Impromptu

All the print scraps in my stash distracted me, so putting them away and finding lots of solids in my scrap bins got me sewing bits together. I made a glob, put it on the wall and started in on a second one. That one began to look much better, so I ignored the first bit. It wasn't long before I found my rhythm and the thing began to come to life.
Working with scraps is delicious. It makes me include details that add something to the overall idea. Not that I had any ideas to start. In fact, I thought this might just be a small work when I started. It is now 38x40", unquilted. It could become a larger work or stay this size, I haven't decided. And I never had any intention of making it wonky, but the unsquare fabrics made that happen.

I might have just left it at this stage, but the royal blue insisted on more presence, so the yellow orange idea got wrenched from the spotlight and now is balanced out with lots more blue and turquoise. Can't go wrong with yellow and blue, as my Swedish husband says. Ikea colors.
The feeling of having created this piece is just what I needed.
All these years I have made fused art quilts, and have wondered what is the secret to piecing them instead? That may sound nutty, but it was a mystery to me. Now I feel like I understand and have found the solution. Not having a plan is also a boon. It makes the brain wake up and make decisions right when they need to be made. I felt ALIVE while making this.
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Speaking of alive...today I am 65 years old. How did that happen? It feels like a big milestone, and I am having the urge to make some big decisions. I don't know about what, but is does feel like when I was 18 or 21 or 30 and had to look at my life and make a plan. Did I then? Not really. But I did remember thinking it's 'Now or never' somewhat. I thought I would have been an artist by then, but that didn't  automatically happen, so I needed to increase the focus to make it come about. Surprisingly, it took doing the work. Imagine that. ha!
Now that I have stumbled onto a way of making art quilts by piecing, maybe I can put my energies toward that as a new goal. Do I have the same mental energy, or focus? In the past I had to support myself with my art, but now that I am retired, I don't have to work so hard. So perhaps a less grand goal can be implemented. We'll just have to see.
Anyway. I am happy to be healthy and pain free. That means a lot.
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My constant companions, Chester and Chumley. Bored and grumpy, waiting for the rain to cease so they can run outside.