Monday 6 January 2014

2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Radiant Orchid

Today Anne from Play Crafts and I are thrilled to announce that we are co-hosting the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Radiant Orchid! We really could not be more excited about this and can’t wait to see what amazing creations you come up with.

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


Now, the image that Pantone initially released when Radiant Orchid was announced as the 2014 Colour of the Year (with an orchid against a lighter purple background) was confusing.  In that image, it's the orchid which is Radiant Orchid, not the background!  To make things clearer, this swatch is the official Radiant Orchid colour.

Grab our button and spread the word that the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Radiant Orchid is on now!

2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Radiant Orchid

So, straight into the nitty gritty, here are the rules.  We've tweaked them slightly from 2012 and 2013 when Ali from a squared w was running the Pantone Quilt Challenge (thank you Ali, for graciously allowing us to take on the hosting of the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge!), so please read them carefully and let us know if anything is unclear.

Rules:

All items must be started in 2014 to be eligible

1. There will be 3 categories:
 - Minis: shorest 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 Radiant Orchid Quilt Challenge, so your project must contain at least some Radiant Orchid or similar purple. You can also use any other colours or neutrals you like (and as many as you like). That said, we would like to see Radiant Orchid as the feature colour of your quilt and we will be asking the judges to take your use of Radiant Orchid 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 March 14 - March 21 2014. Entries will close at on March 21 2014 at 11pm PST and winners will be announced on March 26 2014.

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

3. Each entry should 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 Allison Harris from Cluck Cluck Sew

First place - Oakshott Fabrics - £100 Gift voucher plus free shipping
Second place - Stitchbird Fabrics - fat quarter bundle of Ellen Luckett Baker's Garden collection
Third place - Fat Quarter Shop - $50 gift certificate

  fatquartershop.com

Minis - judged by Elizabeth Dackson from Don't Call Me Betsy

First place - Fat Quarter Shop - $50 gift certificate
Second place - Intrepid Thread - Mormor by Lotta Jansdotter fat quarter bundle
Third place - Westwood Acres - $20 gift certificate

fatquartershop.com


Just the top - judged by Lee Heinrich from Freshly Pieced

First place - Aurifil - Thread pack ($130 value)
Second place - Hawthorne Threads - $50 gift certificate
Third place - Robert Kaufman Kona - Half-yard bundle of Pantone Spring Kona cotton solids

http://www.hawthornethreads.com/

Finally, we would really really love to see an entry from absolutely everyone who feels the slightest bit inspired by Radiant Orchid, 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 voucher from Sew me a Song, a $25 gift voucher from Polka Dot Tea or a $25 gift voucher from Pink Chalk Fabrics.


We also think it's more fun when everyone gets to participate, so we will also run a viewer's choice award where everyone can vote on their favourite creation!  The winner will receive this amazing Radiant Orchid inspired bundle from Fabricworm.


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: Allison Harris from Cluck Cluck Sew, Elizabeth Dackson from Don't Call Me Betsy, and Lee Heinrich from Freshly Pieced.

Other important information:

We are well and truly aware that purple is not a universally adored colour.  Even if you're really not sure about purple, we would encourage you to give it a try - you never know, you might be surprised!  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 Radiant Orchid journey, on January 13 Anne will be doing a colour series post on purple, and on January 21 I will be sharing some inspiring purple-featuring modern quilts.

We would love to see your creations while you're working on them, so be sure to add them to the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Radiant Orchid Flickr Group, or tag them on Instagram using #pantonequilt.

If your stash is, like many, a little light on purple fabrics, a couple of our sponsors have put together Radiant Orchid themed bundles to give you a kickstart.  Pink Chalk Fabrics has put together this great Mulberry fat quarter bundle:

Mulberry fat quarter bundle from Pink Chalk Fabrics

Julie from Intrepid Thread has created a Radiant Orchid section in her shop, so you can pick your own bundle!  And keep an eye out for a post by Lindsay at Hawthorne Threads - she's putting together some Radiant Orchid suggestions for you!

I will be keeping a page dedicated to the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Radiant Orchid on my blog for the duration of the Challenge.  There, you will be able to find all the key information about the Challenge and links to all the related blog posts.

18 comments:

Leanne said...

It sounds like fun, and of course I will enter.

RobotMomSews said...

Beautiful!!! And exciting!

JB said...

I happen to be making a purple quilt this quarter anyway, so will be entering the Challenge!

Nat at Made in Home said...

Oh that sounds an exciting challenge - totally outside my comfort zone of colours but who knows I may like it... May have to be a mini though,

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

Oooooh, I need to see if I have any purple!

Elmosmate said...

I don't have many purple fabrics. might have to go shopping! (at your sponsors of course). Thanks for hosting.

Erica said...

How fun! I love purple and I could use a new table runner for the dining room so hopefully I can finish up some projects and participate!

Michelle@factotum-of-arts.com said...

So excited my mind is in overdrive with ideas :-)

Megan said...

I hunted through my fabric today only to confirm what I already suspected - radiant orchid does not feature anywhere! A good opportunity to experiment with a different colour palette I think :-)

RobinSue said...

What a fun challenge! I seem to have quite a collection of purple, but could always use more. Looking forward to seeing everyone's creations.

Nicole said...

Sounds like fun! I'm considering playing along.

Debbie said...

oh this sounds terrific! And what great judges & prizes! The various fabric bundles are really helpful too. I certainly plan on joining in!

Helen M said...

OK this challenge sounds very exciting - only trouble is I am nor completely confused as to what colour Radiant Orchid actually is - Pink Chalks selection is completely different from Hawthorne Threads - is it purple or pink or in between?

Help???

AnUrbanView said...

This sounds like fun and I love the color.

ChristaQuilts said...

This is such a fun challenge! I am not a purple fan so I will try to stretch my wings a little here and be inspired :-)

Kristy said...

Look at you go!!! I'm excited that you are co-hosting this event and hopefully I'll be participating. Just need to sort out a few things first.

I'm definately lacking in this Radiant Orchid color, so off to the store I must go.

Heidi said...

I love this color and can't wait to make an infinity scarf or a skirt with it! Thanks for the inspiration!

Anita said...

Just found out about this! Looks like fun! I am in if it's open to Canadian quilters as well? I hope so. :)