Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Color!

I'm headed out of town (California, to see my mother, daughter, brother & sister-in-law), but didn't want to lose my posting momentum. So here's some fun stuff about color. This is a close-up from a Roy G. Biv heartstrings quilt we made for Project Linus -- a rainbow scrappy quilt. And here's the whole quilt.
My Word A Day chose color words a week ago, and I thought it would be pretty ho-hum. After all, I know my colors, don't I? (Well, now that I've learned vermilion ...) And indeed, Monday and Tuesday were easy color words:
  • ecru
  • russet
But Wednesday?
  • sorrel
I thought it must be green, like the plant, but it's a light reddish-brown color. Thursday was:
  • umber
Also a an earthy reddish-brown, which I knew, but how is it different from sorrel? That I don't know. But the really fun shocker of the week for me came on Friday, with:
  • subfusc
Subfusc? A color??? I know the word only from Dorothy Sayers mysteries (Gaudy Night in particular), where from context I divined* that it was student garb. And indeed it is, but so named because the color is "dark, drab, and gloomy". I wonder what they'll say at the quilt shop if I ask for some subfusc fabric. :-)

*If you've read Gaudy Night, do you get the "divine" pun?

18 comments:

Cathi said...

Wow -- that is fabulous. Love the colours in it and the way you put it together!! Subfusc?? I'd love to see the look on the shop owner's face if you did ask for that!

Clare said...

Have you tried Googling subfusc? Look what I found.

"All undergraduate students of the University of Oxford will be required to wear subfusc (an undergraduate cap and gown) for matriculation, exams and other ..."

Those colours are wonderful. What a lovely 3D quilt.

Have a great time in CA.

Tonya Ricucci said...

subfusc? eh? They so need to post a pic of the color when they give you descriptions... otherwise they do sound the same.

em's scrapbag said...

WOW! I love this fun quilt. Thanks for the lesson on color words. Very interesting.

Twisted Quilts said...

Great quilt, I love the colors. I tend toward brights myself. I love the color words, never heard of subfusc! Have fun on your trip.

Elsie Montgomery said...

I have read Gaudy Night (love Sayers) but you cannot use that word with this quilt! It is so lively!

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

I to had to look up subfusc on Google. I agree it doesn't sound like a colour, more like an adjective; all the pictures show dark clothes and student garb.

Elaine Adair said...

Whew - that's one great colorful string quilt! Lucky recipient!

Elaine Adair said...

Whew - that's one great colorful string quilt! Lucky recipient!

Libby said...

Such a happy quilt! Thanks for sharing your made up color word, too. Ha ha, just kidding...I believe you.

Nines said...

So warm and cheery! Have a safe trip. Loved the color play with words.

Readersraisinghell said...

Subfusc, huh? Methinks that's what the world looks like BEFORE cataract surgery (although you get used to it! It's only AFTERWARDS that you can see the difference and appreciate how vibrant color really is!)... I lived in a subfusc world, and now....!!!

jacquie said...

lovely!! now that's a quilt worthy of project linus!! i'm loving your color words.

AnnieO said...

My mother is an artist (painter) and I told her she had her colored pencils in jars by ROY G BIV and she had no idea what I was talking about! I guess it is a science term after all :) That is a really pretty example of ol' Roy. Sorrel I knew as horses are that color, but subfusc doesn't sound like an actual color either! I picture a very dark, muddy brown/green, like Mississippi mud.

Rosalyn Manesse said...

Great and color coded too

sewkalico said...

That is a stunning quilt!!! Interesting words too!

Millie said...

Wow...I love you string quilt. I like how you made the blocks in different colors, very nice!

Kathy Raker said...

Love the string quilt colors and the layout. Different than most string quilts in a good way. Looks like a rainbow.

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