Hello to Summer and hello to the cicadas! Pictured above is my “Cicada Summer,” and though created quite a few years ago, I had the (much loved) cicada cycles of my childhood in Maryland in mind. I even have a few of their shells squirreled away for posterity—plucked from the base of our front-yard maple tree and possibly left there by the great-great grandparents of ones that emerged this year!
Bugs have returned to Maine as well. This spring has been unseasonably warm so everything seems a bit early. About three weeks ago, Tom saw the first firefly of the year. This was about ten days earlier than the year before. I saw my first Monarch butterfly last week, though she seemed to be wondering where all the milkweed was to lay her eggs on. Most of our milkweed is lagging behind that butterfly and are not much taller than asparagus spears right now, only a few are even beginning to bud out. But then I noticed a tiny white speck on a small shoot—sure enough, it was a Monarch caterpillar egg, she found it. And last night around dusk we were driven inside from our grassy badminton court by the midgies and blackflies.
Bugs are everywhere!
Including in this TBT, which features bug quilts, some of which generated my series of patterns. The quilts in this post are all mine, but plenty of quilters have used my bug and butterfly patterns to create their own fabric collage insects. They make great first or second quilts as they are easy and low stress—as long as it has a shell or wings and six legs, it’s recognizable as a bug—which takes the pressure off so we can have more fun with our fabric!
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage: Spiral eWorkshop
Wondering if fabric collage is for you? This eWorkshop is intended for beginners in fabric collage. The spiral project is simple, low stress, but still teaches the basic techniques of fabric collage. It also serves as a handy refresher course for those with more experience.
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage: Sea Turtle eWorkshop
Learn fabric collage with Susan Carlson. Each step is clearly written, illustrated with photos, and demonstrated with video. Learn with a Sea Turtle then launch into any fabric collage project you wish.
Fabric Collage Master Class
For instructions on the entire fabric collage process, you can purchase the Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Online Master Class Manual. Using video, photos, and text I take you from soup to nuts, beginning to end in creating your own fabric collage masterpiece.
Serendipity Quilts for Sale
$29.95 plus shipping. Full color throughout. Four complete projects, start to finish, of increasing complexity. Learn fabric collage with this book.