Monday, November 13, 2023

Bramble Blooms and Other News

Big news around here! My husband got hearing aids! What a difference! He is "profoundly" deaf in his right ear according to the audiologist and almost as bad in his left. It is so much easier to communicate with each other now and the TV isn't up to 50 on the sound. Life is so much better!

Other news, my husband purchased me an electric chainsaw. Now I can trim up firewood myself, if it will not fit into the wood stove. I have wanted one for quite awhile. 

Another type of rotary cutter!

My first wood I cut all on my own! Three pieces that were too large for the stove so I sawed them in half. Hubby was there to help me for my first time running it.



I am trying to keep up with everyone that has joined with Audrey's QAL Bramble Blooms. I think there are 25 of us so far. It is going to be so fun to see everyone's creations. You can read more about it on Audrey's blog HERE

I am working on my floral centerpiece, I looked through a lot of my applique books for ideas, on line, Pinterest., so many ideas out there. I also looked through Audrey's blog posts, at many of her quilts for inspiration. Her creativity astounds me! Her quilts are just so wonderful. 

 Then I read Jeanne's blog Schottosche-A Creative Journal and she is naming her three quilts in the series Morning, Noon, and Night. Here is a  LINK to her blog. That got me thinking! My quilts will be Faith, Hope, and Love. That helped narrow down the choices for the flowers. I looked up flowers and their meanings, there are a lot of different opinions on this subject, but chose what I liked.  For my first quilt "Faith" I have chosen the Lily of the Field and the mustard plant. The Lily referencing Matthew 6: 25-34 and the mustard plant referencing Matthew 17:20. 

I  have no idea of Audrey's plan, but I will be adding words to this quilt, I know she does that quite often on her quilts. There will be a birds too. I am going to free cut the applique shapes as Audrey explained  in her post. I think it will be fun to try this new technique.


My sketch, my applique may not be exactly like this, I plan to free cut the applique pieces. That is something new for me. I may change the bird and its position.



Center panel sewn. It is 25" x 25" which gives me room to play with the applique pieces, I can trim it down later.


Fabrics for the applique




And there was some of this going on too. No grass to mow this time of year but plenty of snow to blow!

Happy Quilting, Rebecca

8 comments:

  1. I had a chuckle at your other kind of rotary cutter. Looking forward to your Bramble Bloom progress. Enjoy! ;^)

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  2. I like your idea for the sew along. I'll enjoy watching your progress, happy stitching!

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  3. Hooray for the hearing aides. My husband has them but refuses to wear them. I have to talk so loud it hurts my head. I'm so glad your husband wears his and that they help.
    You must be young or in very good health to use a chainsaw. Good for you!
    Your Blooms centerpiece drawing looks wonderful. So much detail! It will be fun (and maybe challenging?) to free cut, and then more fun to play with placement.
    Lovely snow!

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  4. I'm so glad you finally got your chainsaw. I've never used one before but it looks kind of fun. I really like your sketch for the center of Bramble Blooms. It's fun to read your thoughts about what you chose and what scriptures you were thinking of. I'd like to put words on my quilt too. I'll have to wait to see what the other prompts are before I decide. I'm glad you're included a little bird, birds in quilts always make me happy.

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  5. that is a great idea for the applique quilt along - I will be watching your progress. We have an electric chainsaw that my husband uses here and there. I'm afraid I have wimping arms and doing something like that would pull too much and make my neck act up

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  6. Thanks for the shout-out :) Your plans for Bramble Blooms look lovely!!! My husband got hearing aids this year also -- the grandsons call them Grandpa's Listening Ears. They do make a difference! Wow, snow?!?

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  7. Your applique plan is quite detailed, and I like the addition of the bird. Meanwhile I am very fortunate that I don't have to wield a chainsaw or axe to split wood anymore. Actually I'm not sure it would be physically possible anymore. Kudos to you!

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  8. I love the names for your quilts as well as the "flowers" you chose to go with the theme. (Although mustard here is a noxious weed). I had to smile about the chain saw. I'm 71 and use a small battery operated chain saw - scrub trees pop up around here in no time and hubby is not well enough to keep them at bay. Used to be that most of the house was heated by a couple of old wood burning stoves and we grew most of the wood we used to heat the house. As we got older and kids moved away we converted one stove to an electric furnace because we could not harvest enough wood to stay warm! So I've used a chain saw for years but now have to use a little less powerful model to clear away scrub brush. I'd rather grow flowers and weeds!!

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