Peach Fuzz

Color me surprised! This morning, Pantone announced their Color of the Year 2024, Peach Fuzz! 

Not what I expected at all! In fact, not on my current list of favorites by a long shot, but I see Sarah @saroy and Elizabeth @elizabethkray will be hosting the #PanroneQuiltChallenge2024 next year, and I'm game! Liking a color - or not - has never been a prerequisite to my enjoying the challenge of playing with the Pantone color.

Keeping with tradition, this will be my 13th(!) year creating with the Pantone COTY. Just for fun, here's a review of my previous Pantone-inspired creations. It's tradition!

:: Viva Magenta 2023 :: "Verve"

:: Very Peri 2022 :: "Red Cross Meets Very Peri"

:: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating 2021 :: "Some Like It Medium"

:: Classic Blue 2020 :: "Utterly Blue"

:: Living Coral 2019 :: "Timeless"

:: Ultra Violet 2018 :: "Grape Fizzy"

:: Greenery 2017 :: "Evergreenery"

:: Rose Quartz and Serenity 2016 :: "Pantone Meets Bias Tape"

:: Marsala 2015 :: "Sizzling"

:: Radiant Orchid 2014 :: "Radiancy"

:: Emerald 2013 :: "An Emerald Table"

:: Tangerine Tango 2012 :: "Tangerisk"

So are you game? Like it or not, can you see yourself giving Peach Fuzz a try in the new year?

Julep

I know it's silly, but anticipating the new limited-edition Kona Color of the Year is fun! And it was just announced yesterday that the new color is JULEP!

Be sure and check out the lookbook, or the Kona IG feed, to see the quilts created to celebrate the new color. I think they show a nice myriad of ways to use Julep! And yes, I'll definitely be getting a bit of Julep to add to my stash, and look forward to using some in the new year. How about you?

QuiltCon Entries

So yesterday the QuiltCon notifications went out in a flurry of emails! I got two 'not chosen' emails, and then a pause, so I told hubby, "I entered three, so hopefully there's a 'selected' email still coming," and happily I was right. So those that won't be traveling to QuiltCon 2024 are....

Albersesque, my latest Bee Sewcial group quilt, 

and Split Second, which was made for the Windham Artisan Cotton 2024 Challenge.

Duality will be going to QuiltCon, and hang in the Minimalist Design category. With 2342 quilts submitted, the most ever, and just 470 chosen, I'm feeling more than fortunate to have Duality accepted.

A while back Yvonne @quiltingjetgirl shared her QuiltCon entry stats over the years, and I thought I'd like to do that as well. So if you don't mind....

2015 QuiltCon Submissions [0 submitted, 1 accepted] - 1 Modern Quilt Guild Showcase (automatic acceptance due to inclusion in the MQG Showcase)

2016 QuiltCon Submissions [4 submitted, 2 accepted] - 1 Group + 1 Small *group quilt won First Place + small quilt sold*

2017 QuiltCon Submissions [3 submitted, 1 accepted] - 1 Improvisation

2018 QuiltCon Submissions [4 submitted, 1 accepted] - 1 Small

2019 QuiltCon Submissions [5 submitted, 2 accepted] - 1 Group + 1 Small

2020 QuiltCon Submissions [4 submitted, 2 accepted] - 1 Group + 1 Small

2021 QuiltCon Together Submissions [5 submitted, 4 accepted] - 1 Modern Traditional (automatic acceptance when chosen to be included in QuiltCon Magazine) + 1 MQG Modern Classics Special Exhibit + 1 Group + 1 Small 

2022 QuiltCon Submissions [7 submitted, 2 accepted] - 1 Group + 1 Small

2023 QuiltCon Submissions [5 submitted, 3 accepted] - 1 Modern X Challenge + 1 Group + 1 Small *small quilt included in 2023 Selections from QuiltCon special exhibit*

2024 QuiltCon Submissions [3 submitted, 1 accepted] - 1 Minimalism 

Feeling grateful for the opportunity to share my work and see the inspiring work of others, both at QuiltCon and other shows!

November Fabric Usage

You guys. This report is going to be short and sweet, because all the fabric I brought in last month was for a project I'm not quite ready to share about yet. But as you can see, it's some Essex Essex Speckle Yarn Dyed in Ocean, along with Kona Regatta and Pacific. Two of these cuts are finding their way into the unnamed project, and one solid landed in the stash, as it didn't 'fit.'

As far as other fabric usage, it was mostly small gifted projects, bee and BOM blocks, and gift bags. I did some donating, also, including a good-sized bag of seasonal scraps left on the free table at our guild party. So a relatively uneventful fabric month, but all is good. The numbers keep going in the right direction.

November Fabric Usage
Used up: 11.46 yards
Brought in: 5.75 yards
Net: -5.71 yards

Seattle MQG Needlebook Swap

Last Saturday, we had our annual Seattle MQG holiday party, and part of that was a needlebook swap! The one I made was inspired by two I found online - a color blocked one made by Diana @dianavandeyar; and one shown in the DIY Needle Book Tutorial by Damjana @applegreencottage. I used solid scraps for the exterior, accenting with a little hand-stitching. I added two interior pockets, and felt pages, of course, to hold needles. Then I finished it off with leather lacing ties. It measured 4" x 5.5" when closed.

Diane, a member I met for the first time at the swap, received the needlebook I made. And then from Bridget, I received this darling needlebook, inspired by the How to Make a Sashiko Stitched Needle Book tutorial by Create Whimsy.

Bridget told me the main exterior fabric was off the free table at one of our guild meetings! I love all the hand-stitching. And there's even a pocket on the interior, which will be handy. I like it A LOT!

There was also some fun swag to celebrate the guild's 10th anniversary.... a cool commemorative pouch, a sticker, and a pin - which is already at home on my guild name tag. 

So that was a lot of fun! I'm glad I was able to attend, and also to participate in the swap. Good times!

Bee Sewcial Round-Up 2023

Hard to believe but Bee Sewcial's 9th year together is winding down. We have no prompt scheduled for December, but we will get together over Zoom to celebrate the season and unwrap the gifts we've made and mailed. Meanwhile, I thought it would be fun to do a little round-up of this year's prompts and the blocks I've made.

January: Vision for Stephanie @spontaneousthreads

Inspired by the work of Hilma af Klint, my block for Stephanie measured 17.5" by 20.5". The elements were all set in, and I'll confess I found this prompt very challenging.

February: It's Winter, Witches! for Marci @marci_girl

Marci chose another seasonally-inspired prompt for her month in "It's Winter, Witches!." (Last year was It's Fall Y'All.) Living in Louisiana, she doesn't get the traditional winter weather, but here in the PNW, we definitely do. I could have gone in a lot of directions, but what came to mind were the icicles that develop on the eaves of our roof during winter, as well as the drip drip drip that happens as they begin to melt. I didn't really mean to make such a big block, but there ya go. It was 20.5" x 20.5", plenty big for Marci to trim down later if need be.

April: Albersesque for me @aquilterstable

For my month, I challenged my beemates to spend the month being inspired by the work of Josef Albers, making blocks in a style I dubbed 'Albersesque.' I asked that the key focus be on simple shapes and color, with three 9.5" square blocks from each member. Each of their three blocks were to follow the same inspiration piece. I made my first block quite similar to my chosen inspiration, hoping to illustrate clearly my intent with the prompt, then the other two were a little more improvisational.

Happily, I was able to complete my Albersesque quilt, with blocks, layout, quilt back, and quilting all inspired by works of Josef Albers. 

May: Black and White Stripes for M-R @quiltmatters

With the prompt of black and white stripes. I started by experimenting with varying widths, 1/4", 1/2", & 3/4". The first block size was 13.5" x 14". The second, with it's irregular shape, 10.5" tall by 13" wide. And finally a smaller pair (6" x 9" and 5" x 9.5"), which I'd originally planned to sew together, but decided to send separately so M-R could choose how to use them.

July: Fireworks for Leanne @shecanquilt

Right away, I had a loose idea of where I wanted to take this prompt. But somewhere along the way, the scale got waaayyyy off. Things got big fast. After talking with Leanne about it, we both decided I should leave my 'block' as is - at least 13" x 36", larger that our normal equivalent of two 12.5" blocks. Leanne liked having the option to trim it, cut it up, or whatever, when she goes to piece her quilt top.

August: Tiles for Kari @quiltsforthemaking

Kari's prompt was inspired by all the ceramic tiles she saw while traveling in Spain and Portugal. Her suggested dominant colors were cream, terra cotta, navy, and cobalt blue with accent colors as we saw fit. (I did not.) My first go at a block was a mix of ruler-cut and freehand improv, and measured approximately 15" square. On the second block, though composed of pretty simple shapes, the improv was evident in elements not matching up, etc. I think that was my favorite part. It measured about 12" square.

October: Coffee for Felicity @felicityquilts

"Rich browns in all shades, including very dark all the way to cream. Think roasted beans, a freshly pulled espresso shot, an iced coffee with swirls of cream, latte art." Oh yeah. Felicity's coffee prompt was one I could easily embrace. Folks so seldom lean to the browns, but I love them, so creating these two blocks were a joy. First up were improv coffee beans (14.5" x 17.5"), followed by a row of coffee drinks at the local coffee shop (7" x 11").

November: Echo for Karen @capitolaquilter

Karen offered two palettes for our blocks this month, and I chose Combo Two: orange-red and blue-green for both of my blocks. I was surprised how challenged I was by this prompt. I had ideas, but executing them within the space confines proved kind of difficult, as was concentrating on the components themselves while also the majority vs. accent color focus Karen requested. My X block measured 8" x 24", and the diamond one, 10.5" x 17".

So that's a wrap! I'm looking forward to another year of improv with my Bee Sewcial mates in 2024. 

Echo

Karen @capitolaquilter challenged us with "Echo" as her Bee Sewcial prompt this month, and offered a couple of inspiration blocks, which was nice. "On one end please have one color the majority with the second color used as an accent. The colors in remaining portion of the rectangle can be mixed however you want. For the design, shapes or motifs within your blocks you’ve got full creative control." Karen also gave two palettes to choose from, and I chose Combo Two: orange-red and blue-green for both of my blocks. Here's the first, 8" x 24".

I was surprised how challenged I was by this prompt. I had ideas, but executing them within the space confines proved kind of difficult. I really enjoyed the mix of colors though I might have done a little better at using different values. Concentrating on the components themselves and the majority vs. accent color focus played out as you see. The second block measures 10.5" x 17", slightly taller in comparison than Karen suggested, but has room to trim if Karen sees fit.

So that was our final prompt for the year. I'll be back before long with a round-up!

#2 Pencil

Back in September, I stitched a Dropcloth Pencil sampler for my 5yo grandgirl, in thread colors she chose.

Ever since, I've been slowly stitching along on another, intended for her 13yo sister. When I asked about her favorite colors, I was told, "I love lavender, cyan, and any shade of blue." Nice! As with the first, I stitched the second Pencil sampler with 12wt threads from Aurifil, used double-thickness. I'm definitely a fan, though word on the street is Aurifil will be releasing limited-edition 8wt threads early next year. You know I'll be trying those too!

The colors I used for the pencils on this second sampler were 2520 [Violet], 2562 [Lilac], 6738 [Peacock Blue], 2725 [Light Wedgewood], 2715 [Robins Egg], 5005 [Medium Turquoise], 2805 [Light Turquoise], 2780 [Dark Delft Blue], 1320 [Medium Teal]. The erasers were done primarily using 5021 [Light Gray] and 2430 [Antique Rose]. The ferrules were mostly stitched in 2615 [Aluminum] - I say mostly as I realized later that I picked up the wrong thread a time or two - oops! And then the wood on each pencil was stitched in 2314 [Beige]; with all the leads matching the pencil bodies. 

Again, I chose to mix stitches as I stitched along, using my pretty normal variety - back stitch, straight stitch, stem stitch, chain stitch, coral stitch, wrapped back stitch, and French knots. And I used a new-to-me stitch on one pencil, the interlaced band stitch on the teal pencil.

You might remember that the original idea with the Pencil samplers was to make them into pencil pouches, and that is still my plan. So I'll be back to show them off once they're done!