Monday, October 12, 2009

MUD

Posted by Peg in South Carolina 

One of my favorite books on color is an embroidery book by Richard Box.  It is called Color and Design for Embroidery.

I particularly  like his observation on brown.  Browns, he says,

…are the foils to all the brighter purer colours….  Bright colours may sit on ‘thrones but browns are the ‘powers’ behind them.   (page 40)

Many people tell you that when dyeing you are to avoid “mud.”  Mud?  Why can’t they just say “brown”?  And why avoid brown?  Indeed, why avoid mud?!  My current dyeing has shown some marvelous possibilities for browns, and browns that will relate to the “brighter purer colours” that I will be using.

I plan on using browns in both warp and weft.  My hope is that they do truly serve as foils for the greens (and red-violets) that I will be using.

Related Post:    Where Do Ideas Come From?


Mud“ was written by Margaret Carpenter for Talking about Weaving and was originally posted on October 12, 2009. ©2009 Margaret Carpenter aka Peg in South Carolina.

3 comments:

Delighted Hands said...

My fav colors are brown and green so mud away!

Leigh said...

Gosh Peg, for us (really) "mud" color ought to be orangish red on account of our red clay soil! ;)

I have to admit that brown isn't one of my favorite colors. Of course, there are lots of different browns and I like some better than others. Then too, it depends on what colors are used with them. I'll be interested in how yours works out.

Peg in South Carolina said...

And so I shall, Delighted Hands!
That was the color of our soil in Georgia. Here in eastern SC it is very sandy. At least there's good drainage!
I will be interested, as well, in how this works out (grin!)