Tag: The Pantone Project

Back to the Design Wall: Pantone

As you probably noticed, I haven’t mentioned the Pantone Project recently. I have had a lot going on, but I have also been stressed out about this project. I like the design I have and was stressed that I might not be able to execute it as is. I was afraid I would run out of background fabric.

Finally, I decided to buy more. I wasn’t sure if this is strictly in the rules of our project, but I did it anyway and Julie told me not to worry. I was pleased to find the fabric is still available. This is a load off my mind.

Pantone quilt design - August 2024
Pantone quilt design – August 2024

The other day, I took all of the blocks off the design wall. As mentioned, I needed to clear my workroom and my head a bit and the Pantone blocks were taking up a whole design wall and preventing me from finishing some donation  tops.

This was a good exercise, because it forced me to really look at it as I was taking it down. This design is almost right. I think the top is a little too heavy, so I will see about lightening it up a bit. That middle diamond will probably move to the bottom.

There are some sections I really like, such as the stars.

I also like these wing shapes. I might try turning the section on the left 180 degrees.

I thought about sewing some of the sections I liked together, but decided the overall construction would be easier if I didn’t.

Pantone Project Layout: Going Somewhere

Pantone ideas - evolving
Pantone ideas – evolving

I was thinking about what to piece next after making some pillowcases. I was thinking of starting the Ombre Weave** pattern, which I bought at Stitch in Ferndale. If I started that new project, I would have to take all the pieces of the Pantone Project off the design wall. I thought that was a bad idea since I didn’t want it to become a permanent WIP. Been there done that.

I decided to work on it a little at least and then see what happened.

I wasn’t that happy with my previous layout ideas, Design #1 or Design #2, for the Pantone blocks.  I took all the blocks down and started over with the design I drew in my journal. I liked it on paper so I thought it would be a good place to start.

Pantone Project - almost layout
Pantone Project – almost layout

It really is a good starting place. I am pretty pleased with the design as it is shown in the photo, left. I tried to duplicate what I had drawn with blocks and I am ok with the way the fabrics look. I couldn’t do everything as I don’t have enough of some of the parts, but I made due.

It isn’t perfect yet. The top right hand corner, for example is a little heavy while the left upper corner is a little light. Still for an hour of work, it looks like I can almost start piecing. 

I might still start the Ombre Weave quilt and do both at the same time.

 

 

 

 

**Obviously, you should shop at local fabric, knitting shops or quilt shops. However, if you can’t, please know that I use affiliate links. I 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 do not recommend items I don’t like. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Pantone Design #2

Pantone Design #2
Pantone Design #2

I slapped more blocks on the design wall, still without my ideas handy.

There are some elements I find interesting and want to keep (hooray for cell phone cameras!), but this still isn’t right overall. I may need to make a few more blocks, if I want to finish off some of the design elements. I’d rather work with what I have, but we will see.

Pantone Design #1

Pantone Project design #1
Pantone Project design #1

I finally started putting the Pantone blocks up on the design wall. I was itching to do it after I saw Julie putting some of her blocks up.

After I finished the last batch, which Friend Julie received the day after I sent them (!), I couldn’t help but slap some of the blocks up on the design wall.

I didn’t have my ideas handy, so I just put the blocks up. This will not be the final quilt and it may be that I don’t keep any of the elements in this arrangement. It was fun to put them up on the design wall.

Pantone Blocks

Last Pantone blocks
Last Pantone blocks

 I finished work on  Friday and spent the weekend on some cleanup projects, one of which was the Pantone blocks.

I finally finished all the blocks for the Pantone Project. I am excited that I can start playing with the layout, especially after I saw what Friend Julie was doing on her design wall!

These have been hanging around my workroom for a few weeks now. Last weekend was really the first time in a few weeks I had uninterrupted time to sew. DH was out and the house was quiet so I could concentrate. Fortunately, except for one fabric, I had picked out all the fabrics previously so all I had to do was cut and sew. I did choose some of the easier blocks, but I tried to choose blocks I thought I could use in the overall quilt design. Now to just get these to Julie at some point soon.

Last Pantone Blocks in Process

Selecting Pantone block fabrics
Selecting Pantone block fabrics

I spent some time last week finding fabrics for my last group of Pantone blocks.

I don’t have any greens as dark as Deep Forest, so in the end, I just chose a black.

Most of the others I selected from older fabrics that I haven’t even looked at in awhile. I have one more fabric to select, but I have already cut the 4.5 inch squares. I have also started to make the blocks and will show those soon.

 

More New Pantone Blocks

Pantone selections - April 2024
Pantone selections – April 2024

I spent some time last weekend making the last of the Pantone blocks for our swap.

The first step is always selecting fabric. For this group, I went through practically every bin of fabric except red. I had a really hard time finding fabrics that were close to the postcards.

Pantone selections - April 2024 pt.2
Pantone selections – April 2024 pt.2

I always dislike thinking I have to do the selection, but once I get into it, I am happy. It is also a bonus to discover fabrics I didn’t remember I had.

This batch of postcards had a LOT of browns and beiges. I don’t have a lot of those colors, as you know. I made due. Caramel turned out to be the hardest color. I couldn’t match it with anything brown or beige so I went to orange and found one fabric that looks ok if you squint, in a dark room.  😉

I started making blocks as soon as I was done selecting fabrics. I chose the block design based on what I needed for something like the design I showed you last week.

I just received two more postcards and Julie tells me she has about 6 more cards to send me.

New Pantone Blocks from JZS

April Pantone Blocks
April Pantone Blocks

Along with garment sewing and a new bracelet, I also got some more Pantone blocks from Julie at Sew Day.

I have a stack of postcards to match and plan to do that this weekend. I owe her several and hope to bring them to the Retreat.

Pantone ideas - evolving
Pantone ideas – evolving

We are almost done making the blocks, then it will be time to put the quilt together. Perhaps I will use this design – or something like it – sooner than I think.

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.

 

More New Pantone Blocks

I spent most of the Sunday of MLK weekend working on the latest batch of  Pantone blocks. I dug into some old fabric to find good matches.

Pantone has a lot of browns and I am digging deep to find anything that looks close to the colors on the postcards. I found some brown fabrics I had forgotten I had. The exercise is making me think about shades and tones that are missing from my fabric palette.

Pantone Last Year

Apple Green House block
Apple Green House block

I talked awhile ago about selecting some fabrics. These fabrics sat on my worktable until last week when I decided enough was enough and I started making blocks.

I forgot to take photos of all the blocks before I handed them over to Friend Julie, but trust me, I did make about 9 blocks. 😉

Pantone blocks - NYE
Pantone blocks – NYE

She proves it, because she sent me a photo of the blocks.

This effort set me on the path I described earlier this week where I made more blocks. I thought I might see Julie on Sew Day and I wanted to have another batch for her, as I mentioned.

Pantone Ideas

Pantone ideas - first iteration
Pantone ideas – first iteration

We are fast approaching the end of the Pantone Project block making aspect of the project. That means we are speeding quickly towards the design of the quilt phase. I looked for the ideas that I had generated last year and couldn’t find them so I sat down and doodled what I remembered,or thought I remembered.

I don’t have tons of spare time, so the doodles evolved over several days. The colors represent different days.

Remember, we have units based on Doreen Speckman’s system from her book, Pattern Play**. As an aside, I know most of you missed Doreen’s career in quiltmaking, but anything you can find on her is worth the effort. This book is all about designing quilts using units.

Pantone ideas - evolving
Pantone ideas – evolving

Friend Julie and I are using these units for our project, which means I used those units for my doodling. In putting together these units, I made larger designs. And that was super fun.

I started off thinking of a row quilt. I was a little stiff at the beginning, but as I worked, I started coming up with some interesting shapes using the units.

Umbrella shapes
Umbrella shapes

I am super excited about the umbrella/propeller shape, which makes me want to make more of those blocks. That is an added bonus for the doodling.

One issue I have not addressed is color. You know that each unit is a different color and we are making units from colors in the Pantone Postcard Box** as they inspire us not to any plan. I am not going to worry about that now. After all, I can always make a second quilt with the colors of my choice from the same design, if I want.

You can still play along. You will need:

Decisions to Make with your friend:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Obviously, you should shop at local fabric, knitting shops or quilt shops. However, if you can’t, please know that I use affiliate links. I 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 do not recommend items I don’t like. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.