2025 Temperature Quilt--post 2

Patterns for the blocks

Ever since I "determined" the house and tree block pattern, I had doubts. My math was wrong and the finished quilt was going to be larger than I had envisioned. I try to keep the size under 100 inches wide and 110 inches long. I spent more time on places like Pinterest; but, I didn't find any other patterns that I wanted to make.

I tried to draft a pattern which was a fail. It wasn't a fail in that I was unsuccessful; but, I couldn't get on board with making 365 houses using that one pattern. January was morphing into February. I was still stuck. I decided a five inch block would be a better size. Good decision although I still hadn't settled on a pattern.

First two days of January

My calendar, which contains quilt block patterns, had a house block pattern that measured five inches. There were two tree patterns that accompanied the house pattern. I decided to go with those patterns. The blocks are paper pieced. 

I liked that there were two different tree patterns. The squatty tree will represent the space in the month where there are less than 31 days. The tall tree will be the space when a month has 31 days and as the start and end of the year. 

Tall tree

This house pattern has windows. I decided I would use a solid yellow from my stash.  I cut a piece of a solid yellow fabric. After auditioning that strip, I decided I didn't want that much yellow in my quilt! I decided that the roof, windows and door would represent the high temperature of the day. The body of the house would represent the low temperature of the day. The background would represent rain, snow or dry!

The first two days of January, the low and high temperatures were almost the same, hence the same color used in the block! I considered using the background as the house; but, in the end, I went with my plan. As I pieced, I realized that I will need to add sashing between the rows so that I don't have to deal with trying to match the vertical seams because these seams won't nest well. 

Stitching some days together

I contemplated purchasing another shade of brown from the Superior Solids line from Benartex. In keeping with reducing my stash, however, I had plan to use a solid brown fabric from my stash for the inch sashing. I reconfigured the number of blocks per row. I'm now planning 19 blocks in a row and 20 rows. The quilt will finish at about 95 inches by 110 inches. Then I realized that the yard of brown is not going to be nearly enough and I likely can't by another like it as I purchased it more than a year ago. So. . .Gertie and I will be considering some other options.

While I pondered what to do about the sashing, I moved on to piecing the trees. I had considered making the trees different shades of green as well as making the trunks a different color. I did not consider what to use for the background. Rather than purchase another fabric, I used a light solid green from my stash. Whew! What a lot of bumps and twists this project has encountered and it is barely off the ground! Maybe this week, I'll piece a few of the trees that will hold the space at the end of the month for those months that don't have 31 days in them.

I'm going to stitch the next row and test how much of a challenge piecing the rows together will be. Then, I'll decide if I'm purchasing more fabric! I hope I've thought through the issues. I hope that the rest of the project will piece into place as I saw it in my head! It is time to piece the blocks. I'll likely not post often about this project other than noting if I'm keeping up with making the blocks. 

Goal number seven on my March list was to piece an average of two blocks per day. It is early; but, I'm on track for meeting the goal..

Linking to Frédérique and Patchwork and Quilts and Cynthia at Oh Scrap.