About Chunky Bird Studio

My name is Grace, and I started Chunky Bird Studio in 2022 to combine my passions for pattern design and teaching. I’ve been designing my own patterns for almost a decade, and began teaching sewing classes in 2020. I’m based in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and draw design inspiration from local bird species, as well as my love of cats and sewing machines of all kinds (I have seven and counting!). I am particularly interested in sharing the joys of foundation paper piecing and showcasing textile art in unique ways.

What’s foundation paper piecing?

Foundation paper piecing (FPP) is a sewing technique in which you sew directly on top of a paper pattern. In FPP, each successive seam cannot intersect any previous seam, making representations of landscapes, animals, or objects an interesting technical challenge to design. This limitation also gives FPP its distinctive mosaic-like appearance. While the paper is usually removed at the completion of a project, many of my works leave the paper intact and use double-sided displays so that both sides of the art can be appreciated.

FPP is accessible even to a beginning sewist. If you can straight stitch on top of a printed line, you can paper piece! This makes it easy to take FPP projects anywhere you can take a basic sewing machine. I’ve even taken my hand-cranked Singer on camping trips! Look for a Chunky Bird Studio guide to foundation paper piecing coming in the future.