Project QUILTING 12.1: Illuminating + Ultimate Gray

• • 28 Comments

With the start of the new year comes the start of the new Project QUILTING season. I'm hoping to participate in all six challenges this season. In 2020, I started my Improv Log Cabin Mini series with a couple of the Project QUILTING challenges. This year, just before the first challenge was announced I decided I would layer my own design challenge on top of the Project QUILTING challenge's again this year. I'll be using modern traditional design in my challenge quilts this season.

Modern Traditionalism in quilting refers to a design that is built on a traditional quilt block combined with more modern design elements. These elements can include use of bold colors and prints, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and/or alternate grid work.

This week our challenge was a color challenge, Illuminating + Ultimate Gray, the 2021 Pantone Color of the Year. I love a color challenge, because you can do just about anything with it as far as the design goes. I went about picking a traditional quilt block to design off of and started selecting solids from my stash that worked with the yellow and gray theme.

I chose the card trick quilt block. I began by changing the elements of the corner of the block, instead extending the "card color" to the corners. Then I offset this quilt block in my design and extended the lines from the block into the negative space surrounding it. Finally, through the value choices of my colors, I gave the quilt a look of transparency.

My quilt finishes at 16 1/2" x 16 1/2". It has very minimal quilting, because, ya know... one-week deadline. I didn't start cutting fabric until Friday, so I didn't leave myself much time.

My quilt is labeled on my corner triangles, included for ease of hanging. First finish of the year!

Thanks for visiting, please hop over to Kim's blog to see the over 225 submissions for the Illuminating + Ultimate Gray challenge.

I'm linking up with the Pantone 2021 Artisan Challenge. I'm also linking up with my linkup, Show Me Something. ;-)

Related posts:

100 Day Project: Week 12 Update Project QUILTING 14.2: Pink Tint OMG UFO March Goal 2021 Wrap Up and 2022 Goals

28 thoughts on “Project QUILTING 12.1: Illuminating + Ultimate Gray”

  4. Nancy

    I found this quilt block intriguing. It is more complex than the eye catches on a quick glance. When I first looked I thought the center was something on the computer like an ad overlay. Then I saw the intricate triangles etc.
    You fascinate me!

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  5. Kathleen Scargle McCormick

    Love this! And I love the label....I need to put my other label on and will submit today. Excited to play and find out what the next challenge is!

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    1. sarah

       Post author

      Thank you, Gretchen. I've designed with transparency a couple of times. It's a fun technique when it works. :-)

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    1. sarah

       Post author

      Thank you, Pamela. I'm looking forward to the next challenge theme so I can figure out how to incorporate a traditional block in my design. :-)

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    1. sarah

       Post author

      Thank you. I hope to dive in as soon as the new theme is announced next Sunday (instead of waiting until late in the week to get started). :-)

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    1. sarah

       Post author

      Thank you, Kim! And thanks for the inspiration over the years to step out of my comfort zone or my "usual" with my creating.

      Reply ↓

  13. Mel Beach

    Yay for late night sewing and finishing our projects. I look forward to seeing your series continue (and hopefully not too many more late, late night finishes--aww...who are we kidding!?!)

    Reply ↓

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