Saturday, January 5, 2013

getting the grey right

Sometimes one quilt just leads to the next one. Sewing together my quilt trees, I kept wondering what would happen if.... Can I make another one in greys? Maple trees catching the sun, glowing against a dark almost ominous sky. Hmm. That could be interesting.



The grey sky almost pieces itself or that is how it feels. Sure I had to dig for some fabrics. Decide how many warm colors to include. How dark to make it. What other colors to add? Adding that wonderful dark mauve that is almost a grey. Hints of blue.

But now the landscape that will anchor the sky. I want a bit of light. Just that promise of gold lingering and reflecting off the maples. I pin up fabrics to get an estimate of the color that works.




OK--there is something haunting here. How to echo it in the piecing? I start--cut some fabric, start sewing. Sometimes the only way forward is forward.



 Well that didn't work--I don't want the ground to clash with the sky. No need to finish it. Let me try again.



Closer isn't it? But still a bit too bright. I can do better. The ground should be sultry. Complex but not competing with the sky and the maples. Let me see how this works.



Yes, that is great. Colors that will tell a story and still fit in with the gold of the maples. Enough grey to echo the sky but not clash.

Don't you love it when you can't wait to finish a quilt? Do you ever wish you could just sew more quickly? So hard to be patient when my mind is spinning with more colors, more quilts. Does this ever happen to you?





4 comments:

  1. Ann your work is amazing!
    I have so many ideas in my head at the moment and nowhere enough time to get them all started. Sew faster! Love it! I wish - I always sew at full speed! When I get my industrial machine out of storage I will be able to sew faster!
    Loved your story in the Quilting Arts Magazine. One of my quilts is featured on page 4 of the same issue, in the Symplicity ad. It is very exciting to see ones work published.

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    1. thanks Jenny. What a nice quilt you had published. I agree that it is fun to see one's work in print.

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  2. I really love where this piece is going - I like the mystery behind it! I would like to invite to link up to Off the Wall Fridays which is still open till tonight - we find the connection very encouraging!

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  3. Thanks Nina. I found the comment too late.

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