Gray is often a color that gets a bad reputation. Gray skies are seen as depressing or signaling an impending storm. When someone is referred to as “gray”, they mean they are old or infirm. But gray can be a truly beautiful color. A neutral color, it can be mixed with just about anything to mute and subdue the overall palette. Alone, it can take on the color of silver and coolness. When quilting a top that is a riot of color, it’s a great thread color that will blend with everything and not stand out. Our longarm machine renters help to show us there is a real beauty in gray.

Simple but Effective

This is just a throw quilt that Peggy wanted for herself. It is a wholecloth of gray strips that she just quilted with wavy lines. It is very simple, but effective. The gray in this is so pale as to give it a silvery effect. It will have the wonderful ability to match just about anything it is next to. This throw is going to look great with lots of decor.

Gray and Blue

Valerie made this beautiful gray, pale turquoise, and navy quilt. I like the bold shapes and solid fabrics. She chose to quilt it with a paper pantograph called Turbulence. It’s a great design that adds some circular texture onto the quilt top. But doesn’t that gray look amazing with the light and dark extremes of blue?

Gray with a Pop of Red

I am going to ask Laura to forgive me with this one. I didn’t write down who she made this for. It might be for herself. I really like the red cornerstones in the sashing. It gives that great pop of color that gray can’t do on it’s own. This could have been a very dark quilt because of the black focal floral print in the border. However, the lighter grays brighten it very nicely. Because this is a bedspread, she made a couple of extra blocks and made pillow shams as well. She is going to have a very well dressed bedroom with this beauty in gray. She quilted it all with A Little Bit This, a paper pantograph with large leaves and swirls.

Gray, Pink and Yellow

Courtney made this gray beauty. It is a variation of the slanted star pattern. The grays really compliment the yellows and pinks giving us a light but slightly muted effect. Though she clearly made this with coordinated fabrics, I really like the scrappy feel. She quilted this with a paper pantograph called Mandarin Lace. This design, as the name would imply, gives a lacy texture with a very even texture that is very pretty.

I hope you can see that gray is a beautiful color. It is adaptive and can be both warm and cool. It can temper bright bold colors and lighten dark ones. So as each of us age and the gray hairs on our head multiply, remember that there is beauty in gray. The next time you make a quilt with gray, share it with us. Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram. We love seeing what you've been working on.