Update on my return to piecing.

I am doodling my ideas, and plotting them out on 4 squares to 1inch  graph paper.  I have several ideas  that look promising and one old idea I'd like to revisit. 
I am finding it hard not to see flowers when I doodle or draw circles.  I am going to stop fighting that and see where I go.

Since I am still  in the early planning stage for one of the compositions I want to make, I did decide to  work with the fabric I have on hand and supplement them with some new purchases as needed. 

I smiled thinking there was once a time when I was in the running to win the "who ever dies with the most fabric wins" competition.  Today that is no longer the case.  Here are some of the fabrics  in my small stash that are speaking to me.  This collection represent about one third of what I have on hand. 

Good thing I have two well stocked quilt/fabric stores.  Both depending on traffic are about 15 minutes away.  My first choice is The Sewing Studio which stocks more than just quilters cottons.  I think I've said before that they remind me of a mini Baer Fabrics (that's a reference that Louisville and Southern Indiana sewers understand)  and The Bernina Store in Lake Mary which is more of a traditional shop for quilters is. 

I know if I continue on this piecing path  I will have to get back to dyeing fabric and beefing up my stash with commercial prints that play well with the hand dyes.  But for now, as I said I am using what I got.

When I was about to get started on one of my ideas a light bulb went on and I had one of those slap to the forehead moments that brought my momentum to a screeching halt.  I had gotten way ahead of  myself when I put that 48" x 80" piece of freezer paper up on my design wall.

You see I am a planner and a plotter.   When piecing I work from full size freezer paper cartons/ patterns.  I do not have, not one,  free wheeling improvisational bone in my body.  So in returning to my piecing style I was missing a step.  What I forgot was; in order to go from scaled drawing on 4 squares to 1inch  graph paper to a full size drawing I needed   48" wide alpha numeric paper and sadly I have none in my house. 

Through an Internet search I found several sources for the paper.     I ordered some.  The shipping notice said it should be here by FedEx in 2-3 days.  Yeah! Years ago back in 1988 or 89 I ordered 4 or 500  feet of the stuff, but for now,  until I know for sure this is my new path,  I ordered  1/4 0f that amount.