Vicki Conley @vicki_conley_art_and_seattledesign and her work were new to me when I first heard of her workshop being offered by Seattle MQG, Improv: Inspired by Nature. But I liked what I saw very much and signed up. Well it took place on Saturday, and gotta say, I'm very glad I took it.
We were asked to choose a subject and share several photos with Vicki before class. My chosen subject was inspired by the goldfinch pair we'd seen at our bird buddy lately. Of the photos I shared with her, Vicki let me know it would be good to start with the one below, with wings outstretched.
Photo credit: Creative Commons
So mark the moment. I created my very first foundation paper pieced pattern!
Here are the fabrics I had pulled...yellows and a bit of black for the bird; and a range of grays and white for the background.
SO, I made my first block, which measured 5.5" x 6.5". Encouraging us to make a range of block sizes, Vicki helped us by providing another size of our block - mine being 15" x 13". It felt pretty big, but I was happy to try.
So below are the two blocks I was able to complete during the workshop. Honestly, I don't love them for a few reasons - my use of white, period. Also, I don't like the shape of the head or the right leg/tail. BUT they're made from my very first FPP pattern, and I learned a lot. I plan to refine my pattern, as well as my fabric pull, and try again. Meanwhile, it was an excellent workshop, and my interest in the design process has definitely been piqued.
