Thursday, January 20, 2022

Temperature Quilt 2021

I've started the year with a very good focus, and I hope it stays that way, but knowing my long history of succumbing to distractions (squirrels), I am sure I will stray. Hopefully not too often, as I do want to get my UFOs and USOs under control. To that end, the last project I started last year was this temperature quilt. 

To qualify for my PHD (Projects Half Done) Quilter certification (ha) any project I start within a calendar year must be completed, unless it's a leader/ender project or it is a quilt where you make a block a day, as this one is, with the last block being made December 31. I made sure to have this one as my January UFO.
This is a design by Joanne at Canuck Quilter Designs, and it is a free pattern. With it being such a simple block, I had no trouble keeping up, only falling behind by a couple of days once or twice. Even when I was in Alberta for a week at Christmas, I kept track of the daily highs and lows in Kingsville so I could sew up those blocks once I was back home.

When I was perusing my stash of fabrics for the backing, I was really pleased to find this raindrops fabric I'd picked up in the sale section of a favourite shop in Port Charlotte, Florida, when we were there in February 2019.
The quilting shows up more than I expected on the back!

I wanted a fast simple all-over quilting design, and had contemplated a large jigsaw-style meander, a favourite of mine. Then I thought of just lines. Would I be okay with using a lemon yellow for the entire quilt? Possibly. And somewhere in this contemplating, I saw the 'v' possibility in the background. I was off. 
With this plan I knew I'd change threads a few times over the course of quilting this. So I chose four colours of Essential Threads from Connecting Threads (affiliate link):  Lime, Apricot and Pumpkin would work across the months, Silver for the background. I did a bracket shape in the first two rows and then 'saw' the dot-to-dot design possibility and preferred that. Was I going to rip out the bracket design? Nope. I would just repeat it in the last two background sections at the bottom edge. I like the effect. I also like the definition I got from using 100% polyester batting. I tried Pellon here and it's really nice!

Because my stack of Kona solids is prominent on my countertop for Postcard from Sweden, which I am hosting here on the blog once again, and for which I am slowly cutting the 360 triangles, I auditioned a few of the blues for the binding. I had thought of Nightfall, since it is pretty close to the blue raindrops, but it just was too harsh for the bright colours on the front. Royal was next, and I loved it with the backing, but it didn't quite do it for the front. And then I tried the turquoise, a  Connecting Threads solid, and yup! 

Even though it isn't the same royal blue of the drops, it still works with the gold.

I quilted in my initials and put my satin label along the top edge for this one. I always put it in the lower side edge, but this way the mmmquilts is right side up, ha! Binding was done by machine as you see.


I included a strip of the 2" squares of range of temperatures on the back, and wrote with a Micron Sigma pen on each one. I used the pen for the information on the quilt label too.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  Temperature Quilt by Canuck Quilter Designs
Size: 47" x 62.5" after quilting
Fabric: Kona Cotton by Robert Kaufman, orange Grunge by Moda Fabrics, china blue by Benartex Fabrics, a burgundy Nancy Crow; background is Toscana by Northcott Fabrics
Backing: 'Flying Colors' by MoMo for Moda Fabrics
Batting: Pellon 100% polyester
Quilted: on Avril: 91 041 stitches
Threads: pieced with various; quilted with Essential Threads100% cotton

Hope you've read or bought the latest issue of Make Modern! It's another good one, packed with ten wonderful quilt patterns, articles and more.







 

16 comments:

  1. You couldn't have had a better backing fabric for this quilt, as you know I love the texture!

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  2. I agree with Cindy, the backing is perfect for this quilt. I also like the way you labeled it, adding the "legend" of the colors into the labeling. It is a very pretty quilt, Sandra. Nice work on the quilting, too!

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  3. WOWzers! That really came together well to tell the story of 2021. The quilting tops it all off. You should do a 2022 model, and see how close/different they match. At least they would be colour coordinated!! :) Great way to nab that temperature label.

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  4. I love the quilting that you chose to finish this off and the way the lines in the background make arrows (like the temperatures rising and falling). Fantastic and congratulations for not letting this one linger!

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  5. Beautiful Temperature quilt! I love the simplicity of the blocks and your quilting just amplifies the beauty of this quilt.
    I am going to be making a temperature quilt this year and have been looking at different designs. I think I have found the one I want to use! Thank you.

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  6. Your temperature quilt is such a lovely design, well done on such wonderful quilt.

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  7. Lovely Sandra & glad you got it finished & the quilting really sets it off. A lot of work with that. Take care & hugs.

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  8. What a lovely finish on this quilt. You have my admiration for keeping up with it so well and finishing it so soon. The quilting is very nice and the binding is just right. I have not kept track of the temperatures here other than to say cold and colder this month. Some day perhaps!

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  9. It is amazing and I'm impressed that you got it completed so soon into the new year. I am selfishly hoping you will do another one for this year.

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  10. It has been fun to watch this one progress through the year.

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  11. One of the prettiest temperature quilts I have seen, Sandra. Your quilting is lovely too. I gave you and your shop a little shout out in my Jan. 14 post just so you know I really liked those lovely bags. Here it was -28 when I got up but the sun is shining so that helps. LOL

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  12. I love this "wiggle" block for a temperature quilt! And the raindrop back is perfect. Very nice. I want to do a temperature quilt one of these years...

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  13. Rising and falling temps and up and down triangles = perfection. The backing, too, is just perfect. Congratulations on focus and getting this one done right off the bat!

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  14. I'm loving this finish Sandra - my temperature quilt of the same design was made in 2020 - and still sits unquilted - shame on me!

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  15. A great first finish for 2022. Good luck with getting the UFOs under control, I'm not having a lot of luck with that. I'm hoping this year is better.

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  16. Really cool! I love you you quilted it.

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