Finally! I’ve been wanting to start a piecing project for a while and after much thinking, rethinking, putting it all aside, switching to an appliqué idea, then back to thinking about the piecing project and what it should be and finally, after all the false starts and questions, I began a new coat.

Why is it so easy sometimes and so difficult other times? My piecing muse abandons me. She takes a vacation and goes to a little village in a forgotten corner of Uruguay and leaves me on my own.

In my studio with piles of fabrics and little idea of how to proceed, I spent forever choosing which silks to use. There were a lot of ‘No!!! those do not not look good together!,’ there were a few ‘maybes’ and finally a ‘Yes! Perfect! Gorgeous!’

Until the next day and it was ‘No way! Start over!!!’

Finally, finally, I arrived at a group that worked.

I did have a design plan, rows of stripes that grew narrower, but how many rows? How far apart? What size? I sat with my pencil and ruler calculating. I carefully made notes as legible as possible so that I could decipher them the next day and not stare in confusion as to what those words and numbers could possibly mean. Yes, that has happened. More than once.

Next, the shape of the coat, what size, what kind of a collar, how long, all decisions that, remember, I was muse-less, needed to be made.

Finally! Once again, finally, I was ready to cut. And piece.

That’s where I am. Finally! Finally!! Finally!!! In the midst of piecing.

Although,… this morning, I’m rethinking the width of the mint green strips…..

Stay tuned.