What happens when you stop playing it safe with color?
That's the question behind this month's QuiltInk Challenge. For October, we're collaborating with Maureen Garner of Maureen Garner Quilts, a quilt artist, pattern designer and instructor known for her love of bold color, modern design and improvisational piecing.
If you've seen her latest release, Chromatic Pulse, you already know how far she likes to push color. It's a modern quilt pattern where color does all the talking. The shapes stay the same, but change the values, change the way one color sits next to another, and the whole quilt becomes something completely different. It's one of those patterns you can't stop recoloring in your head.
Now Maureen invites all of us to do the same. Her palette, Color Lab, brings together 16 Bella Solids by Moda: bright colors and dull ones, warm and cool tones, neutrals, and a wide range of values. It's not about finding the perfect match. It's a starting point to experiment, to try combinations you would never pick on your own, and to get a little crazy with color.
And the experiment doesn't have to end in October. In January 2027, Maureen will be teaching the Color Lab Workshop, and this month's winner will get a free spot in it, along with her Chromatic Pulse PDF pattern. A chance to keep exploring color with Maureen herself guiding the way.
There's no better place to start than QuiltInk, where no fabric gets cut and every wild idea is just a mock-up away.
Before we open the lab, a big congratulations to our September winner, clrgygrl! Their mock-up of Windmill Quilt by Thai Charm LLC was randomly selected, earning both prizes: a copy of The Patchwork Companion by Sandy Saengsuk and an Autumn Folk Fat Quarter Bundle sponsored by Art Gallery Fabrics.
Ready to step out of your comfort zone? Let's start experimenting.
COLOR LAB PALETTE
The palette brings together 16 Bella Solids by Moda: Baby Yellow, Citrine, Cheddar, Geranium, Fuchsia, Passion fruit, Lapis, Ocean, Bermuda, Composed, Shamrock, Dill, Avocado, Chartreuse, Weathered Teak and Linen. It includes bright colors, dull colors, warm & cool colors, neutrals, and a variety of values.
Maureen's goal with this palette is to create a starting point for someone to experiment with color. She wants people to think outside of the box and their comfort zone and get a little crazy exploring color.
SEE THE PALETTE IN ACTION
Not sure where to start? In this short video we walk you through the whole process, from choosing a quilt pattern to finding the Color Lab palette, coloring your design and sharing your mock-up on the QuiltInk Wall.
Watch how a single pattern changes as the colors go in, and notice how much a bright color next to a dull one, or a light value next to a dark one, can transform the whole quilt. That's exactly the kind of experimenting this palette is made for.
NEED SOME INSPIRATION?
Here are three quilt mock-ups colored with the Color Lab palette, each one taking a completely different approach. Click on any pattern name to start coloring your own version.
Irish Blossoms by Maureen Garner Quilts
Maureen's own pattern turns the palette into a garden. A deep Lapis background and a Chartreuse lattice hold everything together, while every blossom gets its own color pairing. It's a beautiful example of how many colors can live in one quilt when there's a strong base underneath.
Hyalite Star by Plains and Pine
This one goes the other way: just a few colors from the palette. Cheddar, Citrine, Geranium and Baby Yellow make the star glow, Avocado adds depth at the center, and Weathered Teak proves that a dull neutral can be the best friend of bright colors.
Orbit by Quiltbound
Four colors repeated block after block, Baby Yellow, Chartreuse, Lapis and Cheddar, all floating on a bold Fuchsia background. A color you might never choose for a background, and it works.
You don't need to use all 16 colors, or the "right" ones. Pick a pattern, try something unexpected and see what happens.
And don't forget: on the QuiltInk Wall you can filter the mock-ups by Current Challenge to see every Color Lab mock-up shared so far.
MEET MAUREEN
Maureen Garner is a quilt artist, pattern designer, and instructor based in Locust Grove, Georgia. She has a lifelong love of making, but her finished projects didn't always match her vision. Several years ago, she discovered that understanding color, and how colors influence one another, was the missing piece. She began studying color, taking every class she could find. Today, Maureen is known for her love of bold color, modern design, and improvisational piecing. She helps quilters build confidence, explore new techniques, and discover their own creative style.
PRIZES
This month, one winner will receive three prizes:
- The Chromatic Pulse PDF pattern by Maureen Garner Quilts, the pattern where color does all the talking.
2. A free registration to the online Color Lab Workshop with Maureen in January 2027, to keep exploring color together with her.
3. A QuiltInk Supporter subscription, with full access to QuiltInk to keep coloring and experimenting all year long.
Selection: On November 1st, we will randomly pick 1 mock-up from all the mock-ups shared on the Wall using the Color Lab palette. The more mock-ups you create, the higher your chances of winning.
This giveaway is open internationally. You must be at least 18 years old.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- Go to www.quiltink.com and sign in or create your free account.
- Choose a quilt pattern from the main page.
- Color it using the Color Lab palette. You'll find it as the first palette in the Solid Palettes list.
- Share your mock-up on the QuiltInk Wall.
- Share it on Instagram for 3x more chances: create a post or story mentioning @quilt_ink and @maureen.garner.quilts, and use #QuiltInkChallengeOct26.
So go ahead and pick a pattern you love, then color it in a way you've never tried before. Bright next to dull, warm next to cool, a background you would never dare to sew. That's what the lab is for.
We can't wait to see your experiments on the Wall!
Start coloring now
Happy coloring and quilting!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the October 2026 QuiltInk Challenge?
It is a free monthly quilt coloring challenge on QuiltInk. You color any quilt pattern on the platform using the month's palette, share your mock-up on the QuiltInk Wall, and enter to win a prize.What is the Color Lab palette?
Color Lab is a selection of 16 Bella Solids by Moda curated by Maureen Garner of Maureen Garner Quilts. It combines bright and dull colors, warm and cool tones, neutrals and a wide range of values, designed as a starting point to experiment with color.Do I need to pay to take part?
No. A free QuiltInk account is all you need to color quilt patterns and join the challenge.
Where do I find the Color Lab palette on QuiltInk?
Open any quilt pattern, go to the palette selector, and choose the October Challenge palette, Color Lab.
Can I enter more than once?
Yes. Every mock-up you share on the Wall counts as an entry, so the more color versions you create, the better your chances. Sharing your mock-up on Instagram gives you 3x more chances.
When are the winners announced?
On November 1st, 2026. One mock-up will be randomly selected from all the entries shared during October using the Color Lab palette.
What can I win?
One winner will receive three prizes: the Chromatic Pulse PDF pattern, a free registration to Maureen Garner's online Color Lab Workshop in January 2027, and a 1-year QuiltInk Supporter subscription.