Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Shades of Grey

Yesterday, I pieced this grey block by hand.  Piecing by hand gives me great comfort and helps me to start a conversation with my work.



And that conversation has caused me to consider the color grey.  True grey is a pure mixture of black and white, a neutral.  

Until recently, I'd never really given grey much thought.  I just used a bit of it on the last needlebook I made and I liked how it settled the colors and gave a richness to the piece.  Evidently, home decorators have also realized this fact and grey has become a popular color in home design this year.  

I'm beginning to really like grey and I'm excited to see what come next.  


1. Gray feathers, 2. grey colour palette, 3. Pebbles, 4. kitten, 5. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), 6. Great Grey Owl, 7. Grey Day, 8. Grey Wolves, 9. detail of hottie, 10. Grey Hawk, 11. tombstone-grey angel 7, 12. feather patterns

Happy day...and it just happens to be a grey one.  Maybe that's not so bad...

20 comments:

coral-seas said...

I love your grey piccies, including your new header bar. I just happens to be a grey day here, too.

I think no.10 may be a sparrow hawk.

Rachel said...

It's the mixture of shades and textures that brings grey to life, in a way which doesn't work as well for some other colours. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

Lilli said...

I only say WOW!

Anonymous said...

Truly everyone needs some grey in their lives. When I look at your pictures, I see strength and restoration. A sense of peacefulness if you will.

Jillayne said...

Love it already. When I was very young people asked me what my favourite colour was and would give me the oddest looks when I said it was grey. I tried liking other colours better but just couldn't - grey it's always been!
This will be a beautiful piece Susan and I feel as though I can settle in my chair, coffee in hand and watch it unfold....

Heather M. said...

I love grey. I don't wear much of it but it's the colour of my hair! I'm sitting looking out the window at a foggy morning - a lovely grey.

Createology said...

These shades of grey will be the base of a beautiful block. I have always loved grey and prefer the spelling of grey to gray...the "e" giving it a softer tone than the "a" in my opinion. I find it interesting that you hand sewed the pieces together. I love to hand sew and see how tiny my stitches can be compared to a sewing "machine". It is the old fashioned in me having learned from my Grandma. Blissful grey day dear...

Sweetpea said...

I have always ADORED grey, Susan, so I absolutely cannot wait to see where you're going with it. With beads, I found so many subtle variations amongst the category; there were warm ones, almost black ones, greys that looked violet, others that were almost colorless until you put them next to white...

Grey here today, too, after a long stretch of sunny days. A good day for cloth, stitch & beads! Have fun!! ;>]]

p.s. LUV the collage

Lisa Boni said...

These colors will mesh so nicely with your January piece! As always you've done just a pristine job of putting it together! Eagerly looking forward to watching this block progress!

Nana said...

Thanks for a new way of looking at grey.

Nana

Mosaic Magpie said...

Is that the hawk you had a moment with?
Deb

Mary Ann Tate said...

I love your blog header. Very sharp.

I like gray as a colour too...I have a lovely multi gray cat called Smokey:)

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Well, I can only imagine how you will enhance this piece with "reflections". Yes, I think I like grey and used to wear it a lot until denim became my friend. It was my go to color for the working girl suits I wore. Mostly I like it icy or with a pop of color and I love it with a soft pink. Of course, I must not like gray hair much since I invite Miss Clairol to make mine blonde.

Have a great grey day and watch the bright leaves drift on down.
xx, Carol

margaret said...

grey is very in fashion wise here, both my daughter and granddaughter wear it a lot.The only grey I have are the ones in my hair!
You have found a great variety it isn`t until you start looking that you see so many shades of one colour.

WandarArt.Stitch said...

Susan, as always your art inspiration. are beautiful,
warm greetings!

FLOWER FRIEND said...

There are so many shades of grey (in the colour context not the book title context) that it never looks wrong when worn whatever your age. If I remember rightly your pevious post on your vintage ribbon work bag showed how the grey work in it seem to hold all the other colours together. I watch with interest how your new block progresses Susan.

Lorraine said...

Grey days make wonderful stitching days! Lovely inspiration photos and the beginning of what looks to be a lovely block. Appreciate your thoughts and design comments on Gerry's blog Susan - these are always welcome!

Judy S. said...

Hmmm...your post has me thinking. We've had a unusually long respite from grey days here in the PNW and it's due to end tomorrow. Thanks to you I'm kind of looking forward to it!

Marta Brysha said...

Lovely, calming, contemplative grey. I love your grey photo collage. You have set me thinking.........

Balwearie said...

I'm very partial to grey myself so I can't wait to see how this next piece comes together. >**<

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