Wander

After all the emotional reaction to Thursday's announcement from Pantone, I'm pretty sure many of us were on pins and needles awaiting Robert Kaufman's announcement of the KONA color of the year. So yesterday's release of Wander, was at least to me, a relief and a joy.

As a lover of green, I of course, was more than pleased. Called "A calm, confident green that invites curiosity and open-ended possibility," I see it as a welcome addition to my sewing stash.

Cloud Dancer

Unexpected, underwhelming, unimpressive, ridiculous. Those were all reactions from folks in the quilting community yesterday when Pantone announced their 2026 Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer. "A lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation." Hmmm. I honestly don't know what to think, but admit to some disappointment.

But as is tradition, I'll share my Pantone-inspired quilts from the past several years.... 

:: Mocha Mousse 2025 :: "Brew"

:: Peach Fuzz 2024 :: "Keen"

:: 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"

It'll be interesting to see what the selection of white(!) means as far as the upcoming Pantone Quilt Challenge 2026 next spring. Now hosted by Sarah @bysarahruiz and Audrey @cottonandbourbon, debate is underway on what the challenge should look like. So stay tuned!

QuiltCon Entries

I'm ever so happy to report that in the flurry of selection/not chosen emails coming from the MQG regarding QuiltCon 2026 in Raleigh, I was notified that Ode to Joy had indeed been selected to hang at QuiltCon 2026. There were 2041 quilts submitted this year, and 470 quilts chosen for the show. So I'm feeling very, very fortunate.

Ode to Joy (Bee or Group)

Blocks made by Leanne Chahley @shecanquilt,

Stephanie Ruyle @spontaneousthreads, Felicity Ronaghan @felicityquilts, Karen Foster

@capitolaquilter, M-R Charbonneau @quiltmatters, Jen Broemel @jen.broemel, 

Tia Curtis @tiacurtisquilts, and Emilie Trahan @mili.tra and myself.

Even though I didn't have high hopes for the two other quilts I entered, I decided I owed it to myself to at least try. 

UN(settled) (Small Quilt)

Vertices (Modern Traditional)

So, I'm feeling grateful to have the one selected, a quilt I had a blast creating and one I'm very proud of. It means a lot!

A Year of Doodles Finale

Well it's hard to believe I worked on this embroidery panel for a full year! But it's true, and I was very conscientious to work on each month's section only during that month. 

The design measures 8" in diameter, and I had ordered the pre-printed panel from StitchDoodles @stitchdoodlesdesign. I used a double-thickness of Aurifil 12wt thread throughout, except at the very end - in December I needed a true red thread, and I only had that in Wonderfil perle cotton #8, so I used just one strand of that where needed.

A little finer than many of the samplers I've done, the 12wt was perfect for this design, imho. I really enjoyed switching up the color focus each month, admittedly inspired by a finished sampler I'd seen by @stitch_happy24. 

Now time to move on to my (many) holiday-related stitching projects.....

Twinkling Triangles

The Twinkling Triangles Advent sew-along hosted by Melanie @mellmeyer is just one of the new projects/activities I started on Monday. This year, rather than make a quilt, we have the option of two pillow sizes or a wall hanging. I'm going for a 24" pillow.

This entire project will be paper-pieced, which isn't my first piecing language, but I don't mind it on occasion. Melanie suggested several palettes, and I've chosen to do mine monochrome in greens, letting the fabrics be randomly arranged. Here's the fabric I'm working with, all pulled from stash and just a bit from the scrap basket.

For a background, I chose Cotton + Steel Freckles in Cloud White Metallic, pretty much the only neutral cut I had that was large enough. And yes, I just bought that for giftbag linings - oops!

Anyway, the mystery begins today, and here is my first 'block!' I'm loving those greens together!

Oh, and there's been a bonus behind-the-scenes activity the last few days.... Our sew-along hostess, Melanie, had a little incident with her rotary cutter, and is currently unable to sew! So guess who's been helping just a bit, sewing ahead, and sending pictures of her blocks to Melanie so she can post them? Yup, me! It's been good, and we were able to chat over IG call (??) between her home in Germany and mine in the US. Fun times!

2025 Dropcloth Advent Calendar

Watching in awe as online friends open their Advent calendars each year has sort of become a tradition in itself, though I had never succumbed to the temptation. Until now. When I saw that Rebecca of Dropcloth Samplers @dropcloth was offering her first ever Advent Calendar Set, it didn't take me long to sign up. It didn't hurt that my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness encouraged me with her, "mom, you have to!"

So in due time, I received a package full of cute little bags and packages - 24 of them! I gathered them all into a basket and now it's time to begin opening. 

Today, on Day 1, I got the cutest little Beehive floss bobbin. Kinda makes me anxious for tomorrow!