Maria Thomas

Maria studied Embroidery at Manchester Polytechnic during the early 1990’s and soon after gained an MA Textiles from BCU in Birmingham. Teaching and making textiles for over 30 years, she has designed textiles for fashion and exhibited regularly. Her work is featured in public and private collections in the UK and overseas and can be found in several books and magazines. You can hear her describe her work here, Arnold’s-attic, ‘Meet The Artist’ (No: 54) Maria Thomas.

Describe your approach to teaching
In the studio I encourage a relaxed atmosphere, sharing stories and experiences through sewing and making. I enjoy supporting individuals to respond to the materials, techniques and processes of textiles in their own unique way. I hope to inspire and guide the learner to have a positive approach to developing and creating their own work.

What inspires your own work?
I make to capture a moment and like to reuse fabrics and found objects that have had a previous life. I am inspired by memories and instinctively drawn to quilted textiles and the comfort they offer.  For me, it’s all about association. The objects I find are mementos or tokens from a moment in time and the key to my creativity; I rehouse and connect them together with collage and stitch, often gathering and storing them for a long time before they materialize into a piece.