solids.

I could open with a welcome post or something introductory. But that doesn't sound very Audrey. If you're here, I welcome you, and if you don't already know me, there are only a few things you really need to know. I started this blog because my quilting obsession was devouring my other blog. I love the color pink. (Surprising given this blog's title, I know.) I started quilting in the fall of 2011, so this is still a fairly new hobby for me, though I've been crafting since I was a kid. My two-year-old son is my handsome assistant, and he is soon to be joined by a baby brother, which will inevitably slow down my quilting. (My kids' names are not really Banzo and Lito.) I use a lot of parentheses. Finally, I do all of my quilting on a 1952 Singer that I've named Agatha. She's lovely.

Phew! Now that the housecleaning is done, let's move on to something more fun! Solids!

When it comes to fabric, I love prints, especially large scale ones. In fact, I might, maybe, perhaps have a problem with using too many of them in pieces. I've been laying out more and more projects in photoshop to see how they will look, and believe it or not, I usually start with way too many prints and pare it down until I stumble upon something I like. Or, in the case of my current quilt, affectionately called either quilt #3 OR Polka Dot Attack Pinwheel!, I throw caution to the wind and choose to over-stimulate the viewer into a near comatose state. (Since I am keeping this quilt, I feel no guilt. No one need wrap themselves in its comfort, save me.)

Even just a few weeks ago, I never ever ever thought I'd make a quilt entirely out of solids. Ever. It seemed anti-me. Even when I tried to convince myself that I should do it as a challenge, I couldn't bring myself to consider the idea. It seemed like crazy talk! Then, I read City Quilts by Cherri House. While some of her work does feature patterned fabrics, quite a bit of her work is heavily if not entirely based on solid colors. And when I turned the page to her quilt City Aviation (picture at the bottom of the linked article) I freaked out. That quilt is super fierce. And. It's entirely composed of browns and tans. Solids. Browns. And tans. Not even neon! I heart this quilt so much, and I never would have believed that something so awesome could come from neutrals.

It was time to embrace a possible, from a distance, admiration of solids. And as if to confirm this idea, The Modern Quilt Guild website featured a week of solids, starting with this quilt. Once again, LOVE. The complexity of the blocks and the formula of the design make it visually interesting, and I do love the color combinations. But the blocks in City Aviation aren't necessarily that crazy. Flying Geese, Four Blocks, Pinwheels, even SOLID SQUARES. It's the layout and color and texture (not to mention the amazing quilting) that sets it apart.

I also love this neon solid quilt (picture at the bottom again) at bijou lovely, but I don't think I would love it in tans and browns. Just saying. The neon...it does something to me.

It makes me wonder: am I using patterned fabrics as a crutch? As a relatively new quilter, I can understand using them to make my more-traditional-in-style quilts more dynamic, but I certainly don't want to rely on them as the be-all, end-all. One day, I'd like to make a quilt entirely out of solids that is as interesting as the ones I'm admiring. I've been building patterns at my skill level, but I don't think I've seen enough/sewn enough/been in the quilting world long enough to truly have the creative inspiration for that. However! I have ever intention of getting there.

So yes, I AM planning a solids quilt. Well, the backing fabric may be patterned. Baby steps, people.