I too love black. I once had a friend who told me I could not buy another black dress. But I did. So far I have not used black in a quilt, but am getting ready to make one using blacks, grays and a dash of red for a kick. I never do pastels, but my challenge colors for 2011 are: melon, sky blue, and tickle me pink -- this will be a true challenge for me since I prefer jewel and earth tones. But we will see what develops.