Brew

Meet "Brew," my entry in the 2025 Pantone Quilt Challenge @pantonequiltchallenge hosted by Elizabeth @elizabethkray and Sarah @bysarahruiz.

After choosing a Mocha Mousse-inspired fabric pull for my challenge project, I do think I used each fabric at least a little bit, adding an unidentified orange solid for an accent. The interior of the large brown shape on the left in the photo above is Painter's Palette Mocha - my choice for a 'match' for Mocha Mousse.  The other brown solids I used the most of were Kona Biscuit (background for upper right shape) and Kona Earth (bottom right shape).

The 'design' was inspired by an art piece I saw, constructed with just three large 'blocks.' I made one block to see how it felt, and even with the curves, it felt just fine.

So I continued on and made three more big blocks. The striped insets were pieced improvisationally, then ruler-trimmed. The curves were all cut freehand.

Unique, yes, but I liked it well enough and thought quilting would only improve it. So I made a pieced back and started in quilting a rectangular grid using Aurifil 50wt 2314 [Medium Beige], 6010 [Toast], 2372 [Dark Antique Gold], and minimally, 1130 [Very Dark Bark].

For the binding, I used a Dear Stella print, as it coordinated nicely, and I was running low on my brown solids. In the finish, it appears a little lighter than I expected, but I still like it, and the mix of fabrics as a whole. So in a couple of weeks, I'll be linking up in the Mini/Wall category of the challenge, since the shortest side of my quilt is less than 30".  I'm anxious to see all the other entries!

Project Title: BREW

Quilt Dimensions: 28.5" x 45"

Country of Residence: USA

Pantone Quilt Challenge Fabric Pull

After weeks of anticipating the Pantone Quilt Challenge @PantoneQuiltChallenge hosted by Elizabeth @elizabethkray and Sarah @bysarahruiz, I finally came up with an inspiration design idea while out shopping last week. That motivated me to run home and pull some fabrics that might work their way into my project.

I pulled a variety of substrates and colors, bottom to top:

Essex Yarn Dyed Homespun in Natural

Painter's Palette Mocha - My choice for a 'match' for Mocha Mousse

Essex Yarn-Dyed Nutmeg

Crossed in Sand from Diamond Textiles

Essex Yarn-Dyed Espresso

Noodlehead Around the Bend floral print on Essex Roasted Pecan

Kona Biscuit

Kona Earth

Kona Stone

So now I just need to get started! Hoping to share some progress soon-ish, as the #PantoneQuiltChallenge2025 runs only through April 28! Here's all the details.

My Mocha Mousse

Lucky me, I found a swatch card of the Pantone COTY 2025 Mocha Mousse in my Christmas stocking! (Thanks @snippetsofsweetness!) So once the holidays were past, I got out my color cards and ordered up some possible fabric matches.

 

Honestly, I'm not 100% happy with my findings. It was really surprising how many colors looked like possibilities on the color card (or website), but in person, just were really not close at all. So here's what I gathered up to consider....

Bottom to top: 

• Kona Suede
• Kona Biscuit
• Ruby & Bee Field Mouse
• Moda Bella Solids Cocoa
• Riley Blake Confetti Nutmeg
• Painter's Palette Mocha

See the range of browns there? 

Of these, there is no perfect match, but the closest is Painter's Palette Mocha, and that's what I'm going to deem 'my' choice for mocha mousse. (No matter where I took a photo, the match seems closer in person than in a photo. Go figure.)

Second in line is Kona Suede. After I'd placed my fabric order, I was able to look at Steph @stephskardal's Pantone Matcher on her QuiltySolid app. (I have an Android phone and wasn't able to access the info earlier for some reason.) Anyway, the app now shows a few more considerations, if you want to search even further.

But I think I'll stick with the Painters Palette Mocha for now, and am looking forward to the annual Pantone Quilt Challenge @pantonequiltchallenge hosted by Sarah @bysarahruiz and Elizabeth @elizabethkray sometime this year. I'll be curious to see what they - and others - think is a good match. Until then....

Mocha Mousse

With very little fanfare, Pantone announced their 2025 Color of the Year yesterday, Mocha Mousse. 

Received with somewhat skeptical reviews - at least on their IG post - I personally kinda love it. And with Sarah @saroy and Elizabeth @elizabethkray hosting the Pantone Quilt Challenge 2025 next spring, I'll definitely be playing with it. Daughter dear, Rachel @snippetsofsweetness has already ordered our official Pantone swatches, so I'll be searching for good fabric matches in the months ahead.

Meanwhile, I can't resist sharing a review of my previous Pantone-inspired quilts. It's tradition! Next year will make 14(!) years.

:: 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"

So what do you think? Like it or not, do you anticipate dabbling with Mocha Mousse in the new year? If you haven't joined in the Pantone Quilt Challenge before, I encourage you to. It's always a fun challenge with amazing results.