I can't decide whether I'm working on Bramble Blooms or playing to make Bramble Blooms. Either way, I feel like I'm way in over my head, far out of my comfort zone, maybe even almost drowning. Choose fabric before knowing the quilt pattern?! It feels like driving with a bandana over my eyes.
I chose fabric. Too much, you say? Maybe. Probably. But,
I wanted to cover all the bases and have plenty of options, considering that this will be
fabric for three quilts. In fact, maybe there will be another fabric on
my shelves that will work better, sometime in the future of making
three quilts.... I haven't divided these fabrics into three groups yet.
I realized I don't have many mid-range colors. Most are either dark or light, but not really bright. But I'm using what I have and not buying more. I'll have to figure out a way to make-do.
And now, playing with flowers and possible flower arrangements. (Thinking of a background about 18" x 26".)
Flower construction could be a challenge. Will the petals look individual? I like them that way in the drawing but in the end, will it make any difference? Maybe I should cut the flower as a whole and call it done. I really like the detail that holds the petals together at the base of the flower but I think it will be a challenge to cut and sew.... And is a vase a good idea or not? Maybe I should simplify.
Two inspiration photos:
This is on one of those almost-fabric, plastic-coated shopping bags from a nearby grocery store. I like the arrangement of flowers. I don't think I'll switch to poppies but maybe having more than three flowers standing together without a vase and having some kind of seedpods or blooms could be interesting. Before I saw this bag I had already made a new-bud-like version of a smaller flower with just three petals. Hmmm.
I love
Tricia Guild's Painted Country for its bright colors and uncommon color combinations. Kaffe Fassett's colors are bright and beautiful, and Audrey's color combinations are often surprising and delightful, too. Part of me wonders if I should be braver with color for this quiltalong, but the other (sensible) part of me tells me that I'm already out of my comfort zone and adding two discomforts might just be too overwhelming. (It's so easy for me to talk myself out of things.)
These are possible/probable fabrics for the background--even these are a little darker, more creamy that I would normally use--and three reds-leaning-to-oranges for the flowers.
Honestly, I thought about marine blue flowers with green stems and leaves and a red or yellow or orange oval at the base of the flower. I thought about a light blue background with red or yellow or blue flowers. Or a gold background.... Those feel too risky for me right now. Maybe on the next Bramble Blooms I'll try something a little more out of my comfort zone.
This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about my Bramble Blooms progress. If you've read this far, you have great stamina and fortitude. Thanks so much for reading! If you have thoughts, observations, or ideas, maybe something I haven't thought about or didn't notice, I'd love to read them. Your comment should come to my email and I'll respond via email and here on the blog.
At Audrey's blog,
Quilty Folk, there is a sidebar with a link to all the participants in the Bramble Blooms quiltalong. You may like to visit some of them. Thank you, Audrey, for your generosity in creating this quiltalong. I can tell it's going to be a fun, interesting, and challenging ride!
I'm linking this post to
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Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts
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Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
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Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict Thanks so much for hosting, ladies.
--Nancy.
