For the two-color version of the Midnight on the 707 quilt, I worked closely with Carrie at Nightingale Longarm Quilting to bring a weather map to life on the quilt.
There are a couple of maps that we consulted for this project. The first was a wind map – the kind a pilot might look at to assess winds before a cross-country journey since that was a big part of this quilt design’s theme.
These maps are produced by the National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center and show wind speed and direction at different levels above the ground.
The second type of map we looked at is a surface weather map, which shows lines of equal pressure and cold and warm fronts, among a few other things. Sometimes, these maps also show wind like aviation wind maps. Below is an example from the U.K. Met Office.
Carrie and I consulted on how to recreate these maps as a pantograph and how to make sure the quilt would be stable while keeping the design as close to accurate as possible.
For example, rather than add more lines in two areas with lots of open space, we added a warm front (line with half-moon shapes) and cold front (line with triangles, see image below) like you might expect to see in the same area on a weather map.
Carrie was incredibly patient and thoughtful in bringing this idea to life and I can’t believe how beautifully it turned out. This quilt is truly one of a kind and I will snuggle with it often and treasure it forever!
Follow Carrie on Instagram @NightingaleLongarmQuilting to see more of her work!
