AZTECIAN – 38’’ x 38’’

This quilt lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico at least until the near future when it will be moving north to Minnesota. A good friend purchased it as an anniversary gift. It is one of those quilts that I love dearly, but I did not get to spend a lot of time with. It was finished, photographed, and then OFF! to its new owner. 

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.
André Gide

I know that my life has settled down when I find time to write a newsletter. This is such a good thing. And so, here is my little note to you in June as we approach Summer Solstice 2026.

I wish I could say that I am soaking up the solstice rays, basking in the more than 18 hours of daylight that is the gift we get from the sun for living in the far north! Unfortunately, the reward feels like coal this year as we are still experiencing freezing temperatures at night. Who cares? Well, all the gardeners are crying. We’ve still got snow on the mountains and snow on the ground.

But my story isn’t about daylight, gardening, or snow, it’s about a workshop—Round & Round—Improv Medallion Quilts.

I just taught R&R at the primo retreat experience that is Empty Spools! (I will be at Empty Spools in 2027! Session #4 and Session #5.)

One of the truly great bonuses of teaching at Empty Spools is the opportunity to walk along the beach every morning with friends.

Here is my classroom without the hubbub of machines, and irons, and quilters.

My students were almost 100% newbies. New to improv, new to me, and new to working without a ruler. I was nervous. They were nervous. And it all turned out to be fabulous! It was HEADS DOWN-DO THE WORK.

And then work some more. Four full days of non-stop stitching.

And their efforts appeared LOUD AND CLEAR in their work. Students spent the last morning, sharing and photographing their work.

As a small aside, I have had a really rough year in a lot of ways, but my students this spring across all venues have been a dream! Tenacious, totally studious, and terrifically fun. Thank you students. 

I made a little YouTube video of the Empty Spool's Round & Round students' quilts. You can find it here. I also put up a tutorial about Shark Teeth.

Okay, all of this is to intentionally make you have FOMO! Fortunately, there is a solution of sorts. You can sign up for my JUNE 2026 Virtual Round & Round—Improv Medallion Quilt Workshop!

Here are the details. 

ROUND AND ROUND—Improv Medallion Quilts
Mondays, June 8, 15, 22, & 29, 2026
6PM-9PM EST
This workshop is about playing with concepts of improv symmetry within the confines of the classic medallion quilt. We will learn— How to piece improv units so that they are approximately the same size and will fit together to form a border, How to do intuitive math, and How to create asymmetrical symmetry, while stitching a super satisfying medallion masterpiece.

 Each session is RECORDED and will be available for students viewing for approximately six months. 

You can sign up here.

NEWS & EVENTS

I have updated my website to include all of the workshops I am offering in the next 12 months. You can see and sign up here. 

There are TWO NEW OFFERINGS—BIG BOTANY AND CIRCLE & CURVE SAMPLER!!

Big Botany—LIVE Virtual Workshop
6PM-9PM EST
Tuesdays, July 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2026
Working from several sources of inspiration grounded in the natural world, students will work through a design process that emphasizes sketching, developing color palettes, creating pattern, and problem solving organic construction issues. 

STUDIO SNAPSHOT

Woe is Me, the quilter who cannot seem to finish anything. I am so close but also truly unsure about this one. I will say that it is laying the groundwork for quilts that I am sure about. So, that is a good thing. 

May you never miss out on the joy that is quilting!

Maria