Bramble Blooms (Beginning Late and Out of Order)

I'm often slow to make decisions.  I weigh the pros and cons, consider how much time an activity will take, whether now is a good time, what the results may be, may likely be, will probably be, etc.  Sometimes an opportunity has passed before I make a decision and I tell myself I probably wasn't supposed to do it. 

All that to explain why I'm just now making the commitment to create and stitch Bramble Blooms along with Audrey (of Quilty Folk) and about two dozen other quilters.    
Instead of choosing fabrics first, I'm beginning by choosing a flower pattern for the center.  I've been drawing/doodling flowers for years.  An idea will come and I make a rough drawing.  When the second Bramble Blooms post published, I thought, Oh, what a great way to maybe use one of those flower doodles I've made.  Above are five possibilities.  None of these have leaves yet but two have thorns.  (Whenever I think of brambles I always think of trailing vines with thorns.)  And that upper right one....  It reminds me of a baby bonnet, so perhaps not that one.  I like the flowers Audrey created for the center of this quilt, all one fabric with the addition of a small piece at the bottom, because it would be simple to applique, but maybe better to make my own.  So many considerations....

Tomorrow I will sort fabric, considering these possible color combinations:

• naturals, blues, corals, and yellows (plus greens and browns?)
  
• bronzes/olives (a cross between brown and green but I don't know the color's name), oranges/reds, blues, and naturals
• naturals, greens, pinks/reds, and browns
• greys, blues, corals/reds, lights/mediums
• blues, greens, greys, corals or reds
• or . . . .
  

I need a little uninterrupted time to pull out fabrics and consider colors.  Not something to do with my daughter here when I want to spend time with her.  So tomorrow I'll play.  And make a decision in the next few days. 

Audrey's first two posts for this quiltalong are fabulous--detailed and in-depth.  I love how she shares her thinking and decision-making process.  What a lot of time to plan, prepare, type, and publish those posts.  And it's great to have a guide for improv quilting, someone who's been doing it for a while.  Thanks so much, Audrey! 

I've enjoyed Audrey's quilts for years.  Each is a bright spot with some new block, color combination, or applique arrangement.  Her quilts always make me wonder what she will come up with next.  The subtitle of her blog is "where whimsy meets tradition."  That's Audrey and her quilts.

(If Audrey's not okay with my joining in late, I'll probably unpublish this post and tell myself I wasn't supposed to participate anyway.)  

--Nancy.