
Scrap The Plan
A two-day improvisational quilt-making workshop
in person in Atlanta, GA june 28-29
less overthinking, more sewing with the flow 😎
join me for a playful weekend workshop where we make quilts without a pattern or plan.
guided every step of the way, you’ll learn how to piece together a small improvisational quilt using the fabrics we have on hand—yours, mine, ours.
sewing experience is not required!
instead of following a pattern, we’ll follow our instincts— piecing together a one-of-a-kind quilt, via sewing machine, from the communal scrap pile. there’s no ‘right way,’ just a spontaneous and forgiving approach to stitching and scap collaging.

✿ the vibe
this is your oasis for the parched creative spirit—we’re loosening the grip on ‘being an expert’ and trading it in for soft, non-linear experimentation.
we follow our hands, our intuition, and the materials themselves to make something we never could have planned in a million zillion years.
join this cozy circle of textile-lovers, seasoned sewists, and beginners, all making it up as we go…following the threads of uncertainty, stitch by stitch, together.
✿ what’s included
✂️ step-by-step guidance from a patient, passionate teacher (hi, that’s me!)
✂️ sewing machines, thread, batting, and backing fabric
✂️ a community scrap fabric library
✂️ excellent company, dazzling creativity, and the joy of making something from literal scraps
✿ what to bring
🧵old clothes, household textiles, or fabric scraps you’re willing to part with
🧵any special fabric you’d love to include in your quilt
🧵optional: your own sewing machine (we’ll send a form to check!)
please launder any used textiles before bringing them

✿ schedule
Saturday, June 28: 12—4:30 pm
Sunday, June 29: 12–4:30 pm
Lang Carson Rec Center // Reynoldstown, Atlanta
✿ cost
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale so it can remain accessible and supportive for all involved. Choose the price that reflects your current capacity and honors the labor, prep, materials, and magic offered:
$175 - community supported tier
$222 - true cost
$300 - sustaining tier
there are a limited number of spots available at each tier.
*see note about neighborhood discount below*
✿ spots are limited!
this workshop is capped at 8–10 participants to keep things intimate and focused
a special note about the neighborhood this workshop takes place in -
Reynoldstown, Atlanta carries a storied history of Black quilters, quilting bees and craft-based activism and community. It’s an honor to be working and creating in this neighborhood, and receive inspiration from this legacy.
Reynoldstown residents receive a special discount to class - please email hello@melissaword.com
your sewing captain ~
as an artist, dancer, death doula and grief guide, practicing uncertainty is my essential work— for art, for life and loss and everything in between.
I come to the classroom not as an expert, but as someone who carries a lineage of aunties, mamas, papas, and grannies who sew(ed) — it’s in my blood, and I freaking love it.
in this space, I’ll help you drop out of your head and into your embodied creative flow, where your untapped reservoirs of expression are waiting to spill and tumble out.
learn more about my history and practices here
We’ll be assisted by one of my favorite quilters, Gavin Bernard ✨
He brings his depth of knowledge as a working fiber artist, designer, arts-based facilitator and generous creative spirit.
Read more about Gavin and his work here
FAQs
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All good, baby! I’ll walk you through the basics step-by-step, with lots of encouragement and no pressure to be perfect. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes surprisingly intuitive. You don’t need prior experience—just a willingness to play and experiment.
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We’re making a throw-sized quilt - great for couch snoozin, wall hangings, or a baby blanket. You’ll be able to modify to your preference. Expect to get started in class, and likely finish your quilt at home.
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You do not! However, if you have one you work with regularly and would like to bring it, we’d love that—just let us know on the registration form so we can plan accordingly. Otherwise a machine will be provided.
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Please bring any clean, laundered fabric you’re ready to let go of: old clothes, pillowcases, thrifted textiles, fabric stash treasures… anything soft and sewable that wants a second life. Think: cottons, linens, blends. If it feels good in your hands, we’ll find a use for it.
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Yes! We’ll have thread, batting, backing fabric, scissors, pins, seam rippers, and everything you need to sew and quilt. You just need to show up with some fabric to share (if you can) and nimble hands!
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We’ll be posted up at the Lang Carson Recreation Center in Reynoldstown. The space is accessible, air-conditioned and scent-free. We’ll have plenty of table space and chairs for ample elbow room.
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This workshop is built on the spirit of generosity, collaboration and mystery. How will we find our way when the materials are unknown and unplannable? When we all contribute scraps to the collective pile, we create magical uncertainty—your castoffs might be someone else’s treasure. If you truly don’t have anything to bring, don’t worry. There will be plenty to go around, and your presence is a gift in itself.
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This is a small, artist-run offering, and all sales are final. I don’t offer refunds, but you can definitely gift your spot to someone else, or reach out to me if you’d like help connecting with someone on the waitlist who might be able to take it.

What an honor to be with you in the wild mystery of trying to be a human on the planet right now. Being together, moving our hands in reverence and awe—with uncertain outcomes—is a kind of sanctuary. Looking so forward to sharing this medicine with you that’s been so generously shared and poured into me.
See you at the stitch altar soon,
Melissa
Images courtesy of: Azuree Holloway for Quiltfolk Magazine and Jamie Hopper