Selecting Sauterne

Selecting fabric for Sauterne
Selecting fabric for Sauterne

I received Sauterne with a heavy heart. Not for the message, which I always anticipate, but for the color. Another color I almost never use and never buy. Amazingly, I found a Philip Jacobs print with that color used for some flowers. It was almost perfect.

This print was the third one I found. The speckle gold is a good type to use for this project, but definitely the wrong color.

In the middle is a Heather Bailey print. Again, those tiny leaves right under the postcard are the perfect color, but so small. I didn’t think it was right.

Pantone: Sauterne in Half Night & Noon
Pantone: Sauterne in Half Night & Noon

Finally, I found a 10×10 square (I wonder where that came from?) of an Alison Glass print that actually was the perfect color and also the perfect type of print – a tone-on-tone.

I received another postcard today, so back to the fabric closet for more hunting and gathering.

 

Pantone New Year

I decided I needed to be diligent about the Pantone Project blocks. I put my nose to the machine and started working hard on them. I want to have another group to give to Julie on Sew Day. I don’t know that I will be able to make them all. I can try.

New Year's Pantone selection
New Year’s Pantone selection

I am in the process of making a second batch. On New Year’s Day, I got all the postcards together and selected fabrics for each of the cards, then, interspersed with sashing the Grey Strip donation top, I started making blocks. I did change out the light blue, Pantone 9044, in the middle on the left. You can see the replacement fabric above in the Peaky & Spike block.

I am selecting blocks to make based what I have already made. I have a sort of plan in mind for the final quilt that requires even numbers of blocks.

More Pantone Project

Before I started working on the Disco Double Zip Pouch last Sunday,  I decided I needed to select some fabrics for The Pantone Project. I felt like I had about 20 cards, but I could only find 8.

I think I brought down at least 20 fabric boxes, which is always the thing that keeps me from picking out fabrics as the postcards arrive. It always ends up being fun, however and I seem to have a hard time remembering that. I always find fabrics that I remember buying, but had forgotten about.

Pantone Project fabric selections - Oct 2023
Pantone Project fabric selections – Oct 2023

I was only able to choose the fabrics. I didn’t have a chance to make the blocks yet. I might be able to make them before the next Sew Day.

I am only a little sure about the Apple Green. The background is perfect, but I don’t know what the blue dots do to the overall effect.

 

Butter vs. Margarine?

Pantone 7548: Butter vs. Margarine
Pantone 7548: Butter vs. Margarine

Friend Julie sent me another Pantone Project color postcard last week. On the reverse she wrote that she thought of the color as ‘butter’. I completely lost my mind. I started thinking I was in line for cataract surgery or something, because to me the color looked more like margarine.

As a result, I started running around the house taking photos. I know that all sorts of things -lighting, weather, etc – affect how the camera sees the color, but I have to say that the color in the photo (left) looks pretty true to the color on the postcard.

Living room ceiling and walls
Living room ceiling and walls

My living room has, what I think of as, butter colored walls. It was hard to tell unless I took a photo of the ceiling (white) and the wall (butter yellow). I was pleased to see that I could see a contrast.

 

 

 

Pantone 7548 against living room wall
Pantone 7548 against living room wall

Then I took a photo of the Pantone postcard against the wall. I wasn’t thrilled with the way the paint looked in the second photo. The yellow/butter paint looked white compared to Pantone 7548, but what can a person do? I wasn’t about to set up studio lighting.

 

 

 

 

Pantone 7548 with butter
Pantone 7548 with butter

I actually have butter (as in the food), so I went into my kitchen and compared the postcard to actual butter. Unless I am in need of cataract surgery, I think the yellow in the postcard is brighter.

I don’t mind Friend Julie calling this butter. I am just glad I don’t have any eye problem at the moment.

Does this Go?

I am making another Hackney with some of the Carrie Bloomston fabric. While I was in the North Coast, I saw a ByAnnie zipper in the color called Twilight**. It’s a dark greeny blue, but more blue than green (maybe).

Hackney Color Choices
Hackney Color Choices

I thought it would go well with the Carrie Bloomston fabric, but when I got it home, I wasn’t so sure. The background of the fabric is less blue than charcoal, though the zipper doesn’t not go. I liked the contrasting zipper for the Hand Bone Hackney. This one isn’t exactly contrasting, though, and I might just look like I made a bad choice.

What do you think?

 

 

 

**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Pantone Project – 2d Group of Blocks

Pantone Project: 2d group of blocks
Pantone Project: 2d group of blocks

I made more Pantone Project blocks. I am not caught up, but am getting there. Julie had a great post about her blocks and playing with our combined blocks on the design wall.

Making these blocks is providing me with little snippets of sewing now that I am finished with Pies & Points. I still want to get in a groove like I did with the Flying Geese project a million years ago (2015), but I am not there yet.

This is really the first time I have looked carefully at Pantone colors. I am not sure what they are trying to do. They have a LOT of beiges and other neutrals. They don’t have many bright, clear colors – or as many as I would like. I guess I should go read their website.

First Pantone Project Blocks

First Pantone Project Blocks
First Pantone Project Blocks

I finally (FINALLY!) made some Pantone Project blocks and handed them off to Julie when we were at PIQF.

I know there are a small number shown here, but along with the fabrics I have selected, I feel like I have made a good start. I am in the process of making the other blocks. Once I do that I will be caught up and should be able to make a couple of blocks per week. Fingers crossed.

Center Finished – Rainbow Strip

Rainbow Strip Center Finished
Rainbow Strip Center Finished

I finished the center of the Rainbow Strip donation top using the leaders and enders technique as I worked on the Project Bags.

I am pleased with how it looks, though it does need a border. I am thinking white, but that may not finish the quilt enough. It could be if there is a colored binding applied. I don’t have control over the binding unless I make one to go with the top and back.  Hhhhmmm.

Rainbow Color Strip Donation Top

Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall
Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall

I finally bit the bullet and started putting the Rainbow Color Strip Donation top together. Once I finished all the Orange Strip donation blocks, I needed another leaders and enders projects while I put the Orange You Glad quilt top together. I decided that enough was enough and to get busy on this top.

Finished is better than perfect, right?

Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall-detail
Rainbow Color Strip top on design wall-detail

As usual, I don’t have a pattern. While I sort of have a plan, it is subject to change based on the number of blocks. At the moment I am going with a width of 7 blocks plus sashing for the center of the quilt.I am reserving the right to make it larger once I can move the blocks to the large design wall and see what I have. I have a feeling I will need to make a bit larger, but I want to minimize making more blocks, if I can.

I don’t have enough space on my design wall for all the blocks I have made (remember most of these except the yellow are leftovers from the other Color Strip donation quilts). You can see the blue blocks and the white blocks in the photo at the top floating around. This is one reason why I feel so anxious about the various projects going on.

Rainbow Color Strip leaders & enders-detail
Rainbow Color Strip leaders & enders-detail

I need the space on the large design wall for two quilts. The Orange You Glad piece and the Rainbow Color Strip top are jockeying for position in my mind and it is starting to make me a little crazy. This is the point where I usually focus on one quilt, but I can’t (don’t want to??) in this case. I need leaders and enders and the sashing for the Rainbow Color Strip top is great for leaders and enders. And I really want to make progress on the Rainbow Color Strip top.

Putting on the sashing is relatively easy and makes the blocks ready to put together. I may have to add more sashing to the end blocks, if I make the quilt wider, but we will see.

All of this means I am not quilting the Tarts. It is still on my mind, don’t worry. I just need to get through this patch of piecing crazy. This is a great example of why UFOs are really not good for my process. If I had finished the Tarts back in 2010, they wouldn’t be making me crazy as well. It is really hard to enjoy my quiltmaking when I feel pulled in so many directions. Yes, this is a #firstworldproblem and one of my own making.

Orange You Glad Leaders & Enders

I used the trimmings from my bullseye blocks to make some more donation blocks. These started out as the orange Color Strip blocks like I made before. However, the strips were pretty thin and I quickly tired of sewing them together and making, what felt like, no progress.

I decided that arranging the strips vertically would work. I, later, realized this change would be an evolution in the process (or series). Now I have quite a few of them and soon will be able to make another donation quilt.

I am NOT starting it, though, until some of the other projects are off my design wall.

 

Pantone Green Again

Julie and I went out the other day to Golden State Sewing. We usually meet for lunch and visit the Granary, but I suggested we change it up. They have really good fabric at Golden State. More on the visit later.

One of the things I wanted to do was look for fabrics for The Pantone Project for the cards with which I was struggling. We also chatted about ‘good enough’, which is de rigeur for this project. We agreed that neither of us want to buy a lot of fabric.

Pantone 350 choices (green)
Pantone 350 choices (green)

I finally crawled up into the fabric closet and got down the cool solids bin and pulled out the greens I remembered. Neither were exactly right, but Julie and I decided that two of the three fabrics would work.

We think the Tula Pink Tiny Dots is the right color, but lighter. We think the top right solid is dark enough, but doesn’t have that black (or brown?) tinge to it. We agreed that either would work.

One strategy I haven’t tried is comparing the postcards to the color cards I have. As I said, though, I don’t want to buy a lot of fabric; I’d like to use what I have.

Pantone Project Fabric Selection #1 Attempt

Friend Julie has already started selecting fabrics and making blocks. I have just started with the most recent postcard she sent (Pantone #350, a VERY dark, almost black, green). I am behind and I have no excuse except I am quilting the Tarts, I finished Pies & Points and the Diagonal 9 Patch and I am working on clearing my to do list.

I needed a break while I was quilting the Tarts, so I started looking at fabrics.

PP Comparison: Tula Tiny Stripes
PP Comparison: Tula Tiny Stripes

When I receive the postcard, I sometimes get an idea of the fabric I want to use. For this VERY dark, almost black, green I thought immediately of the Tula Tiny Dots and Stripes. On a break I got the striped fabric out, confident I would have one selected and compared the postcard with the fabric.

Bleah! Not dark enough.

No problem, what about the dots?

PP Comparison: Tula Tiny Dots
PP Comparison: Tula Tiny Dots

Better. Maybe a good enough option, but still not dark enough.

This was depressing and I started thinking about the greens I have. If I have a green this dark, it will be buried in a project box or at the bottom of some “old fabric” box, because the last time I may have used such a fabric was when I took the Mary Mashuta class on pushed neutrals. I also have a Tula solid that might work.

I put Pantone #350 aside for awhile. I had to file papers before I could climb up into the depths of my fabric closet to get at the old neutrals, so I took out the Pantone #14-1911, Candy Pink postcard. I knew there was a pink solid around that would be perfect.

PP: Candy Pink
PP: Candy Pink

Wrong again. This is a great example of making visual decisions visually. Again, the pink might be good enough, but if you look at Julie’s selections, they are perfect matches. Sigh. More climbing up into the closet. I really don’t want to buy fabric for this project if I can avoid it.

I need to go file papers.

The Pantone Project

Friend Julie and I started a project together. This isn’t the first project we have worked on together. We have worked on Bullseye quilt projects together, the Windmill quilts and Julie’s Tumbler quilts. I enjoy working on projects with her.

Pantone Postcards
Pantone Postcards

This project started with me asking for the Pantone Postcard Box for a gift. Friend Julie got it for me, then we started talking about doing something quilty with it.

We threw ideas back and forth, but recently we got together for lunch and laid out our guidelines. It was a lot easier to make the list when we were together, though I suppose we could have done it on the phone as well.

Pattern Play by Doreen Speckmann
Pattern Play by Doreen Speckmann

We decided we would use the units Doreen Speckmann recommends in her Pattern Play book. I LOVED Doreen Speckmann’s classes. I have had the book for a long time, but Friend Julie bought it recently. It is a technique book, though there are a few patterns. Doreen shows readers how to make and use different units to make quilts look more personalized. These were the types of books that were written in the past whereas now people just write books that tell you how to make a certain quilt with certain fabric. I don’t see that I have written a book review on this book, but it might be time.

That being said, this is a block based book and, thus The Pantone Project will be a block based quilt.

“Supplies” Needed:

Decisions to Make:

    • Size of units (blocks)
    • Type of units to make
    • Timeframe for making the project
    • Timeframe for sending postcards

Every week or so we send each other a postcard. The interval is pretty random, but we aren’t letting months go by. I was on a trip recently and didn’t send any that week, but sent one as soon as I got back.

The postcards have a certain Pantone color. From the color we will choose a solid, tone-on-tone or ‘reads as solid’ fabric to use for the block.

Blossom by Christopher Thompson for Riley Blake
Blossom by Christopher Thompson for Riley Blake

We decided to use the same background and bought some together the other day. We bought a cool grey called Blossom by Riley Blake. Christopher Thompson is the designer. I don’t know why it is called Blossom since there is not one blossom-y color on it. Some of the other fabrics in the line are more blossom-like. Anyway, this is a really good grey, which is now washed and waiting to be incorporated into blocks. You can see more of the design of the fabric on Julie’s blog.

Our units will be 4 inches finished (4.5 inches unfinished).

We will make two blocks, plus cut two squares and send one block and one square to the other person. At the moment, I am behind and won’t be able to get started until later this week or next week. Julie has a nice picture of the postcards I have sent on her blog. She also made one block already. I need to get busy, and will soon.

I hope you find a friend and play along.

 

Resources:

 

 

 

 

**Obviously, you should shop at a local quilt shop. However, I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.