Color of the Year Archives - American Quilt Retailer

Posted on December 12, 2018 by AQR Piece by Piece

Pantone Color of the Year

If you haven’t already heard the news, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2019 is Living Coral.

Pantone has released the Color of the Year every December for the past 20 years. The color is supposed to reflect both trends in design and in our culture.

Living Coral is a shade of orange with gold undertones, and is supposed to be reminiscent of the coral reef. The coral reef acts as a water filtration system and gives shelter to a vast range of sea life.

Pantone said paying attention to the environment and our roles in it has become even more prevalent in today’s society. Living Coral evokes energy, something the environment needs as it’s natural resources continue to be depleted.

According to Pantone, Living Coral creates an “innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits” and “authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy.”

This is Pantone’s way of saying our culture needs to spend more time unplugged and start living in the moment. Living Coral is supposed to evoke a sense of togetherness that technology lacks and can even take away from our lives.

Living Coral has already made it’s debut on the runway and in make up pallets, and you can expect social media influencers to start using the color more too. Living Coral can already be found on beach themed attire and spring pastels.

The pink-orange hue follows last year’s Color of the Year Ultra Violet, a color that many thought honored the late musician Prince and was a nod to politicians working together.

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Posted on March 7, 2018January 10, 2019 by AQR Piece by Piece

Shannon Fabrics Color of the Year

Earlier this year, Shannon Fabrics announced Bluebell as their color of the year. The color of the year is chosen following design trends, and is a time every creative looks forward to.

Bluebell is known for evoking tranquil feelings and a sense of reassurance. In the age of the social this color seemed the right fit for what 2018 should be; a reminder to stop and smell the roses somewhere in our busy and ever-moving lives.

Bluebell has warm violet undertones and matches well with denim blues, navy, and dusty blue when used as the main focus. Bluebell also matches well with cooler purples (think along the lines of lavender), and neutrals like sand, beige, steel, and graphite.

Shannon Fabrics features the color in many of their patterns and has received positive feedback from choosing the relaxing hue.

This compares to Pantone’s color of the year, Ultraviolet. Ultraviolet, a much deeper purple than Bluebell, is a color of vision, promoting originality that points to the future.

Unlike Bluebell, Ultraviolet features better as an accent. Search for colors to soften it, like purples, pinks, and blues. A vase of these shades of flowers look all the more lovely next to the powerful and emotion-evoking deep purple. If looking to use Ultraviolet, embrace a darker, more moody theme.

As we enter the second quarter of the year, try to look for opportunities to include the colors of the year into your products for a reminder to stay calm, cool, and collected while keeping your eyes on the prize.