Temperature Quilt 2025--post 1

The palette

Goal number 14 on my January list was to pre-wash the fabrics for my 2025 Temperature quilt. I'm using Superior Solids by Benartex for my palette. I started pre-washing a few fabrics each day on January 4. By January 14, all were washed, starched, pressed and ready for service. Pre-washing is my least favorite activity in the quilt process. We have chlorinated tap water. I found that if I don't want surprises like fabric bleeding later, pre-washing is worth the effort. Pre-washing 27 fabrics takes time!!! It is also a task that I'd rather not do!!!

Green, Cocoa and Khaki were the colors that bled enough that I needed to treat the fabric. I used synthrapol to stop the bleeding.

Layout for the house sample block

To starch my fabrics, since concentrated liquid starch Stay-Flo is no longer manufactured, I've been using aerosol cans of Niagara spray starch. I would rather use the concentrated liquid starch. I have learned there is a product called Linit Starch that seems similar to Stay-Flo. When I use up my current supply, I will have to order some to try. 

In the interim, I searched the internet for homemade starch recipes. I found several. I tested GeekyBobbin's recipe to make starch from household cornstarch. I found that cooking it in the microwave for about a minute and adding two cups of room temperature water after the cooking worked best. Stirring it several times as it cooled was also important so the starch didn't develop a "skin" on top of the liquid. I understand the product will spoil and to prevent that adding a tablespoon of lemon juice was recommended. So far, I've used all of the homemade product in a couple of days so I haven't need to be concerned about the product going "off!" The concentrated products contain preservatives. I could add some lemon juice and refrigerate it if I wasn't going to use what I had made in a couple of days.

Cooking it for a minute and adding lemon juice were steps in other homemade cornstarch recipes. Adding the two cups water was my own addition,

Layout for the tree block

Goal number 15 on January list was to make a sample house and tree block. The pattern is from Materialgirls.com. I used scraps to make the blocks. Both blocks are supposed to measure 5.5 x 7 inches unfinished. I plan to designate the low temperature of the day in the roof and the door. The house will represent the high of the day. The background will represent whether it snowed, rained or was dry that day.

Finished sample blocks

Size wise, the house block was spot on. The tree block was a little big. I'll pay closer attention to seam allowances when I make those blocks. My plan is to use the trees as filler blocks when a month has less than 31 days. I also plan to use the tree block to separate the months. When I ordered my fabrics, I didn't think about the background for the filler trees. I'm wishing that I had ordered a background fabric for the tree blocks. Gertie, my inner squirrel, is telling me to order it; but, I'm trying to stick to my shopping ban.

Updated palette

Okay, I could order the fabric because I would start using it within 30 days; but, I haven't finished anything yet this year so I would only be contributing to my stash. I could use another solid fabric from my stash. It is a heavier fabric; but, it would work. Hm m m. . .I believe I will use what I have so I can begin making blocks!

I liked my sample blocks. Neither were difficult to piece. Next, I needed to determine the layout. . .as in how many blocks per row and how many rows in the project . This is going to be a big quilt. If I make a layout of 18 blocks across by 21 blocks down, the quilt will be 90 by 105 inches without a border. I will need 378 blocks for that design. The year will use 373 blocks. I'll need to make an additional five tree blocks. Rather than have five blocks on the last row, I'm planning to start the project with two tree blocks.

Before I begin piecing the blocks, I plan to draw out my design on paper as something doesn't feel right about the number of filler blocks needed. I hope my planning efforts will pay off because I don't want to encounter surprises as I work on the project! Maybe next week, I'll start piecing the blocks.  Linking to Frédérique at Patchwork and Quilts and Cynthia at Oh Scrap.