paper piecing redux

There was a time when I approached paper piecing with the devotion of a madwoman.  The more intricate the pattern the better I liked it!  

Paper piecing is much like puzzle making.  The end, which is always in clear sight, is very predictable.  I always liked the safety in this practice.  There's a lot to be said about a precise clean finish.  But lately I find myself shying away from all of this dependability.  I want some simplicity and I long for disorder.


Something has come over me.   I can hear in my mom's voice on the other end of the phone that she is worried.  She likes 'dependable' so much that she made certain to pass that lesson along to her children.  And now this youngest one, what will come next!  Advocating that housework is a waste of precious time and that we should all drink as much coffee as we like!  And if it keeps us awake at night, then we should get up and do something!  Plenty of time to sleep when we're dead.  Poor mom.  I have to stop tormenting her with my newly developing visions of freedom.


You live your life a certain way and then suddenly some slant of light reveals that you've missed, well, LOTS.  What does this have to do with paper piecing?  Maybe nothing, or maybe everything.  I found some freedom today in the complete destruction of my work room -  

And I left it just like this when I was finished.  Then I came downstairs and made a cake.  And God help me, ate some of it with coffee.  And yes, it's late and yes, I am wide awake.  

I'm paring down the paper piecing -

You can never have too much coffee.