QuiltInk Blog

Apothecary – May26 Challenge

April has come to an end, and what a beautiful month it’s been.

With the Coastal Sunset palette by Bookends Quilting, you explored deeper tones, soft transitions, and a more atmospheric approach to color. The response was incredible, with 297 entries shared for the giveaway, showing once again how much this community continues to grow through color and experimentation.

A big congratulations to our April winner:

allkindthreads, who will receive a copy of the book Quilting the National Parks by Stephanie Forster — a beautiful collection of 20 patterns inspired by natural landscapes.

And now, it’s time to begin something new.

For May, we’re collaborating with Alderwood Studio, bringing a fresh perspective to this month’s challenge.

They’re introducing a new palette: Apothecary

A palette that invites you to explore color in a more subtle and layered way, and to try combinations that might be outside your usual choices.

Are you ready to explore it?

Let’s begin.

APOTHECARY PALETTE

The Apothecary fabric collection conjures a sophisticated celebration of Halloween’s enchanting side. Blending the mystical beauty of an old-world apothecary with subtle seasonal charm, this collection invites you into a world of moonlit potions and whispering herbs. Delicate cobwebs drift across botanicals, while elegant snakes, pumpkins, and bats curl among celestial motifs and bottles filled with mysterious brews. With a palette designed for moody magic and quiet wonder, The Apothecary captures the spirit of the season.

MEET AMBER

Amber is a modern pattern designer, author, fabric designer, and educator. She runs the Modern Makes Membership, teaches technique and pattern writing courses, and releases modern patterns under the Alderwood Studio brand. She designs fabric for Riley Blake Designs, and draws inspiration for both her fabric and her quilt patterns from the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Amber lives in Portland with her two small children and enjoys gardening, painting, and knitting in her free time.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Go to www.quiltink.com, sign in or create your free account.
Choose a pattern from the main page.
Color the pattern using the May Challenge palette — it’s the first palette in the Solid Palettes list.
Share your mock-up on our #quiltinkwall.
Boost your chances by creating a post or story on Instagram, mentioning @quilt_ink and @alderwoodstudio and tagging #QuiltInkChallengeMay26.
It counts as 2 entries in the giveaway.

PRIZE

A Fat Quarter bundle from the Apothecary fabric collection by Alderwood Studio.

The winner will receive this stunning FQ selection, generously sponsored by Amber of Alderwood Studio

Selection: On June 1st, we will randomly pick 1 mock-up from all the mock-ups shared on the Wall using the May Challenge palette (the ones marked with the gift icon).

The more mock-ups you create, the higher your chances of winning.
Start coloring now!

This giveaway is open internationally. You must be at least 18 years old.
This giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram. Participants release Instagram of any responsibility and agree to IG terms of use.

Here are some examples of quilt patterns mock-ups using the Apothecary palette in QuiltInk! Don’t you love them all?

Patterns featured are (click to color):

Remember by clicking on the gift icon in the QuitlInk Wall you will be able to see all the mock-ups for the Challenge alive.

Curious about how to find the palette to participate. Follow these steps and start coloring!!

And here you can check the name of the May26 Challenge palette – Apothecary by Alderwood Studio. Aren’t they amazing?

We can’t wait to see all your mock-ups!

Happy coloring and quilting to you all!

QuiltInk Challenge Apr26 Winner

April had a completely different feeling… and you really went for it.

With the Coastal Sunset palette by Bookends Quilting, this month’s challenge was all about exploring mood, depth and those rich, earthy tones inspired by the coast. And honestly, the result has been incredible.

We received 297 entries for the giveaway, and the variety has been amazing. Some designs were bold and dramatic, others much softer and more subtle, but all of them captured something special from the palette. It’s always surprising to see how the same colors can lead to so many different quilt interpretations.

All the mock-ups are truly impressive.

And now, it’s time to announce the winner:

allkindthreads

Congratulations You will receive a copy of the book Quilting the National Parks by Stephanie Forster.

We’ll contact you by email very soon with all the details.

This book is such a beautiful piece. It includes 20 quilt patterns inspired by national parks, and it’s perfect if you love quilts that connect with nature and landscape. It’s not just patterns, it’s a great source of inspiration for color, composition and storytelling in your quilts. Definitely one to have.

And to everyone who participated, thank you. Every mock-up you share helps build this space where we can all try new things, play with color and keep learning together.

If you haven’t seen all the entries yet, go to the Wall and filter by Past Challenges. There’s so much inspiration there.

And if you’re ready for the next one… it’s coming very soon.

Let’s keep coloring

Coastal Sunset – Apr26 Challenge

After a vibrant and color-filled March, it’s time to step into a new atmosphere.

Last month, with the Spring Tulips palette by Jenny Kae Parks, you explored bold contrasts, playful combinations, and fresh spring energy. The response was incredible, with 227 mock-ups shared on the Wall, showing once again how much this community continues to grow through color.

A big congratulations to our March winner:

🎉 PDQ, who will receive full access to Jenny Kae Parks’ Quilter’s Color Course — a fantastic opportunity to keep learning and building confidence with color in quilting.

And now… a new challenge begins.

For April, we’re collaborating with Stephanie Forster from Bookends Quilting — a talented quilt pattern designer on QuiltInk and the author of the beautiful book Quilting the National Parks, featuring 20 patterns inspired by iconic landscapes across the United States.

She’s bringing us a brand new palette for this month’s challenge:

Coastal Sunset

Are you ready to explore it?

Let’s begin.

COASTAL SUNSET PALETTE

The Coastal Sunset palette represents the earthy tones of a Washington coast sunset, known for its dramatic, moody atmosphere and iconic sea stacks.

Warm tones like Marmalade, Apricot Crepe, and Peach Sherbet capture the glowing light of the setting sun, filling the sky with warmth and softness.

Deeper shades such as Nova, Honeymoon, Plum Preserve, and Cabernet reflect the movement of the ocean and the shadows that settle over rock formations as the light fades.

To ground the palette, colors like Raw Gold, Gingerbread, and Chocolate evoke driftwood and shoreline textures, bringing balance and depth.

Together, these colors create a palette that feels rich, atmospheric, and deeply connected to nature — like bringing a coastal sunset directly into your home.

MEET STEPHANIE

Stephanie Forster is an author, quilt pattern designer, quilter, and crisis counselor based in Seattle, WA.

Her work is strongly influenced by the natural world, from mountain landscapes to lush forests, which she translates into thoughtful and visually striking quilt designs.

She is the author of Quilting the National Parks, a beautiful collection of 20 quilt patterns inspired by national parks across the United States.

As a pattern designer on QuiltInk, her designs are available for you to explore, color, and make your own — making this collaboration even more special.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Go to www.quiltink.com, sign in or create your free account.
Choose a pattern from the main page.
Color the pattern using the April Challenge palette — it’s the first palette in the Solid Palettes list.
Share your mock-up on our #quiltinkwall.
Boost your chances by creating a post or story on Instagram, mentioning @quilt_ink and @bookendsquilting, and tagging #QuiltInkChallengeApr26.
It counts as 2 entries in the giveaway.

PRIZE

A copy of the book Quilting the National Parks by Stephanie Forster

The winner will receive Stephanie’s book, featuring 20 unique quilt patterns inspired by national parks — a beautiful source of inspiration for future quilting projects.

Selection: On May 1st, we will randomly pick 1 mock-up from all the mock-ups shared on the Wall using the April Challenge palette (the ones marked with the gift icon).

The more mock-ups you create, the higher your chances of winning.
Start coloring now!

Here are some examples of quilt patterns mock-ups using the Coastal Sunset palette in QuiltInk! Don’t you love them all?

Patterns featured are (click to color):

Remember by clicking on the gift icon in the QuitlInk Wall you will be able to see all the mock-ups for the Challenge alive.

Curious about how to find the palette to participate. Follow these steps and start coloring!!

This month’s palette is a selection of fabrics from the Pure Solids collection by Art Gallery Fabrics, chosen by Stephanie Forster to reflect the tones and textures of a coastal sunset.

We can’t wait to see all your mock-ups!

Happy coloring and quilting to you all!

QuiltInk Challenge Mar26 Winner

The March Challenge wrapped up with a burst of color — and what a month it’s been.

This time, the palette Spring Promise by Jenny Kae Parks invited you to step into a space full of contrast, freshness, and playful combinations, inspired by the arrival of spring. And you didn’t hold back.

We saw 227 mock-ups shared on the Wall, each one exploring the palette in a completely different way. Some leaned into bold, high-impact contrasts, others softened the tones into calm and airy compositions — and everything in between. It’s always fascinating to see how one palette can lead to so many unique quilt designs.

Among all entries, one mock-up was randomly selected, and the winner is:

🎉 PDQ

Congratulations! 💛 You’ve won Jenny Kae Parks’ Quilter’s Color Course, a perfect next step to keep building your confidence and skills when working with color in quilting.

We’ll contact you by email very soon with all the details.

To everyone who joined this challenge — thank you. Every mock-up you share adds to something bigger: a space where quilters can try new ideas, test color combinations, and keep learning together.

If you’re looking for inspiration (or just want to enjoy some beautiful quilts), you can revisit all the entries on the Wall by filtering Past Challenges — this month’s gallery is especially fun to explore.

Ready for what’s next?

A new challenge is just around the corner.

Spring Tulips – Mar26 Challenge

After the incredible energy of our QuiltInk Anniversary Challenge – QuiltInk Core, it’s time to begin a new chapter.

Last month, you shared more than 250 mock-ups, exploring the essence of QuiltInk and celebrating everything we’ve built together. The creativity, the color confidence, the thoughtful design decisions… it was truly inspiring to see.

We have two winners!

KatieandClowder will receive Lifetime access to QuiltInk + the new Pattern Editor
michflook will receive a $50 voucher to spend at any QuiltInk fabric shop

But as always, this challenge is about more than winning.

If there’s one thing this community has proven, it’s that you don’t just show up for a prize — you show up to learn, to experiment, and to deepen your understanding of color in quilting.

And March is bringing something bold.

This month’s palette, created by our guest designer Jenny Kae Parks, is a celebration of joy, contrast, and the promise of Spring. A collection where rich jewel tones meet soft pastels, where citrus energy dances with grounding neutrals**, and where high contrast still lives beautifully in harmony.

Are you ready to explore what this palette can teach us?

Let’s begin.

SPRIG TULIPS PALETTE

This palette is bold and joyful, built on rich jewel tones like deep teal, peacock blue, magenta, plum, and bright lime (one of my favorite neutrals!).

Growing up, one of the first signs of Spring was the purple tulips in the front garden, and that same bright promise of new life lives in these colors.

The strong hues are softened by gentle pastels—pale aqua, mint, lilac, peach, and sky blue—that add light and breathing room.

Warm oranges and corals bring a burst of citrus energy, while olive and soft cream ground the whole collection.

The result feels fresh and hopeful, playful yet balanced, with high contrast that still lives in harmony.

MEET JENNY

Jenny Kae Parks is a passionate quilter with over 25 years of experience in the art of quilting. Based in Littleton, Colorado, Jenny Kae combines colorful fabrics with unique designs to create quilts that are not only visually stunning but also rich in meaning.

Her journey into quilting began as a way to teach her daughters. What started at the kitchen table grew into a lifelong calling. Since then, she has filmed numerous quilting demos for magazines and fabric companies and appeared as a guest on Love of Quilting and The Quilt Show. She teaches internationally at quilt events, guilds, and clubs, both in person and virtually. Her designs have been published in several quilt magazines, with some featured on magazine covers.

Jenny Kae is deeply committed to entertaining, encouraging, and educating others about the joys of quilting. Through her lively—and often hilarious—workshops, she inspires both beginners and seasoned quilters to explore their creativity and embrace the endless possibilities of color and fabric. She believes quilting is more than a hobby. It is a way to connect with others, tell stories, and express individuality. She takes great pride in building a supportive community where quilters of all levels can grow and thrive.

When she’s not quilting, Jenny Kae enjoys life with her husband, two dogs, family, and friends. She reads, watches a little too much TV, listens obsessively to podcasts, and tries to squeeze in some sewing and knitting whenever she can.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Go to www.quiltink.com, sign in or create your free account.
Choose a pattern from the main page.
Color the pattern using the March Challenge palette — it’s the first palette in the Solid Palettes list.
Share your mock-up on our #quiltinkwall.
Boost your chances by creating a post or story on Instagram, mentioning @quilt_ink and @jennykaequilts, and tagging #QuiltInkChallengeMar26.
It counts as 2 entries in the giveaway.

PRIZE

Quilter’s Color Course by Jenny Kae Parks

The winner will get full access to Jenny’s course, including all lessons, exercises, and resources, to explore color in quilting like never before.

Selection: On April 1st, we will randomly pick 1 mock-up from all the mock-ups shared on the Wall using the March Challenge palette (the ones marked with the gift icon).

The more mock-ups you create, the higher your chances of winning.
Start coloring now!

This giveaway is open internationally. You must be at least 18 years old. This giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram. Participants release Instagram of any responsibility and agree to IG terms of use.

Here are some examples of quilt patterns mock-ups using the Spring Tulips palette in QuiltInk! Don’t you love them all?

Patterns featured are (click to color):

1. Alcove by Julia Wachs Designs

2. Split Decision: Hearty by Crafty Moose Quilts

3. Starlight Horizons by Colt and Lamb Quilt Co

Remember by clicking on the gift icon in the QuitlInk Wall you will be able to see all the mock-ups for the Challenge alive.

Curious about how to find the palette to participate. Follow these steps and start coloring!!

This month’s March Challenge palette is a carefully selected collection of fabrics from the Solids line by Cherrywood. These colors have been chosen to capture the joy, contrast, and promise of Spring, providing both rich jewel tones and soft pastels to inspire your quilting projects.

We can’t wait to see all your mock-ups!

Happy coloring and quilting to you all!

QuiltInk Challenge Feb25 Winner

The QuiltInk Anniversary Challenge – QuiltInk Core has officially come to an end, and what a celebration it has been.

When we introduced a palette inspired by the colors of the QuiltInk logo, I had my doubts. Would it feel too bold? Too recognizable? Too limited?

You proved the opposite.

With 308 entriesl, this became one of the most vibrant and dynamic challenges we’ve ever hosted. The variety of interpretations, the fearless contrasts, the subtle value shifts — every design showed growing confidence and a deeper understanding of color in quilting.

And now, it’s time to celebrate our two randomly selected winners:

🎉 KatieandClowder will receive Lifetime access to QuiltInk + the new Pattern Editor, unlocking powerful creative tools to keep designing and experimenting.

🎉 michflook will receive a $50 voucher to spend at any QuiltInk fabric shop, the perfect opportunity to turn digital inspiration into fabric reality.

Congratulations to both of you! 💛 We’ll be in touch by email with all the details.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated. Every mock-up shared strengthens this community and shows how inspiring it is when quilters come together to explore color without fear.

If you haven’t browsed all the entries yet, head to the Wall and filter by Past Challenges to see the full February gallery — there is so much creativity waiting for you.

And if you’re ready for the next color adventure, the March Challenge is already live.

Let’s keep coloring.

QuiltInk Core – 5th Birthday Challenge Feb26

It’s a very special moment in the QuiltInk calendar — our 5th Birthday QuiltInk Challenge! Over the past five years, QuiltInk has grown into a vibrant, supportive community of quilters and designers, and this challenge is our way of celebrating the creativity, color, and spirit that have brought us here.

For this edition, we’re inviting you to honor the platform itself by exploring a palette inspired by the signature colors of QuiltInk. This challenge is a tribute to the platform’s journey, its community, and the endless creativity that happens every day on the QuiltInk Wall.

Before we get started, let’s take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come — five years of connecting quilters, designers, and patterns in one colorful, collaborative space. Now, it’s time to join the celebration and fill the Wall with your joyful creations for this milestone event!

QUILTINK CORE PALETTE

The QuiltInk Core Challenge palette comes from the four colors of our logo — blue, purple, orange, and red — combined with near-black and near-white tones to create a vibrant, balanced range.

Chosen with Taylor from Toad and Sew for our new identity exactly a year ago, these colors reflect the spirit of QuiltInk: modern, creative, tech-forward, yet full of support, community, and inspiration. Every mock-up using this palette celebrates the heart of our platform — a place where design, color, and quilters come together.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1. Access to www.quiltink.com, sign in or create your free account.

2. Choose a pattern from the main page.

3. Color the pattern using the challenge palette, it’s the first palette in solid palettes list.

4. Share your mock-up on our #quiltinkwall.

5. Boost your chances creating a post or story on Instagram, mentioning @quilt_ink , and tagging #QuiltInkChallengeFeb26. It counts as 2 entries in the giveaway.

PRIZES!
Lifetime access to QuiltInk + new Pattern Editor

$50 voucher to spend at any QuiltInk fabric shop

Selection: On March 1st, we will randomly pick 2 mock-up chosen between all the mock-ups in the Wall made with the QuiltInk Challenge Feb26 palette (the ones with the gift icon).

The more mock-ups you create, the higher your chances of winning! Start coloring now!

Here are some examples of quilt patterns mock-ups using the QuilTInk Core palette in QuiltInk! Don’t you love them all?

Patterns featured are (click to color):

1. Alpine Glow by Jess Rash Quilts

2. Terrace by Kileys Quilt Room

3. Intertwined by Toad and Sew

Remember by clicking on the gift icon in the QuitlInk Wall you will be able to see all the mock-ups for the Challenge alive.

Curious about how to find the palette to participate. Follow these steps and start coloring!!

We can’t wait to see all your mock-ups!

Happy coloring and quilting to you all!

QuiltInk Challenge Dec25 Winner

The December QuiltInk Challenge wrapped up with a dazzling display of creativity, and the QuiltInk Wall was alive with luminous and thoughtful designs. Using Celestial Garden, the inspiring palette by Alexandra Bordallo, quilters shared a wide variety of mock-ups that captured the elegance and depth of this beautiful collection.

A heartfelt congratulations to Aurora, the randomly selected winner of the December Challenge! Her participation stood out among an incredible 175 entries, showcasing the versatility and charm of the Celestial Garden palette across many quilt patterns. She will receive a 12 Fat Quarter bundle from the Celestial Garden collection by Alexandra Bordallo — a perfect prize to spark her next quilt creation.

This challenge invited quilters to explore color, contrast, and harmony while experimenting with serene tones and celestial-inspired combinations — a true reflection of the beauty and sophistication of Alexandra’s designs.

Thank you to everyone who joined in and shared their mock-ups on the QuiltInk Wall. Every design helps strengthen our quilting community and supports designers like Alexandra in continuing to inspire makers everywhere. Be sure to check out the December Challenge gallery — there’s so much creative inspiration waiting for you!

Check out the November’s challenge because it’s really fun and you won’t want to miss it!

QuiltInk Challenge Jan26

A new year begins, and with it comes a fresh QuiltInk Challenge to spark creativity and color exploration. For the January QuiltInk Challenge, we’re excited to feature Celestial Garden, the newest fabric collection by Alexandra Bordallo for Andover Fabrics — a release that invites quilters to start the year inspired and curious.

This challenge is an invitation to explore the QuiltInk Wall, experiment with a new palette, and create mock-ups that reflect your own creative voice. Every entry helps keep designers visible, supported, and encouraged to continue sharing their work with the quilting community.

Before we begin, let’s celebrate the close of the December Challenge. Congratulations to chirosc, the winner of our Canyon Challenge in collaboration with Tara Faughnan! With 254 mock-ups shared on the QuiltInk Wall, December was a wonderful example of how active and engaged this community continues to be.

Now, it’s time to turn the page and welcome January’s challenge.

MEET CELESTIAL GARDEN

Celestial Garden is a whimsical and imaginative fabric collection. This printed quilting cotton range blends elements of nature with celestial themes, bringing together motifs like dreamy florals, moonlit details, and constellation-inspired accents that feel both magical and grounded. The palette combines soft pastels with rich jewel tones, offering quilters a versatile set of fabrics perfect for projects that evoke wonder, serenity, and creative expression. Celestial Garden delivers an enchanting visual story that fuels your creative journey.

MEET ALEXANDRA BORDALLO

Meet Alexandra Bordallo, the talented designer behind the Flourish palette for this month’s QuiltInk Challenge!

Hailing from Vic, near Barcelona, Alexandra is a passionate quilter, fabric designer for Andover Fabrics, and quilt pattern creator. Her quilting journey began with inspiration from her grandmother and grew through sewing blogs, magazines, and tutorials. Today, she blends traditional elements with a modern twist, often incorporating flying geese and geometric designs into her work.

For Alexandra, color is the heart of every quilt, and her love for greens, purples, and yellows—drawn from sunsets and summer meadows—shines through in her fabric collections. When she’s not designing, she’s connecting with the quilting community through her website and social media, sharing her creative process and upcoming projects.

We’re thrilled to have Alexandra as part of this challenge, bringing her nature-inspired Flourish collection to QuiltInk!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1. Access to www.quiltink.com, sign in or create your free account.

2. Choose a pattern from the main page.

3. Color the pattern using the challenge palette, it’s the first palette in solid palettes list.

4. Share your mock-up on our #quiltinkwall.

5. Boost your chances creating a post or story on Instagram, mentioning @quilt_ink , @alexandrabordallo , and tagging #QuiltInkChallengeJan26. It counts as 2 entries in the giveaway.

PRIZE!
A 12 Fat Quarter bundle from the Celestial Garden fabric collection by Alexandra Bordallo

Selection: On February 1st, we will randomly pick 2 mock-up chosen between all the mock-ups in the Wall made with the QuiltInk Challenge Jan26 palette (the ones with the gift icon).

The more mock-ups you create, the higher your chances of winning! Start coloring now!

Here are some examples of quilt patterns mock-ups using the FLourish palette in QuiltInk! Don’t you love them all?

Patterns featured are (click to color):
1. Mosaïque by Namaju Quilt Studio

2. Afterglow 2.0 by Sewspicious

3. Libs Elliott – Rebel

Remember by clicking on the gift icon in the QuitlInk Wall you will be able to see all the mock-ups for the Challenge alive.

Curious about how to find the palette to participate. Follow these steps and start coloring!!

Here you can see a detailed list of the fabrics in the Celestial Garden palette with their names.

We can’t wait to see all your mock-ups!

Happy coloring and quilting to you all!

QuiltInk Challenge Nov25 Winner

The December QuiltInk Challenge wrapped up with an incredible wave of color exploration, and the QuiltInk Wall truly reflected the spirit of the season. Using Canyon, the rich and expressive palette featured in collaboration with Tara Faughnan, quilters created 254 mock-ups filled with warmth, contrast, and thoughtful color play.

A heartfelt congratulations to chirosc, the randomly selected winner of the December Challenge! Her participation stood out among a vibrant collection of entries that showcased how versatile and inspiring the Canyon palette can be across a wide range of quilt patterns.

This challenge was all about celebrating color confidence and creative curiosity. Canyon invited quilters to move beyond expected holiday combinations and experiment with layered tones, earthy depth, and luminous accents — a perfect reflection of Tara Faughnan’s approach to color and design.

Thank you to everyone who took part this month. Every mock-up shared on the QuiltInk Wall helps strengthen our community and supports designers and educators like Tara in continuing to inspire quilters around the world. If you haven’t yet explored the December Challenge gallery, it’s well worth a visit — the ideas and color combinations are truly inspiring.

Check out the November’s challenge because it’s really fun and you won’t want to miss it!