Silver and Pink

 

I've known for some time that I wanted the Silver (Gray) and Pink quilt to be a Trip Around the World with rectangles. I knew I'd have to work it out in my sketchbook to get the right size for the quilt I want to make so the colors would fit. This rough diagram tells me that I need 8 fabrics.

So eight fabrics I did cut. I just cut a few. I need to work it out on the design wall before I know for sure and anybody who tells you they can work it out in their head and know exactly what it's going to look like is just plain lying. Most of us know kinda sorta what it might look like, but not exactly.

So I put the pieces up on the design wall and was decidedly underwhelmed. I  have to stress that this is in the very beginning stages. No decision here is final. I chose these fabrics because there were good changes from light to dark in each.

What I knew immediately was the dark gray took over and I didn't like it. And the whole thing was just blah, and we all know I don't make blah quilts. It was getting late, and I was tired, so I just left it there and went to bed. 

Now I have to go back and tell you a story. Way back in 2013 when I was making the Too Much Chicken quilt, I was getting bogged down in the design stage. Julie been there when I got the initial inspiration for the quilt and she reminded me that what really hit me at that moment was the words I was hearing. The SPIRIT of her very useful comment was that I had to remember exactly WHAT had inspired me to make the quilt. Same idea here. What inspired me to make this quilt was my hairdresser's comment about liking the way my silver hair went with my pink glasses. (Look at my profile photo up on the right,)

The comment was SILVER and not gray! So I knew the vibe of the original layout was all wrong. My hair is SILVER and not dark gray. I hated the dark gray fabric. I pulled those blocks of the design wall and already I like it so much better. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do next, but I do have some things I want to play with.

I met Mary Ellen Hopkins at the big Quilt Festival and Quilt Market in Houston I think back in 2003. She said something I never forgot, and it's great advice. "You need darks in your lights, and lights in your darks."