2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge

Anne from Play Crafts and I are thrilled to be co-hosting the 2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Marsala! We loved running the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge last year, and we can’t wait to see what amazing creations you come up with this year.

We've got some inspiring posts lined up, fabulous guest judges, information on where you can find awesome Marsala fabric to work with, not to mention the incredible prizes up for grabs which have been provided by our wonderful sponsors.

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.

Grab our button and spread the word that the 2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Marsala is on now!

2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Marsala

So, straight into the nitty gritty, here are the rules.  They are pretty much the same as last year, with a couple of very small tweaks.

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.

Entries: 

1. A link party/gallery will be hosted at Play Crafts and On the Windy Side. Entries will be open from April 17 - April 24 2015. Entries will close at on April 24 at 11pm PST and winners will be announced on April 29 2015.

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

3. Each entry must include quilt dimensions.

Now, onto the exciting stuff!  Our sponsors have been more than generous, which means we have wish-we-could-win prizes on offer.  Here are the details, and while you're there, please check out our lovely sponsors.

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

http://www.hawthornethreads.com/  


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.

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.

Other important information:

We are well and truly aware that people have their doubts about Marsala.  Nevertheless, we really encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and try using it in a quilt.  You can always just make something small so that it's not a huge investment of time and fabric - and you know, it's called a Challenge for a reason!

To give you a helping hand on your Marsala journey, here are some posts to get you started:  my thoughts on Marsala including a fabric pull, Anne's thoughts including some suggested palettes and quilt designs, Latifah Saafir's thoughts and Debbie at A Quilter's Table's thoughts.

We would love to see your creations while you're working on them, so be sure to add them to the 2015 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Marsala Flickr Group, or tag them on Instagram using #pantonequilt.

If your stash is, like many, a little light on Marsala coloured fabrics, never fear, Hawthorne Threads has put together a digitally printed Marsala collection especially to celebrate the Pantone Colour of the Year:


You can find all the prints in this special Marsala collection here.

Keep an eye out for more suggestions on where to find Marsala fabric - we'll update you if we find any other bundles.

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