Two more thoughts about working with materials:
Sometimes they are dazzling and fun to look at, even in the early stages of production.

Parts of a flag-to-be; cut.

Parts of a flag-to-be; wrapped seams readied for pressing.
It gets better.
Sometimes the patterns remind you of artworks by friends, what begins as a material revelation becomes an opportunity for relatedness—connecting or re-connecting with like-minded others.