Anyone want to guess what this is? Perhaps the inside of my wastebasket? Or the floor after I’ve finished a project? (Uh, no it isn’t BUT this IS what my floor looks like after I’ve finished a project! Why aim for the wastebasket when the floor is so much more convenient?) Anyway, what you’re looking at here is an honest to goodness compulsive behavior!
I’m constantly working with felt, and that means I create a ton of felt scraps. Sure, it would be easy to pitch a few little scraps here and there; some might even argue sane, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Maybe it’s the exschool teacher in me that learned most things have value to a creative mind, or my Polish ancestry that has a tendency to save everything “for a rainy day”, but I see diamonds in this colorful heap. Somewhere, in the back of mind, behind this week’s obligations, daily errands, and other interactions with humanity, I have an idea forming to turn these scraps into a work of art. The actual usage hasn’t made itself known to me yet, but I’m sure one day while showering or waiting for a traffic light to change, or chatting with Tim, a scathingly brilliant idea will surface, I’ll have an Eureka moment, and I’ll know exactly what to do with them!
Right now I’m thinking a mosaic of sorts, made with pieces of fabric that others would deem worthless. When the final idea surfaces, I’ll be ready to go with a virtual cornucopia of sizes, shapes and colors of felt at my disposal. So, for those of you that play with felt, if you’re so inclined, tuck away your scraps. One day I’ll have a pattern to share that is going to use that box of felt scraps I’ve been compulsively hording. And when I do, won’t you be glad you started squirreling away your own stash?
BTW…I think I would be remiss not to tell you that my closet is also full of scraps of flannel and cotton, trims and buttons, tiny yarn balls and dissected silk flowers. A virtual trove of potential, each awaiting a moment of inspiration!
