Improv for Everyone – The Scrapbuster Edition

Tales of a Stitcher

July 2025

IMPROV FOR EVERYONE – THE SCRAPBUSTER EDITION

True Confessions 40H x 30W 2017

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

True Confessions is composed entirely from materials found in a purchased bag of scraps. The challenge was simple--can I create a successful composition using what were essential left-overs, remains, bits and pieces.

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." - Arthur Ashe

I hope everyone had an amazing July 4th. I am out at our cabin in McCarthy, Alaska where I have just about the best backyard ever. A group of us went hiking on what we call the Westside Trail. We did a great loop across a glacial moraine and through the woods. It was a balmy day in the 49th state of America. I am grateful for that.

You all know that when I am not hiking, I am traveling or teaching and sometimes I am even quilting. One of my favorite methods (Could we call it a process?) is to work with scraps! I love a good scrap. I am one of those quilters who goes through other quilter’s trash in search of useable fabric. I have a very strong desire to find forever homes for all of the textiles no matter how scrawny they may be.

Years ago, I had the remains of dozens of quilt projects piled up high next to my cutting mat. I was confident that I would sort and catalogue all those leftover pieces into useful baskets of color. The pile waited and waited and grew and grew.

Finally in a cleaning frenzy, I dumped the pile into a laundry basket. Viola! And that is now my filing system. Weirdly, it works. I dig until I find the scrap I want, then I pull it out, press it, and stitch.

Over the years, I have worked with all kinds of scraps—scraps from Ebay fabric lots, scraps from friends, left over scraps from finished quilts, trashcan scraps, and the occasionally begged for scrap. I love them all.

This means I am some what of a connoisseur of scraps. Maybe you could call me a Scrapionado? An expert of the remains. A useful user of useless bits. A discerning remnant lover? Yes. I am all those things. I see the potential.

And of course, as a teacher, I want to share my knowledge about scraps with you! Which is why this session of Improv for Everyone is about all the SCRAP. We are going to sort, trim, maneuver, match, and stitch those scraps into wildly creative, innovative, highly useful units that will their find forever homes in your quilts. Let’s do it.

Did I mention that this workshop is VIRTUAL, LIVE, and RECORDED. It is also DIRT CHEAP and chockablock full of good information. All of the quilts shown here were created with scraps—many of them from the mother lode also known as the laundry basket. The details are below.

IMPROV FOR EVERYONE—THE SCRAP BUSTER EDITION

Saturday, July 12 , 2025
1PM—5PM EST
$35 VIRTUAL WORKSHOP

Twice a year, I offer a low budget workshop called Improv for Everyone. In this workshop we dive deep into a particular shape or technique. This July we will be exploring ALL the methods and ways for using up your scraps improvisationally! You can expect lectures, demos, Q&A, as well as, sewing time. The session will be RECORDED and students will have access to this recording for a year. Sign up here for the bargain of the year!

NEWS & EVENTS

STITCHING TOWARDS DISCOVERY 2025 THE BIG TADA

FREE & OPEN to the PUBLIC
Thursday, July 24, 2025
6PM-8PM East Coast Time

Every year, my Stitching Towards Discovery students present their final portfolios in a live and open to the public virtual ZOOM event. Just follow this link to attend. We hope you will join us!

Meeting ID: 862 2333 6497

Passcode: 005523

You can watch previous BIG TADAS on my Youtube channel here.

MOROCCO WITH AMAZIGH ART TOURS

I am going to Morocco again—September 5-19, 2025. You can view all the amazing images and listen to me talk about the experience here in this short video. You can sign up to go with me here. It is an experience of a life time and I would love to share it with you.

FLASHBACK PHOTO

In July of 2015, I was out in McCarthy, Alaska working on the quilt that would eventually become FLOAT.

STUDIO SNAPSHOT

I am setting up the front room of our cabin for a month of teaching and stitching. I hope to see you in class!

May you never lose an important scrap! That’s the worst.

Maria

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