filed away. But that would be better than later regretting never finishing it.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

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Couldn't Stay Away Too Long

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Seeing all the other completed temperature projects others have been posting on Instagram and in online Temperature Quilt groups infected me once again. Oh, boy, I got it bad!

I started out with just a thread crochet temperature snake because that didn't seem like too much of a commitment, and I could use up all my old Lizbeth variegated threads to boot. It will be an interesting project, but I fell in love with it on January 1, and I still today have NO regrets whatsoever. The best part is that I don't even have to do the whole year. If I get tired of it, or it gets too long (I'm doing three rounds of single crochet for each high and each low to better show off each colorway), I can begin the tail and finish it in probably four or five days. Or I can stop and begin a new temperature snake, perhaps even changing up the color scheme... Wouldn't it be cute to have a collection of 12 unique little temperature snakes?!?

By January 2, the temperature project craze had fully engulfed me, and I started a new digital temperature quilt. The idea came to me because I've been trying to create a new valentine card almost every day to launch my new Zazzle card shop. I finally incorporated daily conditions, too, which I'm so loving so far. It's coming out so adorable, I started another new digital temperature quilt a couple of days later.

Four days later, I started yet another. And the next day, oops, I did it again.

So now, after a full year-long break, I have five totally new ongoing temperature projects for 2026, and I still have no regrets. They are all projects I can work on quietly while Lizard sleeps. I feel no pressure. I'm so glad I talked myself into this, and I can hardly wait until the end of the year! But not because I'm tired of any of them. I just think they are all so stinking cute!!!

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Fleeced

I treated myself to some Spoonflower fleece for Christmas, and I've now turned all but one of my 2024 digital temperature quilts into quick and easy coverlets.

I ordered a full yard of each, and once they arrived, all I had to do was trim off the edges, then hem. Then photograph!

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Goals

It feels a bit refreshing and yet sad to not engage upon a new year-long commitment tomorrow. I'm not tired of temperature quilts. I'm still quite thrilled by them. I still look forward to the day I can do a real fiber temperature quilt, either yarn or fabric. At this point, either would suffice. But I have to be realistic.

2024 ranks right up there with 2020 to me. There are so many blessings, and we've come so far. But this was a really hard year, and quite frankly, I'm grateful it's almost gone. Don't let the door slap ya on the behind on your way out.

So, what are my goals for 2025?

I haven't even thought about it yet. I guess I want to read scriptures to Lizard daily. I want to keep up on his speech therapy. I want to keep up on his physical therapy. I'd like him to start coloring again. I'd like him to start blogging again. We've started walking daily again, and I want with all my heart to stick to the calendar on that. I'd like both of us to get back on our bikes, even if only around the block. But more frequently than once every two months or three months.

I was never anti-resolutions, and I don't think I am now. But I'm afraid to set any personal goals right now other than these because Lizard is my priority. When it comes right down to it, none of the yarn, fabric, photos or computer keystrokes mean diddly squat if it means redirecting my attention away from him. So I guess that's my resolution for 2025. I'm going to be there for him when he needs me. And for now, that's enough.

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done at last

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My 2024 digital temperature quilts are all done!

I wasn't planning to do another one (or SIX!!!) in 2025 because I've been so overwhelmed the last few months.

Nevertheless, I found a new pattern Tamara at Moogly suggested as a potential temperature blanket, and I'm seriously struggling with temptation!!! I think this might even make an awesome 3D snowflake!!! (Or a 3D snowflake quilt...)

I still have a few days to try to talk myself out of it.

But perhaps that few days will give me the peace I've needed, and I'll be ready to jump back into deadline mode next Wednesday...

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Fading Temps

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Digital temperature quilt projects have become more of a time hog and less of a fun project the last few months, so I'm thrilled when another one is finished. My batik quilt panel representing the second half of 2024 moved to the finished column this week, and I'm so glad!

I haven't tried putting the two panels together yet to see how they'd look, but the color scheme is growing on me. Initially, I did not like my rainbow temperature scale because I don't really care for the red, orange and yellow, but also because I picked colors I don't like to use as much to reprsent the hot temperatures, which I also don't like. And yet, holy moly! Didn't the premature quadrupled full shortened year panel make the coolest tea towel?!?

Bring on winter snow!!!

I still have five more digital projects to finish, and I really love three of them. Yet all have become drudgery, not only because we had identical highs and lows for long consecutive strings of days this year, which is not typical where I live, but also because life really got in the way this year. We're just a few days away from finishing up the year, and I'm not going to make a decision on creating a 2024 temperature quilt, real fiber or digital, until the end of the month. Or maybe I'll take a week off and start in January and play catch-up. Ha ha ha! I feel like that's what I've been doing most of this year!

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One Row Short

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I got about two months into my 2024 digital snowflake temperature quilts when I realized I had not made them big enough to record the entire year. I was able to add rows to most of this year's projects, and a few will go into January.

I must have forgotten to add a row onto the batik digital temperature quilt because it's done now. Although I wish I had added that extra row or two, it's not that bad as is. And it's delightful to be done with one. I've had difficulty keeping up with the digital projects this year, thanks to changing life circumstances. But I'm on the home stretch. Just two more months of 2024, and then maybe a few days of 2025. I may take a temperature quilt break next year. Temperature quilts are so much fun and so visually stimulating, but they can also be such a chore!

Here we go again! I decided last night to add one more row to two sides, which means my 2024 digital temperature quilt daily pressure has not changed!!! But, perhaps this will change the batik project up a bit and give it a whole new look...

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Getting Closer

Four down, one to go. Yes, I will have a touch of a second winter in each of my digital temperature quilts, making five seasons in each. I love how they are turning out, but I have grown weary this year of the project.

I'm so glad I didn't start a crochet or fabric temperature project this year. I've just been too overwhelmed with life changes this year, and I can't say the digital projects have been fun the entire year.

I'm so thankful I didn't give up. But I am ready for a break from the pressure!

That said, I do still have one more 2024 digital temperature quilt I haven't shared yet; I'm waiting until it's done because it's so unique. I think it might possibly blow you away.

The sad part of all my digital temperature quilts this year is I have to go back to heat wave colors today. Darn it! All my digital projects are gorgeous, but man, am I tired of our heat dome! Bring on second winter!!!

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