Bramble Blossoms Center Finish

This is supposed to represent hollyhocks.  I had a couple of great designs but everything was so complicated.  So, I gradually tried to simplify it and this what came together.

 It's not quite what I had envisioned.   I have some fiddly centers all cut out and I may or may not sew them on.  I was ready to be done with the applique.  I should probably trim the background behind the blossoms so the stems don't show through.

It's very low volume.  Hmmm?

I sewed 7 full blossoms to represent my 7 children.  The light fabrics I chose didn't show up on my neutral background so I sewed the light blue circle behind them to contrast a little and introduce another color into the mix.

Now, I'm going to go look on the list on Audrey's blog to see what the rest of those participating in this SAL have created.

Robin

Bramble Blossoms #2

 I have been watching everyone's progress and have been stumped.  

First of all I was thinking about the name. . . Bramble Blossoms.  I thought maybe I ought to be literal and do something with thorns.  What has more thorns on it that most other flowers?  Roses, you say?  Well, I was taking it a little farther. . . I was thinking wild roses.  Can you believe all those thorns?

Wild roses have lovely blossoms.

And come in different colors.

There is a really lovely pink but I didn't get a picture of that one.

And they have rose hips.  Aren't these great?

Well, I couldn't get excited about this idea so I tried to think of something else.  And then, a tulip I had seen in one of my magazines came to mind.  I see it every once in a while as I'm flipping through pages looking for something else.  I make a mental note that I would like to applique that tulip some time.  So, I went hunting.  It took me two days but I found the pattern.  It is in Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine. And yes, it is as delightful as I remembered.  And it would kind of be paying homage to Audrey and the lovely tulips she puts in some of her quilts.

Folk Art Tulip by Kerri Arthur of Calico Rabbit Patterns

And then I thought,  "This is supposed to be about me not someone else.  What flowers bring a smile to my face and aren't super difficult to applique (because I came up with lots of other ideas and they were way to complicated)."

I finally decided on Hollyhocks.  I'm always taking photos of them, in fact here I am posing amongst them in 2013. 

 (Not the most flattering picture but when you're my age flattering pictures are in the past.)

AND, I was excited about this idea.  

So, I had to finish the current Christmas project I was working on and that seemed to take a really long time but it's done and I'm prepared.

Found where this pattern is available.   https://marglowdesigns.bigcartel.com/category/pdf-patterns

Just today I got out pictures to look at to see the actual shapes of blossoms and leaves and tried to do a couple of sketches.

And then I got out my stack of fabrics to see what looked like hollyhocks.  

Well, generally speaking . . . 

And here is what I came up with.

I chose my greens and then the red at the top center is the only one that came out of my stack.  I had to go hunting for pink and rosy tones.  I may or may not use all these colors for blossoms, we'll see.

So,  I've started the journey and now I can relax and sew.  

(I'm just kidding about the relax part.)

Robin