Pantone Color of the Year 2020: Classic Blue

Each year Pantone, the paint and color people, choose a color in December for the year ahead. They imbue these colors with ideas and ideals for the new year. I don't always agree with the choices but along with many in the quilting community, I like to ruminate on them a bit.

The Pantone color of the year for 2020 is Classic Blue.

Here is what they say about it:

“Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era… Imprinted in our psyches as a restful color, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, offering refuge. Aiding concentration and bringing laser like clarity, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue re-centers our thoughts. A reflective blue tone, Classic Blue fosters resilience… As technology continues to race ahead of the human ability to process it all, it is easy to understand why we gravitate to colors that are honest and offer the promise of protection. Non-aggressive and easily relatable, the trusted PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue lends itself to relaxed interaction. Associated with the return of another day, this universal favorite is comfortably embraced.”

I’ve pondered Classic Blue for almost two months.

Generally I have a pretty quick response to the Color of the Year. Usually a negative one. I tend to vehemently disagree with the statement and mission that Pantone puts out. This year it took me much longer to decide how I feel.

My first thought is that I like this color. I’m often indifferent to the actual color of the Color of the Year. But Classic Blue is calming; it reminds we of the deepening blue of a late spring or early summer sky, cloudless and intense. The feeling you get when you’ve gone thru your whole day and for some reason you glance up, maybe a noise attracted your attention, maybe your in the middle of a memory and your head tilts up in thought, and there it is, a perfectly blue sky. And the feeling that the color inspires is so all encompassing, washing over your body, spirit and mind. It is uplifting, humbling, and expansive all at the same time. It may be, as Pantone suggests, a peaceful color, but it is at the same time a color that makes one think of the vastness of sky, ocean, and time, and how small your part in that expanse can be .

One tiny indistinguishable drop in an enormous endless bucket.

To me, this feeling is comfortable, re-centering, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility, just like Pantone intends. The idea that we are all the same, and all only a part of something far bigger and more important than the individual. This might not be exactly what Pantone meant, but to me this is the most relevant message to what’s happening in the world that Pantone has come up with in recent years. With world leaders making choices that strip away our rights, and divide us, with a shift to a “me me me” mentality, we need a reminder that everyone is connected and everyone needs to be able to relate to each other and put themselves in other people place. No one is special, no one is different, look at a stranger as you would look at yourself.

Overall, I really like classic blue and hope that Pantone, is right and this can be an awaken, centering, joining, strengthening year for all as a whole. That the larger community can leave the individual behind and come together to create better things.

What does Classic Blue make you think of or feel?

Pantone Color of the Year 2019

Each year Pantone, the paint and color people, choose a color in December for the year ahead. They imbue these colors with ideas and ideals for the new year. I don't always agree with the choices but along with many in the quilting community, I like to ruminate on them a bit.

For 2019, Pantone chose Living Coral.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.

In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embodies our desire for playful expression.

Representing the fusion of modern life, PANTONE Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.

PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral emits the desired, familiar, and energizing aspects of color found in nature. In its glorious, yet unfortunately more elusive, display beneath the sea, this vivifying and effervescent color mesmerizes the eye and mind. Lying at the center of our naturally vivid and chromatic ecosystem, PANTONE Living Coral is evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of color.”

I may seems like a downer when it comes to Pantone’s color of the year. I started examining it and sharing my thoughts in 2016 and I’ve disagreed with the meaning or idea behind just about every color since. Serenity and Rose Quartz (2016) felt confining in it’s binary structure (at a time when we should be seeing past blue and pink), Greenery (2017) felt tone deaf in it’s optimism in nature as opposed to the world-leader’s intent to destroy it, and Ultra Violet (2018) would have made more sense if they had called it Ultra Violent (I mean, it was the year with the most mass shootings in the US so far).

I’m sure that Pantone intends these colors to be uplifting and inspiring.

But come on!! At a time when most of the world coral reefs are headed soon to destruction, when the US is actively repealing environmental safeties and sustainability, Pantone is going to say looking at an intestinal putrid pink is going to save us from the fantasies of the internet and connect with nature and the world??

But perhaps it is all in the name. If it had been called Puke or even Drink the Koolaid or Road Kill, I might have felt it was more appropriate for what we have to face in the coming year.

If this is our color of the year, let it be named Extra Strength Pepto Bismol. Pantone, help me stomach another year like the last few.

But don’t take my word for it. Here are a few articles on Living Coral

From Tree Hugger (you know I love them!)

NJ News likes it bc it’s from NJ!

I always love to read what A Quilter’s Table has to say about the Color of the Year.

Well and Good thinks Living coral is … sexy?

I really like what Thrillist says: “it's not a reflection, it's a response -- an answer”. I personally can’t seem to get that point, but I want it to be true!

What are your thoughts on Living Coral?

Pantone Color of the Year 2018

Each year Pantone, the paint and color people, choose a color in December for the year ahead. They imbue these colors with ideas and ideals for the new year. I don't always agree with the choices but along with many in the quilting community, I like to ruminate on them a bit. This year I thought a long time about the Pantone's Color of the Year 2018, Ultra Violet.

 Here's what they have to say about it:
"A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.
Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.
Enigmatic purples have also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality. Nuanced and full of emotion, the depth of PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.
Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energizes the communities that gather there and inspire connection."

After reading this a few times, I did a fabric pull. Sometimes this helps me think about the color, feel the color. You can see by all the blond cat hair that Irving felt the color, too. 

The more I thought about Ultra Violet the more I thought it is a great color for 2018. The idea of inner peace, self reflection, and inner wellness are commonly depicted by deep purples, and this would be a good year for everyone to open up that deep purple space within and spread some peace love and understanding. 

Rich violets and purples have long been associated with royalty, and I like the idea that this can cross over to people in the creative world, people of power, people of influence. Ideally in 2018, Ultra Violet will encourage those people to step forward, step up, and lead by well meaning example. I hope 2018 will be a time for those influential and powerful people to make change for the better and help heal our country and our world. But the other side of Ultra Violet may mean that those in power continue to change things for the worse, and use their influence to perpetuate hate, violence and conflict. All images that a deep purple can also evoke. 

So, while I'm hopeful that Ultra Violet will shine a reflective, calming light on the world this year, I also see this Pantone Color of the Year having a dark side. Let's call it Ultra Violent. Power, persuasion, dark vibes, and nightmares, Ultra Violent is also the color of spooky corners, unknown depths, a black eye, your last breath. 

I'm rooting for goodness to emerge this year, I'm just not holding my breath. I feel that this year, Pantone has captured the right color for 2018, I'm just not sure that's a good thing. 

What do you think of Ultra Viole(n)t? How does it make you feel for the year ahead?

New Block: Precious Fabric (Solstice Block 15/25)

Finally!! I'm back to making Pat Sloan's Solstice challenge. I couldn't get the corners to stay down for the pic, but besides that, this block was nice and easy. And it feels good to be back on the horse. 

Linking up with BOMs Away, Monday Making, Move it Forward Monday, and more!

New Block: Honey Bee Block (Solstice Block 14/25)

Here is another block I heavily modified for Pat Sloan's Solstice Challenge. Her Honey Bee block called for appliqué, ut I chose to make some orange peels instead. 

Her block also called for petals or peels at all four corners, but three were enough for me. I'll need to sweep some threads off this block and square it up, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out! 

Linking top with Finished or Not It's Friday, Needle and Thread Thursday, Slow Sunday Stitching and  more! 

Solstice Challenge Check In

I've gotten a bit behind in Pat Sloan's Solstice Challenge. But It's given me some time to play around with layout and arranging the blocks. 

It's exciting to see a chunk of the blocks together and to imagine what the final piece may look like. I'm liking the idea of these blocks being all joined up with no sashing. Seeing them laid out makes me realize what colors I'd like to add more of. 

Has anyone else participating in this challenge thought out lay out yet?

Linking up with Monday Making, Move it Forward Monday, BOMs Away, and more!

New Block: Studio Time (Solstice block 13/25)

I'm still trying to catch up on the Solstice Challenge, but I'm getting there one block at a time. Studio Time is another great name for a block.  

I like that there are a few variations of nine patches in Pat Sloan's BOM. I'm excited to see all the blocks together. Who else is working on this BOM? Are you planning to use the planned layouts? Or are you gonna come up with your own?

New Block: Jacob's Ladder (Solstice Block 12/25)

I'm making so many new blocks as part of Pat Sloan's Solstice Challenge! Looking around, there seem to be a few variations of this classic block. This one was pretty easy to make and came together quickly!

I cut the pieces for this block at home then pieced it on a bus ride! It came out a wee bit smaller than most of the blocks. I never can tell!!

Linking up with Making Monday, Move It Forward Monday, etc...

New Block: Quilt Math (Solstice Block 11/25)

I was pleased to see the name of the 11th block for Pat Sloan's Solstice challenge bc "quilt math" is something I never do. I never use a ruler or other measuring tools when hand sewing and quilting. Quilt math is something I see many quilters get frustrated about, but not me! 

This was a fun block to make and come together quickly. This is another block I could see repeated to make a fun and geometric full quilt. 

Linking up around blog land. What are your favorite block link parties?

New Block: The Coffee Shop (Solstice Block 10/25)

The Coffee Shop Block, block 10 of the Solstice Challenge, is pretty similar to other blocks I've made, but bc of it's boarders, I'm still calling it a new block. It's basically a fat plus block (not sure if there's a real name for that) with little boarders, but playing with color really changes this block's look. 

Pat Sloan's Coffee Shop Block.

Look at how Pat made her version so that the borders become a sort of echo (at right). It's hard to believe how different our two blocks look. I might try that next time. I could picture many variations of this block to make a full quilt. 

Since I only eyeball the measurements in quilting, this block turned out quite a bit bigger than the others I have made so far. As usually, I'm not worried about it now, I'm sure everything will fit together in the end. 

I'm linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Monday Making, Move It Forward Monday, Tuesday Building Blocks and more!

New Block: Among the Stars Fraction (Solstice Block 9/25)

For the 9h block of Pat Sloan's Solstice Challenge, she chose a large block, or a small block with many parts, depending on how you look at it. Since I am making all my block around the same size, I didn't want to cut a million teeny HSTs or make an extra large block. Instead, I modified the pattern, using only a fraction of the whole block. 

I LOVE the way this block came out and I could see doing a whole quilt with just these stretchy stars! I also designed a second fraction of this block that I might also make. I think I will wait to see what the finished quilt might look like first before I do, though. I'm holding on to it in case I need extra blocks depending on how I choose to set them all. 

Linking up with Building Block Tuesday, Slow Sunday Stitching, Monday Making, Move It Forward Monday, MCM, and more. 

New Block: Never Ending Love (Solstice Block 8/25)

This was another block from Pat Sloan's Solstice Challenge that called for appliqué. 

And it's another block where I opted to leave that appliqué out. It's still a new block for me without it and I really like this one! I can very easily see incorporating this block into other quilts. For this and the other block that were supposed to be appliquéd, I used an eye catching fabric for the center of the block. I haven't begun to look at the blocks together to see how the ideas I have might fit into the over all setting of the quilt. But I think having two blocks with these fabric as focal points might work nicely. 

New Block: Tidy Rows (Solstice Black 7/25)

I put off doing Tidy Rows for a little while bc of all the HSTs. But I ended up really loving this new block. 

I have really been enjoying seeing what new block comes for the Solstice Challenge each week. Although one of the quilt settings calls for several different sizes of blocks, I have been making them pretty much the same. I'm not sure how it will look in the end, but I have a feeling that I will really enjoy this quilt once it is all put together.

I'm linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching, Move it Forward Monday, and more. 

Pantone Color of the Year 2017 + Solstice Sew Along

Last year, I had pretty strong feeling about the 2016 Pantone Color of the Year. A lot of people did. This year, I'm more meh. Pantone had chosen Greenery as 2017 Color of the Year, and it's a nice color. Their explanation of the color is hopeful:

"A refreshing and revitalizing shade, Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings.
Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.
Greenery is nature’s neutral. The more submerged people are in modern life, the greater their innate craving to immerse themselves in the physical beauty and inherent unity of the natural world. This shift is reflected by the proliferation of all things expressive of Greenery in daily lives through urban planning, architecture, lifestyle and design choices globally. A constant on the periphery, Greenery is now being pulled to the forefront - it is an omnipresent hue around the world.
Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the reassurance we yearn for amid a tumultuous social and political environment. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate and revitalize, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.
A life-affirming shade, Greenery is also emblematic of the pursuit of personal passions and vitality."

Thanks, Pantone, that's nice. I'm not sure if nice is enough for us right now, but it is nice.
I might have gone with Alarm Red, a bright flashing hue that sends people into action, or Abyss Black, the black of the endless hole you want to avoid, or even Nest Brown, a color for bundling up, cozying up, gathering your loved ones and hunkering down for a long wait.   

Around the same time that I learned of this year's color, I also found Pat Sloan's 182 Day Solstice Block Challenge. That's one block a week between the Winter solstice and the Summer solstice. What a lovely idea! A nice way to pass time and make in the changing seasons. Living now in a place where the seasons are a drastic change, both in weather and in habit, this sew along really appealed to me. As I was preparing to start this challenge, it clicked; Greenery was a perfect fabric pull for this SAL!

I've made four blocks so far, two are not new to me and two are New Blocks. The first block is a good old solid churn dash. It was fun to pull fabric for this project with Greenery in mind. I'm also really excited that this challenge will be done mid year, and I can work on finishing it then, as opposed to some of my other BOMs that will take a year to complete.  Who else is participating in the Solstice Challenge? What are you color/fabric schemes?

What are your thoughts on Pantone's Color of the Year?

What's in a Name? - Pantone Colors of the Year 2016

I never knew there was a Pantone Color of the Year until I started quilting again. And I never paid much attention to it until last years furor over Marsala (see here, here, and here). 
This year seems as it will be just as controversial because Pantone picked Rose Quartz and Serenity for 2016. The first time that they have pick two colors, Pantone has this to say about them: 
"As consumers seek mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to modern day stresses, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill our yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent. Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.
               The prevalent combination of Rose Quartz and Serenity also challenges traditional perceptions of color association.In many parts of the world we are experiencing a gender blur as it relates to fashion, which has in turn impacted color trends throughout all other areas of design. This more unilateral approach to color is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity, the consumer's increased comfort with using color as a form of expression, a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage."

Already, some people hate it and some people love it (or at least tolerate it). 

I totally disagree on the message that Pantone says that the colors carry. I get that this is a cheerful, optimistic view for how they hope these colors might make the world feel, perhaps heal, and that's what they think consumers will be wanting. My thought is that's a bunch of BS, personally. A nice thought, certainly, but all wrong for 2016. If we are basing the color of the year on the political/social feelings and environment for the year ahead I would have gone with Mean Red (a color I would describe as blacker than blood, the color behind your eyes when you brace yourself after hitting your thumb with a hammer, or the color thumping through you head when you have a case of the "mean reds" [Maybe I should be more hopeful and this year's color should have been Tiffany's Blue]). Consumers are scared, sad and angry. I would have liked to see the Color of the Year reflect that.
Then you have all that stuff about gender exploration, expression and diversity. Pantone is saying that the blurring of gender in fashion and society, and the acceptance of that blur, should be represented by the outdated, singleminded, restrictive, old fashioned, specifically gender binary, "baby" blue and pink? Huh?
This is a tougher issue for me to pick a color to represent. Purple doesn't work, bc that's still buying into the gender binary, which hopefully we have all realized doesn't apply. Rainbow is more traditional but not right for the year ahead (re my thoughts above). I think I might pick Everything Brown, the color you get when you mix all the paint on the palate, the color of earth, where everything and everyone sprouts from. For me, this year, Everything Brown would represent a joining, coming together of all genders, no matter what they are, all peoples, no matter who they are, unity.       

Anyway, enough politics.

As for the colors, I'm right in the middle. I really enjoy Rose Quartz, but I'm not sold on Serenity. To further investigate, I did a little fabric pull. 

I find that for me, it comes down to what they named the colors. I quite like the blue but I bristle at the name "Serenity" for this shade. It is not serene for me. It's too design-y, too paint chip, and not enough ethereal, peaceful, sky and sea, to be Serenity. Something about calling it that makes me not want to see or use it, makes me what to shy away. 
Rose Quartz on the other hand sheds a whole new light on Pink. Being a gem enthusiast, this makes me think of magical beauty, nature, peacefulness, vibrancy and light. This name makes me want to use this color in everything, and find all the other gem named fabrics, too.

Ultimately, I don't see myself using these colors any more or less in the coming year. They will certainly make their way into something, but only bc they are pretty common colors. Anyone out there planning to use these colors (or not use them) now that they have been announced?