Where's the Pattern??

I decided to move outside of my comfort zone and attend an improv piecing workshop hosted by Val over at Purple Boots and Pigtails.  Val calls it free piecing.  Improv or free...it means no pattern and no directions.  Oh my...what had I gotten myself into.....

This was at the front of the class...I was tempted to run....

We started with what was supposedly an easy project.  Just grab a piece of fabric, she said.  Oh about this big, she said.  I need dimensions!!!  And then the instruction was to cut a tree without measuring.  I panicked...what does a tree look like????  Breathe, breathe, breathe.....

Not bad for a first attempt.

Val suggested a pieced grass bottom.  I'm allergic to grass so wasn't wasting time or fabric on something I don't like.  It was bad enough I had to make trees, to which I am also allergic.

On to project two.  Again, grab some fabric about so big.  Stress was coming back.....

I did enjoy making the wonky HST's...after the initial stress of not having dimensions of the pieces needed.

Finally, it was lunch time. Whew...time for a break from all this fun.  Was feeling pretty good that I had made it this far, but then Val tells us that we're making a house and letters in the afternoon.  Was that an evil grin I saw?  I clearly did not bring enough sugar to eat.

Project three:  a house.  I admit the house was not so bad; however, again some stress trying to find fabrics when you don't know the dimensions of what you need.  Just grab a piece that looks like a door....say what???

No grass at my house...rock garden instead.

And then for the final project of the day...letters.  There was no chance of skipping out at this point...tad bit hard to sneak out carrying a sewing machine and a huge tote of stuff.  Went with my favourite colour orange to help alleviate some of the stress.  Not only was there no measuring of the pieces needed, there was no ruler used to cut said pieces.  Okay...what happened to the gentle push outside of the comfort zone?  This was a shove and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Proudly showing off the new wall hanging for my sewing room.

New wall hanging for my sewing room.

I survived the class!!!  Although I'm not yet converted, I did enjoy making these letters.  There will be more letters in my future.

Thanks, Val!!!