2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge - Open for Entries!

The 2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge is open for entries! You can link up here or over at Play Crafts - the linky runs across both blogs so it doesn't make a difference where you link up.

This swatch is the official Marsala colour.  We know that finding fabrics in this exact colour isn't easy, so don't worry, the fabric in your quilt does not have to match Marsala perfectly.

Before you link up, check out the rules, our wonderful sponsors and our amazing judges!

Rules:

All items must be finished in 2015 to be eligible to win prizes.  

We will be enforcing the rules and will remove any entries that don't meet the requirements.  See below for more information about a separate linky for quilts that don't meet the requirements.

1. There will be 3 categories:
 - Minis: Shortest side under 30". Pillows, table runners, place mats, mug rugs, etc. will count as minis.
 - Quilts: any size from baby to bed (shortest side must be at least 30'').
 - Just the Top: any size from baby to bed (shortest side must be at least 30'').

2. This is the Marsala Quilt Challenge, so your project must contain at least some Marsala or similar colour. You can also use any other colours or neutrals you like (and as many as you like). That said, we would like to see Marsala as the feature colour of your quilt and we will be asking the judges to take your use of Marsala into account when making their decision.

3. You can submit one entry per category. Entries for quilts and minis should be completed projects, including quilting and binding.

Prizes:

Quilts - judged by Amy Gunson from Badskirt

First place - Hawthorne Threads - $75 gift certificate
Second place - Fat Quarter Shop - Fat Quarter bundle of the winner's choice
Viewers' choice award - Westwood Acres - $50 gift certificate

  

Minis - judged by Jeni Baker from In Color Order

First place - Green Fairy Quilts - $50 gift certificate
Second place - Stitchbird - 10 piece Japanese fabric fat quarter bundle
Viewers' choice award - Fat Quarter Shop - $50 gift certificate

  

Just the top - judged by Kristin Link from Sew Mama Sew

First place - Aurifil - Large spool thread collection
Second place - The Intrepid Thread - prize to be confirmed
Viewers' choice award - Fat Quarter Shop - $50 gift certificate

  

As you can tell, we have expanded the viewer participation element of this challenge so that there is a viewer's choice award for each category.  We know you'll have fun looking at all the entries and voting for your favourite in each category.

Finally, we would really really love to see an entry from absolutely everyone who feels the slightest bit inspired by Marsala, regardless of skill level, so an entry in each category that hasn't already won a prize will be drawn at random, and will win one of: a $25 gift certificate from Sew me a Song, a a set of four large spools from Aurifil, or a £20 gift voucher from Karen Lewis Textiles.

Judges:

We are delighted to have three fantastic guest judges on board.  These ladies are seriously talented quilters, designers and authors.  We love their work and know they'll do a fantastic job when it comes to judging your entries!

  

From left to right: Amy Gunson from Badskirt, Jeni Baker from In Color Order, and Kristin Link from Sew Mama Sew.

Entries: 

1. Entries are open NOW and will close on April 24 at 11pm PDT. The link-up tool below should tell you how much time the link-up has to run BUT if you need to know the closing time in your country, World Time Buddy is a really excellent visual way to see different time zones.  Winners will be announced on April 29 2015.

2. Each entry should link to a blog post / Threadbias post / Flickr page / Instagram photo

3. Each entry must include quilt dimensions.

If you haven't used a link-up tool before, Katy from The Littlest Thistle did a post which explains how to use it really well - you can find it here.

If you're planning to use instagram to link up, Katy from The Littlest Thistle has done another tutorial on how to link from instagram using your computer (here).  If you are working on your phone or your tablet, Rhonda's tutorial on how to link from instagram (here) is for you.

Please enter your quilt in the correct category, BUT if you make a mistake, the link-up will allow you to delete your own links so you should be able to put it right no trouble.

Here are the linkys:

Quilts

An InLinkz Link-up

Minis

An InLinkz Link-up

Just the Top

An InLinkz Link-up

Non-judged entries:

We thought it would be fun to provide a place for people to share quilts that feature Marsala that don't comply with the rules for the 2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Marsala (for example, because they were not finished in 2015).  We will be providing a separate link-up for people to share these quilts.  However, they will not be eligible for judging, voting, or to win prizes.  If you link up a quilt that is not eligible for the contest, we will move it into this category.

An InLinkz Link-up