For this challenge, I resolved to use only fabrics from my
modest gray stash.
Suits is the result.
As a corporate and regulatory lawyer in the big smoke, I became accustomed to being surrounded by men in gray suits and women in little black dresses. Now, when I return to the city, I am struck by the waves of pedestrians in subdued attire, a stark contrast to the more casual vibe where I live at Copacabana where even the pharmacist has been spotted in board shorts.
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Suits by Brenda Gael Smith |
Up until yesterday,
Suits was the only piece I made for this challenge. However, I am convinced that gray works best with other hues as highlights. Even before Diane shared her
gray and red mola, I had prepared some red and gray pohutukawa flower monoprints to create
Tangi, a companion piece to
Kia Kaha which I have donated to the
SAQA Benefit Auction.
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Tangi by Brenda Gael Smith |
By way of background, the
pohutukawa tree is native to New Zealand and is reknown for its resilience in harsh coastal condition and its beauty. In the summer, pohutukawas produce a mass of
vibrant crimson flowers before the stamens fall off and moulder in the rockpools below. In Maori, the indigenous language of New Zealand,
tangi is a verb (to cry, mourn, weep, weep over) and a noun ( sound, pitch, intonation, mourning, grief, sorrow, weeping, lament, salute, wave). In 2010/2011, the pohutukawa season was bookended by two events causing national grief - the
Pike River mine disaster in which 29 men lost their lives and the
February earthquake in Christchurch which killed 181 people.
I'm inclined to nominate
Suits as my official contribution but wanted to share both pieces with you all. Here's how they each look with my
Colourplay quilts so far. I'm looking forward to seeing the other contributions to our gray colourplay collection.