I'd rather be quilting... and the concept of Value

You may remember my entry about quilting back in August 2009 http://aclearerday.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

My friend and instructor thought out loud that journaling about this quilting journey and process might be fun and certainly funny a year from now. So hear goes:

As I've mentioned my friend has tried for over twenty years to get me to quilt. So last year I started and when she and the videos and the books started talking about color value and intensity and shading ...well let's just say my first quilt was black and white! (we'll go into how that wasn't the true escape I'd thought it'd be another day)

So I am starting another piecing project - that's when you design and trace and cut the small pieces that you sew together to make the top (what I use to call the "quilt" - see I'm learning) Actually I use to call "piecing" quilting, but quilting is the small intricate designs you sew onto the top - okay yes I digress.
Back to value - so this new project I am pushing myself toward color. I had some various greens and found a lovely gold fabric for the background and I thought I was set. But what do I learn? that although each fabric was different in color and size of print the Values were too similar - meaning they were all dark and in the same color category (I think that's what it means) . So yesterday my friend pushes me to go to the local quilt shop and talk with the women there.

Well! they were nice but the colors they selected were so different. I mean I know they are experts and they knew exactly what my friend was talking about... but seriously the colors they selected were so pale! They were mostly white backgrounds and believe you me I don't think they "go" at all!

I told my friend this morning and she's laughing at me probably even now. She says to include them and see what happens. okaaay. she says send her a picture of the fabrics so she can see. okaay. and even though I began to see what they each were talking about as they selected fabric and I selected fabric... I'm still contemplating making a name for myself as the black and white quilting queen.! :-/