2016 Color(s) of the Year

 

Pantone's 2016 Color(s) of the Year

For the first time, The Pantone Color Institute has announced that the color for the year 2016 is actually the blending of two colors--a pink and a blue. Pantone 13-1520 (Rose Quartz) and Pantone 15-3919 (Serenity) are the colors chosen. According to Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone's Executive Director, "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."

According to the Pantone website, consumers are  seeking mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to modern day stresses, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill a yearning for reassurance and security. They also believe that the combination of Rose Quartz and Serenity challenges traditional perceptions of color association as many parts of the world experience a gender blue as it relates to fashion.

Pantone has also provided suggestions for a 2016 Spring Wardrobe for Women incorporating both colors into a palette that would also work for quilts and other sewing projects. The colors are, from top to bottom, Rose Quartz, Peach Echo, Serenity, Snorkel Blue, Buttercup, Limpet Shell, Lilac Grey, Fiesta, Iced Coffee, and Green Flash.

Veteran's Day in the United States

American Stars Block of the Month Club

Veterans Day is an official United States holiday honoring those who have served in the armed service of America. First proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson, November 11 was set aside to honor those who had fought in "The Great War," also known as World War I. November 11 was chosen in honor of the formal end of hostilities during World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

The United States Congress passed a resolution on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. By Congressional Act in 1938, the day was made into a national holiday "to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day."

In 1945, Raymond Weeks of Birmingham, Alabama, organized a National Veterans Day parade to honor American veterans of all wars. In 1954, Congress passed a bill, signed by President Eisenhower, proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day. In 1982, Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan. Today, Weeks' local parade and ceremonies are an annual event celebrated nationwide.

New Club! 19th Century Quiltmaking

Introducing Grandma's newest-in-store Quilt Club, 19th Century Quiltmaking. Led by Grandma Rachel, this club meets once per month with six sessions available.

19th Century Quiltmaking is a look at the quilting methods of an earlier era that continue to inspire us today. As Grandma says, you need look no further than the textiles produced by 19th Century women to learn about their lives, their daily passions, and the innovations of the era that allowed them to express their creativity in thread and cloth.

Colorways for 19th Century Quiltmaking

During this class you will learn, from an historic viewpoint, about 19th Century quilt styles, techniques and inventions that revolutionized quilting forever. Club members have an opportunity to socialize with friends, share stories and collect quilt blocks to make a commemorative quilt. Packed with history and adventure, you won't want to miss this exciting new club.

Quilt block kits are available in four color schemes: 1930s, 19th Century Reproductions, Patriotic colors and Batiks. Class participation is $10 per month per colorway. There is a $10 membership fee which helps offset the cost of class materials.

Grandma's Quilt Clubs are like no others that we know about. They are a fun way to learn about history that affects women today and discover new products. There are door prize drawings, an opportunity to be with friends, and quilt blocks to collect.

Dates of the club are:   September 3/4/5; October 1/2/3; November 3/4/5; December 7/8/9; 2016: January 7/8/9; February 4/5/6; March 3/4/5; April 7/8/9; May 5/6/7; June 2/3/4; July 7/8/9; August 4/5/6.

You can register for the class online by clicking here.

Sunshine and Stitches Shop Hop

Starboard--a Mini Wall Quilt

Doesn't this look like a ton of fun? Grandma's Attic is participating in the Sunshine and Stitches Shop Hop now through June 27 and the photo above is the project that we have chosen for our shop. This Shop Hop covers 15 Oregon shops within easy driving distances of one another (SW Portland, south to McMinnville, then Salem and Dallas).

Each shop is providing participants with a Quilt Block Kit to make a 6" quilt block. In addition, each shop has put together a project that uses their individual quilt block pattern. Each project is different. Some are large, some are small and some are in-between. But what it means to you is that you will have 15 different project ideas if you visit every shop  All shops are open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. Grandma's Attic and some of the other shops are also open on Sunday from Noon to 4:00 pm.

This year, just for fun, we decided to make up a Sailboat block with three different colored sails, all from the Dit Dot collection by In The Beginning Fabrics. Participants get to choose which color sail they like best and that Block Kit is free. The other two can be purchased for $5.00 each.

Our exclusive quilt project is a mini wall quilt we've aptly named Starboard. Designed by Cheryl Libby, the quilt measures 9-1/2" x 20". Don't you think that it looks like a sailing contest is getting underway? Both the pattern and a fabric kit for Starboard are available.

To get started, all you need to do is arrive at any of the participating shops and ask for a passport. Each shop on your hop will stamp your passport. Once completed, you leave the passport at the last shop visited. It will then be entered into a drawing where you could win one of these amazing prizes:  a Three Night Stay at the Oregon Coast and prize bags filled with fabric, patterns and more valued at $300, $250, and $200. In addition, one lucky winner receives a $50 gift certificate from all 15 shops, and the individual shops are conducting an in-store drawing for a $25 prize. That means there are many opportunity to win a prize!

The 15 participating shops this year are:  Grandma's Attic, Dallas; A Common Thread, Portland, Bernina Stretch and Sew Fabrics, Keizer; Boersma's Sewing Center, Inc., McMinnville; Feather Your Nest, Gresham; Greenbaum's Quilted Forest, Salem; Holly Hill Quilt Shoppe, West Linn; Quilter's Corner Store, Beaverton; Sandra's Stitches, Hillsboro; Sewn Loverly, Wilsonville; Sharon's Attic, Hillsboro, Stitches 301, Mollala; Tea Time Calicos, Beaverton; The Cotton Patch, Keizer; and The Pine Needle, Lake Oswego. You can start and stop at any shop and passports can be picked up at the first shop on your journey.

Shop hops are a fun way to visit your favorite quilt shops while collecting quilt blocks and projects. Take a friend along, plan lunch out, and have fun shopping!

Oregon Towns and Founders

In this new Block of the Month Quilt Club, Grandma's Attic continues their series on the Stories of Old Oregon, with a focus on towns and their founders within the state of Oregon. You learn the fascinating history of how many of the towns in Oregon were founded--how they got their names, their early history, prominent citizens of the day, and beginnings of each town's commerce and industry.

Oregon Towns and Founders

Each month, participants receive the patterns and fabric to create two 12" quilt blocks featuring 19th Century era fabrics. Each block is done in a variety of reproduction scraps of reds and browns specific to the time period. They are all easy to create and fun to make. At year's end, club members will have received materials for 24 quilt blocks plus the sashing and borders to put them into a quilt top measuring approximately 71" x 99". An informational newsletter and other hand-outs are also included.

This is a fun, creative way to combine the art of quilt making with a love of history. You'll learn more about the history of Old Oregon as you go along. If you'd like to join this exciting club, click here.

Please Vote for Us!

Great News! Grandma's Attic has been nominated for Best Dallas Shop in the Statesman Journal's Best of the Mid-Valley 2015 contest. For the first time ever, this contest, annually sponsored by the Statesman Journal newspaper, is including shops in the town of Dallas, Oregon where the Grandma's Attic quilt shop is located.

Please vote for us! You can vote once each day until March 9th. We are listed under Your Community, Best Dallas Shop which is the button to the farthest right "Your Community"...or simply scroll down on the landing page until you find our name. Thank you  so much! To vote, click here.