workshops

An incredible workshop or course experience can have such a lasting impact.

I have been thinking about this lately as I welcome students in Quilt Design Code, my 5 week program where students learn to design + write quilt patterns so they can start confidently sharing their creativity and growing a creative business.

Join the waitlist to get notified next time I open up enrollment.

All this preparation for Quilt Design Code really got me thinking about my own experiences in workshops.

Workshop characteristics

For me, the best workshops have not only been about learning something new and incredible (though this is a HUGE part – having your mind blown by a new perspective or a new way of thinking about something is phenomenal.

The best workshops have had a strong community aspect to them, sharing work and getting feedback from other creatives in a support environment.

The best workshops have also had a small group, where there has been a lot of individual attention from the workshop host for each participant. And if this hasn’t been possible, it’s great when a host can facilitate smaller group interactions, using a smaller breakout room for example.

I have also really appreciated having the time to work on something during the workshop itself, as opposed to having a ‘theory heavy’ or a ‘hands-off’ type workshop. Time for designing, sewing, drawing, writing, along with the other participants has been so fun.

Getting that insider view, or behind the scenes into how someone who’s work you admire is such a special part of workshops as well. It is always fascinating to see the inner workings of someone else’s design or quilting practice, and find out how they think about things.

Workshops I’ve taken

So, considering all this here is a selection of the workshops I have taken over the years (in no particular order), including my takeaways and a snap shot of the work I produced.

Scroll down and leave me a comment about your favorite workshop experience. What was it about the workshop that made it so special?

Tansy Hargan – thumbnail sketching

Great design prompts and techniques to get loose and use your favorite media or a range of media you might not be used to using.

Build on sketching techniques

Learn to read a place

Record your reactions and emotions.

Irene Roderick – Dancing with the Wall

An epic deep dive into Irene’s signature style and how she is able to ‘paint’ with fabric.

High level look at composition, elements, symbolism.

High octane improv!

Wonderful group communication and show and tell across several weeks.

Lisa Call – Working in a Series

A high touch extended program with incredible examples from across a wide range of art styles.

Deep work on elements of design

Also included an incredible meta-learning about how to become a professional artist.

Libs Elliott – chaos workshop

An awesome peek behind the curtain into Libs’ unique design process involving programming languages.

Fun sew a long and a super entertaining way to go about coming up with a quilt layout. Relaxing group environment with a lot of sharing and show and tell along the way.

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Leave me a comment about your favorite workshop experience. What was it about the workshop that made it so special?