Clarendon Quilt Pattern: The Mocha Mousse One

Quilting with Pantone’s 2025 Color: My Mocha Mousse + Pink Clarendon Quilt

Each year, I wait with anticipation for Pantone to announce their color of the year! The Pantone Color of the Year announcement is like a creative prompt from the universe, an invitation to try something new, to stretch beyond my usual color comfort zone, and to see what unexpected beauty can unfold when you follow a spark.

This year, the color was Mocha Mousse—a cozy, earthy brown. And if I’m being totally honest with you, my first reaction? Yikes. A brown?? That felt like a curveball. I’m not exactly a “brown is my jam” kind of quilter. But hey, I’m always up for a challenge—and this annual quilt tradition is something I’ve come to truly love. So I embraced it….with a side of pink.

Why Mocha + Pink?

When I started playing around with fabric options, I quickly zeroed in on Kona Suede as the best match to Pantone’s Mocha Mousse. It’s a lovely, medium brown with pink undertones—and that subtle warmth became the anchor for the whole quilt. From there, I pulled together eight shades of pinks and eight shades of browns to keep things interesting without straying too far from the two-color theme.

I didn’t want stark contrast; I wanted a soft mood, like a quilt you could sink into with a book and your favorite café latte. And pink just felt like the natural pairing. Romantic without being precious. Earthy without feeling heavy.

Choosing the Clarendon Quilt

If you’ve followed me for a while, you might recognize the Clarendon Quilt—it’s one of my favorite improv-inspired patterns. I hadn’t made one in a while, and it felt like the perfect playground for this limited palette. The throw size calls for 16 different fabrics, which gave me plenty of room to experiment with tone and depth while keeping it cohesive.

Clarendon is one of those patterns that looks more complex than it is. It’s made up of big blocks, simple piecing, and has this lovely rhythm that makes sewing it feel kind of meditative. The Clarendon is a great pattern for when you’re looking for a fast finish with high impact.

Quilting in a Limited Palette

Working with just two colors may sound restrictive, but I actually found it really freeing. There’s something creatively energizing about setting limits; it helps you make decisions faster and tune into subtle shifts in tone and texture that you might otherwise overlook.

And even within the brown-and-pink scheme, having eight variations of each gave me a lot to play with. The final quilt still feels rich and layered, not flat or repetitive.

That said, I did have a moment of doubt with one of my fabric choices. Once all of the fabrics arrived, there was one shade that just felt off. I debated swapping it out, but in the spirit of curiosity, I decided to leave it in. Want to guess which one it is? Watch my YouTube video and take a peek—I’d love to hear what you think!

Quilting Details

For the quilting, I handed this one off to be longarmed with a curvy panto that was something new-to-me and just the right touch to offset all the sharp lines and geometric shapes in the Clarendon design. It softened everything in the best way.

For the backing I picked out a sweet pink print I’ve been saving for the right project (I’m sure you have plenty of those in your stash too!).  And the binding is Kona Suede—the brown that kicked this whole thing off.

Want to Make Your Own?

If you’ve been on the fence about Mocha Mousse or working with browns, I get that. But here’s my encouragement: try it anyway. Give yourself a prompt, a palette, a boundary—and see what happens.

I’d love to see more quilters make their own Pantone-inspired quilt. What would you pair with Mocha Mousse? 

This project reminded me that beauty can come from unexpected places, and that sometimes the best way to shake a creative rut is to say yes to something that makes you pause.

Thanks for joining me on this color adventure. I hope it inspires you to try something new, whether that’s a fresh palette, a different pattern, or just giving yourself permission to experiment.

Be sure to check out my YouTube video for a closer look at the process, the fabric pulls, and some behind-the-scenes peeks!

Until next time, keep quilting with curiosity—and know I’m here cheering you on every step of the way.