colors

I remember my children, when they were in kindergarten, learning, and then singing endlessly, a song that included the words "All the colors that we know...live up in the raaainnnboooww"

It is raining a little today and that means that the bright yellow of the forsthia is absolutely dazzling against the new spring greens in the yard.

When I was a child, my best friend and I used to walk "downtown"...about 3 blocks...on Saturdays, clutching our allowance money, to Woolworth's. We always ended up buying paper dolls.  But again and again I found myself lingering by the sewing-materials department, where there was a large display of thread, all arranged by graduated colors. Coates & Clark, I think was the brand of thread.  Is it truly weird that a 10-year-old child was each week tempted to spend her entire (small) allowance on spools of thread, just so she could look at the colors?

I was puttering today in one of the guest rooms of my house, and happened on this pillow:

Several years ago,  I went into a yarn shop and spent my allowance on a batch of crewel yarn in all shades of reds and oranges and pinks; then, using a postcard photo  of a Georgia O'Keeffe painting of a poppy, I created this pillow. It took a long time! But I remember the satsfaction of combining those wonderful colors:

I think I made this at about the time I was writing "Gathering Blue" in which the main character, Kira, is doing the same kind of colorful needlework.

I am rarely in the sewing department of a store these days. (Is there such a department anymore?) But I still linger in towel departments, entranced by the gradations of color.  And if you turn me loose in a hardware store you will never find me by the screwdrivers or insecticides. No: I am always hanging out with the paint chips.

 

Comments

[Melissa]

It sounds to me like you need to spend more time wandering around yarn shops. :-)

[Stephanie Beck]

Beautiful needlework! I'm a knitter and can appreciate the love of yarn and colors.

Today my kindergartener brought one of your books home. I loved your books when I was in school and seeing the book was a wonderful reminder of all the really great children's and YA books I adored.

Thanks for writing some of the books that give me some of my most treasured memories of reading :)
Stephanie Beck

[Sarah Guenther]

I've always coveted, but never purchased, the entire set of Prismacolor markers that artists use. I have no real need for them but I just love them.

[Lois]

Yes! Me too!

[Jennifer]

My mother sewed when I was growing up, and I enjoyed going with her to the fabric stores. Not only were the spools of thread pretty, but so were the spools of ribbon and bolts of fabric.

There was a time where I would purchase small amounts of pretty fabrics and fold them attractively in a basket...just to admire.

[Clay]

It is interesting that you should have used the color red and shades of red... hmmm. My class and I are reading The Giver and entranced by the story you wove, thank you. Spring truly is a time of renewal for color, even here in the Midwest.

[Sharon Mayhew]

Did you do the pillow without a guide? It's lovely! I've done one piece of tapestry. You are right it takes a lot of time, but the end product is worth the effort.

I'm so pleased that I found your blog. I'm an aspiring author, currently a published writer. I've admired your work for a long time. Numbers in the Stars touched my heart. One of my wips is set in WWII.

[Lois]

Yes, just attached a Georgia O'Keeffe postcard with a paper clip to the fabric and kept lookig at it and trying match the colors. Fun. But time-consuming.

[Jill]

I could completely relate to your comment about being "entranced by the gradations of color". I feel the same way. Today I was out shopping with my husband to buy new sheets and I just had to pause to look at the towels. He asked if we needed new towels, too, and I replied that I was just enjoying the colors. I then came home to comment on this post to let you know that I thought of your post while strolling through the linens today. I normally just read and enjoy without commenting but this post struck a chord with me.

[Holly Rabalais]

I'm glad to know I'm not along (and in such good company) in my color attraction! When I was in middle school, I spent my allowance on embroidery thread, which I finally used to make friendship bracelets. More recently, I've been guilty of buying scrapbook papers, not because I intend to do any crafting, but because the colors are just pretty. I'm drawn to reds.