Artist, Teacher, Author of Artful Improv and Adventures in Improv Quilts

Cindy Grisdela – Artist, Teacher and Author

Welcome!

esI’m Cindy Grisdela – an Artist, Teacher, and Author from Reston, VA.

Color and texture are the driving forces behind my contemporary art quilts. Browse my site to see how I combine line and shape, then add stitching lines to create texture and dimension – a process I like to think of as painting with fabric and thread.

See the headings below for information on my books, Artful Improv and Adventures in Improv Quilts, my lectures and workshops, and my on demand classes.

I've recently begun offering Independent Zoom workshops that run for three 3 hour sessions over 3 weeks. Sessions are recorded for later viewing. Current classes are Log Cabin Color Grid in June 2025 and Improv Scrapmania in July/August 2025. Visit the Shop for more information and to register.

 

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Books

Artful Improv: Explore Color Recipes, Building Blocks & Free Motion Quilting

Adventures in Improv Quilts: Master Color, Design and Construction

Workshops & Lectures

I’m passionate about helping others find the creativity I believe lives inside each of us, just waiting for permission to come out and play.

Online Learning

Take a class on your own schedule in your PJs if you want to! Class content includes video, text, and still photos that give step-by-step guidance to create your own designs.

Latest News From Cindy

Winter/Spring 2025 Workshop Roundup

I’ve been on the road for much of the last four months, traveling and teaching in a variety of places. Travel is one of the best and worst parts of my job! I love visiting new places and meeting new people, but hauling suitcases around, one of which weighs 50+ lbs. isn’t always the most…

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Thoughts on QuiltCon 2025

I’m just back from QuiltCon 2025 in Phoenix and it was a lot of fun. I met my friends Heather Pregger and Maria Shell there the Tuesday evening before the show opened and we shared an Airbnb a couple of miles away from the convention center with another friend of Maria’s. On Wednesday, we all…

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A Look Back at 2024

2024 was a busy year of creating, teaching and traveling! I always think its a good idea to look back on the year to reflect on what I did well and enjoyed, and what I need to work on in the coming year. I created 21 new quilts, including five large pieces, seven medium ones…

Read More about A Look Back at 2024