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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Sipping Marsala

Marsala, the Pantone Color of the Year, was met with a pretty chilly reception around blogland when it was announced, yet I was kind of anxious to play with it a bit. I had gathered a few fabrics as possibilities and was mulling over what to do with them when I flipped through Alex Ledgerwood/teaginny Designs new book, Improvising Tradition: 18 Quilted Projects Using Strips, Slices, and Strata, and saw IT. That being her En Pointe Wall Hanging, with its slashed blocks reminiscent of a traditional rail fence.

The fabrics I ended up using were Essex Linen in Natural, Kona Sienna and Brick (the closest I've come to my Pantone Marsala swatch), and 2 luscious Kaffe Fassett Shot Cottons, a Terra Cotta and a Multi Stripe "Parma".

There's something about these blocks that is low-stress and satisfying, not something I can say about all improv. Here they are on my gray design wall, nighttime lighting and all.
I really would be happy just making more blocks, but decided I'd stop here and see what I could come up with. The first layout below is most like Alex's, but I rearranged my blocks a bit just to see if there was anything else I liked as well.
       

   

I may do something totally different, we'll see, but so far this little dalliance has been invigorating. Not quite what you'd expect from reddish brown, is it? {wink}

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday.

20 comments:

  1. good for you! we usually do a pantone color of the year challenge at our MQG but decided unanimously that we didn't want to do Marsala! so each officer picked a solid FQ off the wall & on Tuesday the guild will vote on OUR color of the year! should be fun

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  2. Totally fun and cool idea. I like them all but love #2 except for the littlest guy I think would look good up and away to the R from where it is now. ??? I don't know I am just saying what my mind thought looking at them all. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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  3. I kind of like the idea of a color being hard to label definelty won't be able to pull from stash and go scrappy for the challenge. I've got "too maroon, too orange, too brown, too .."

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  4. This looks awesome - I love improv though so I'm a little biased. And I LOVE Marsala which I know puts me in the minority.

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  5. Oooh--great blocks! I'll look forward to seeing what you do with them! Plus, I think Marsala is a GREAT color.

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  6. Some colours get a bad rap, but once they are in a project, they can look quite fabulous. Well done!

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  7. CAPTCHA is All gone! I should post about this easy fix! Not sure why Blogger can't tell folks...they talk in engineer talk and not a kaymans language! Glad it worked.

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  8. I like the upper right layout where the really tall, skinny piece is lying horizontally. I would move it a little toward the left, though.

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  9. Bravo! How to make a color with a bad rap look cool! Seriously, I think Marsala is a difficult color to coordinate with (and not look dated) but it is a very interesting color, as you have shown!

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  10. Love the rich colours you have used in these improv blocks - they look amazing!

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  11. I love the minimalist look of the different layouts.

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  12. I'm feeling Serengeti when I see these lovely blocks up on your design wall. Lovely piecing and great colours!

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  13. I'm a big a big fan of improv and love your layouts. So many possibilities.

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  14. You've got a couple layouts up there that I like quite a bit! I'll be watching to see where you go with this :o)

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  15. Well, I admit I'm not a marsala fan, either, but what you've done with it is great! Love it.

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  16. I like how this is looking. Still undecided about the color myself but then I haven't looked for any Marsala fabrics yet.

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  17. Reminds me of backgammon. I like it! I like brown myself, and marsala.

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  18. Reminds me of backgammon. I like it! I like brown myself, and marsala.

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  19. I think I said this on IG, but I love it with just the 4 or 5 blocks and a neutral background! I can't wait to see what you come up with though! I've been debating joining in on the marsala challenge.... hmmmmm

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