Border Bonanza

All students start with a center block of their choosing. From there, Maria will take the class through a series of innovative border making techniques. All of the borders demonstrated in class are original designs created by Maria and easily applied to students’ quilts. Many of these borders are free-form no-math fun. Maria will also cover skill techniques to help students improve their abilities to attach borders and bindings as well as tips for constructing successful medallion style quilts.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class.)

Kitchen Sink Quilting

Students can bring leftovers from other quilts to jump start this free-form art quilt, or start from scratch by building some simple starter blocks. Either way, Maria will cover the basics of color theory and composition as well as how to construct an original, free-form, patternless quilt. This class is great for skilled quiltmakers who are ready to piece without using a pattern. There are no rules in this class! All mistakes are opportunities.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class.)

Advanced Kitchen Sink Quilting

Adventurous students who are comfortable designing their own art quilt tops and are ready to embark on a ruler-less adventure will find this class to be just the right challenge for them. Free-form piecing of traditional quilt blocks as well as information about using color and print in your quilts form the foundation of this class.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class.)

Circles and Curves

All manner of curved piecing will be covered in this class. Students will explore making curves with rulers and templates as well as how to make their own free-form cut and pieced curves. Students can use the techniques taught in this class to create their own original design circles and curves art quilt or follow pattern suggestions given out during class.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

Quilter's Letter Jacket

Students start with a simple jacket pattern of their choice and from there set out on a threadplay adventure. Maria will show students how to create their own threadplay designs as well as offer pre-made stitching patterns to be used to create a one of a kind fiber art jacket. Thread selection, stabilizers, and stitching techniques will be covered in this class.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

Artsy Journal Quilts

Students start this class by selecting a theme (leaves, vacation spots, favorite books, the sky is the limit here) that they would like to explore while making a series of small art quilts. Maria will take the students through a series of art quilt techniques including free-form piecing, Shiva paint sticks, thread play, working with photo images on fabric, painting and stamping on fabric, art appliqué, alternatives to traditional bindings and more. By the end of the class, students should have a great start on a series of small art quilts.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class or longer. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

Super Stitch Sampler Beginner for Long Arm or Domestic Machine Quilters

Maria is an award winning machine quilter with loads of knowledge on how to make machine quilting fun and attractive. In this beginner class, Maria will walk students through the basics of machine quilting as well as introduce students to some of her favorite all over quilting designs. This class also includes information about attaching machine bindings and creating labels for quilts.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

Super Stitch Sampler Advanced for Long Arm or Domestic Machine Quilters

Maria takes machine quilters to the next level with this skill based machine quilting class. Student will explore the effects of thread on fabric, micro-quilting, threadplay, modifying machine quilting techniques to work for machine embroidery work, craft issues concerning quilting for show, and more.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

Scraptastic Star

Learn the basics of string piecing while creating this wonderful scrappy star quilt. Students will learn lots about making scrap quilts, star quilt blocks, and creating borders that work with the quilt (not just make them bigger!). Pattern is included with price of class.
(Class can be taught as a one or two day class.)

Art Appliqué

Students will learn several different methods for creating their own original appliqué work. Maria will discuss how to work from a photo and/or work from the images in the fabric to build an original design art appliqué quilt. This class includes a comprehensive introduction to fusible appliqué as well as methods for finishing fusible appliqué (sating stitch, raw edge appliqué, and more). Maria ends the class with tips for quilting and binding the final work.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

Leftovers Make Great Quilts

Years ago, Maria started using leftovers from one quilt to jump start a new quilt. From making these leftover quilts, Maria learned a variety of techniques for creating original design pattern-less patchwork quilts. Whether students are interested in free-form piecing or just getting rid of leftover fabric, this class covers all the steps a quiltmaker needs to know to get from boxes of odds and ends to fabulous without using a commercial quilt pattern.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

Colors Unfurled

Join Maria in an exploration of all things related to flags. Students will receive detailed information about how Maria made her flag quilt Colors Unfurled aka If Betsy Ross Had My Stash as well as information on how to design their very own flag quilt.
(Class can be taught as a one, two, or three day class. Length of class does determine number of techniques covered.)

From Here to There

How does one go from making traditional quilts to making art quilts? Maria discusses this journey an informative and funny tale of her own personal story. Maria took a quilt class by chance, and ten years later is just now looking up from the sewing machine long enough to tell the tale. How did she go from being a quilt "nazi," who agonize over every quarter inch seam, to being a free form piecer in love with color? This lecture features a trunk show and digital presentation.

Get'er Done

Maria discovered quilting when her oldest son was two. In between stitching quilts, she managed to have two more boys! Even though her youngest son just started kindergarten, Maria has managed to produce many award winning quilts. How does she do it? In this lecture, Maria tells the crazy story of how she is raising three boys in Alaska and quilting at the same time (having a tolerant husband helps!). Maria will also discuss how to create a functioning work space (even if it is littered with toys), and time saving devices she has learned the hard way. You, too, can quilt and have a family! This lecture features a trunk show and a digital presentation.

Collaborative Quilting

Maria takes the audience on a visual journey through her experiences in working collaboratively. She started out with baby quilts and ventured on to work with some wonderful fiber artists from across the country. Maria shares many concrete tips about how to combine different styles of blocks into one fabulous quilt, as well as some funny stories about working in a group. This lecture features a trunk show and a digital presentation.

The Psychedelic Quilt

Many of Maria's most popular quilts are based on design principles used in creating Op Art, Pop Art, and Psychedelic Art. During the course of this lecture, Maria will share her knowledge about the art movements of the 1960’s and how she uses this information to create her quilts. This lecture features a trunk show and a digital presentation.