Each week for the past six years, we (Tom and I) have aimed to share something new or updated about fabric collage to appear in your Saturday morning blog post. Almost always we’ve included practical knowledge, advice, or inspiration for your fabric collage journey, whether you are seriously pursuing a mastery of the technique or merely watching quietly from the sidelines as you get ready to jump in.
This week’s a bit different. As the holidays approach, we hope you won’t mind if we take a moment to do (as the “Car Talk” guys used to say) some “shameless commerce.”
Whether you are considering a gift for someone else or dropping some heavy hints to a significant other, a gift of learning fabric collage is a gift that doesn’t clutter up the home (except maybe some more fabric!) and lasts a lifetime.
And for a gift that benefits both you and us, I’d like to encourage you, our readers, to support this blog with a monthly donation through Patreon (details below).
In return for subscriber support, we provide incentives as thank-you’s that include: early access to our online classes, direct access to my feedback through monthly Zoom Show and Share meetings, and discounts on Fabric Collage Coaching. These incentives have evolved and will continue to evolve to reflect the needs and requests of our Patreon community. If you are interested in learning fabric collage then I want to get to know you, and the best way to do that is through Patreon.
The monthly Zoom show and share meetings keep me thinking and learning. Regardless of how prolific you are (or not), the ideas she shares and the support Sue gives us, keeps us thinking, on our toes and growing in our art. I recommend becoming a Patreon member—you’ll get more back then you give. —Anita Liberman-Lampear
A year into creating this blog, we began to realize the sort of weekly time commitment we had made, and turned to you for monthly support of the fabric collage information, thoughts, and stories we were sharing. Readers turned out for us then, and continue to show their support and appreciation every month, for our time and effort to produce the growing archives of this collage blog.
And if it’s just the weekly blog post read you appreciate, we’re grateful for your Patreon support as well, at any level.
If you would like to purchase a gift for someone else, please contact Tom ([email protected]) to arrange for a coupon code and gift certificate.
Keep scrolling for more information about the many ways of learning fabric collage—with a gift for you at the end.
I wish you the best possible holidays this year. Stay safe and keep on collaging!
Patreon
The button below takes you to my Patreon page which gives more details on this monthly subscription of fabric collage instruction. There you can see a brief summary of all archived monthly videos (currently 61) which are available to view at the $5+ month level.
If you subscribe now, your subscription will be put on “hold” until your credit card is charged, which is automatically set up to be at the beginning of every month. However, Tom has just figured out how to speed up that process and give you immediate access to all the benefits. BUT he needs a few more days to get to that.
So if this subscription service appeals to you, go ahead and sign up, and we’ll have you set to enjoy all the perks (we email reminder notices) by our next monthly Zoom Show and Share (available at the $5+ level) on Tuesday, December 14, 7pm Eastern Time. Hope to see you there!
Supporting Susan on Patreon at the $20.00 level gives me a little more access to her significantly large brain and her superb creative talent. I enjoy the monthly Patreon Zoom because it enables me to see other creative people confront some of the same struggles I face. Susan sees each student as an individual and addresses each issue as if it is the first time she has ever seen it. I am always impressed with the work each student shares and at the end of the session, feel validated. —Mary McKay
What is Patreon?
Patreon is a service that allows you to make monthly donations to an artist of your choice—in this case, me! Donations to my Patreon account help support the weekly publication of new fabric collage blog posts. There are several levels of donation, from $1 to $20.
Currently about 100 people are subscribers. But 5,000 people receive the blog in their in-box each week and more than that see it on Facebook. The 100+ subscribers help to subsidize the cost of the blog for everyone else. This is a model similar to National Public Radio. Not everyone can or should pay for it. But I ask that you consider a donation if you read the blog, find it useful, and are able to afford it.
Besides supporting the blog, Patreon gives us income wiggle room to work on providing new fabric collage learning resources. For example, we created the Fabric Collage Master Class with support from our Patreon subscribers. As a thank-you, those subscribers received discounts for early purchase of the Master Class.
In exchange for your monthly donation, you receive incentives based on your level of support, such as advanced notice of upcoming Live Online Classes, feedback via monthly Zoom Show and Share Meetings, and discounts on Fabric Collage Coaching.
I have been a monthly Patreon supporter of Susan’s since 2017. For the first two years, I was a $20 supporter, and for the past three years I have maintained a $5 contribution. At this point, it’s not about needing more instruction in fabric collage. It’s about being her “patron” and supporting her as an artist, so she can continue her work. In this small way, I feel I am helping others to gain the many benefits I have received from her over the years. Her work is amazing, and so is she! —Christine Stern
All Patrons at any level, receive advance notice of the virtual classes that I host (in-person classes are hosted by separate venues). If you want to take a class with me but find that spots are filled before you have a chance to sign up, this may be attractive to you.
At the $5 level of giving, Patrons are invited to a monthly Zoom Show and Share Meeting where they can email images of their work along with a brief question which I will answer, or just sit back and take in the creativity being shared and discussed.
At the $10 level of giving, Patrons can attend the monthly Zoom Show and Share Meeting as panelists and receive feedback on their works in progress.
$20 level Patrons also can attend the Zoom Show and Share Meeting as panelists. In addition, they receive $20 a month off Fabric Collage Coaching sessions. Our way to turn around and support those who are especially serious about pursuing their art.
I love Susan’s method of collage quilting, and I support her partly partly because she makes so much available freely through her blog. I now own her online workshops, and “attended” many of the 2020 Thursday night sessions. I know there’s always more to learn. The monthly Zoom meetings are helpful for learning also, as she gives feedback and assistance to other collage quilters. For me, they also have an unexpected value – I feel part of a community of artists. And that’s a big positive – I live in Australia and cannot attend in person classes. Her Zoom meetings are also timed perfectly for me – what is Tuesday night in the USA is Wednesday morning for me. In supporting her, I’m supporting my fabric collage teacher. Thank you, Susan!
—Cathy Smith
eWorkshops
Learn fabric collage on your time in the place of your choosing. Each eWorkshop covers the entire process of fabric collage, from subject and fabric choice to quilting and finishing.
Fabric Collage Master Class
$199
For those who want learn the process of fabric collage and apply it to any subject of their choice. Uses Over 150 detailed photos and 26 instructional videos.
Sea Turtle eWorkshop
$149
For those who want a step-by-step project they can follow from start to finish. Over 25 in-depth videos totaling more than four and a half hours
Spiral eWorkshop
$25
For those who want to try fabric collage using a simple and low-risk project. Price is discounted from future purchase of Fabric Collage Master Class (the Spiral Exercise is included as an introduction to the fabric collage technique in the Master Class).
Book: Serendipity Quilts
$29.95
Fabric collage clearly explained in a good “old-fashioned” paper book—now in its 6th printing! Several projects of increasing difficulty to choose from (or use your own design to work from). Four patterns included, as well as a step-by-step progression chapter of a mandala quilt, and a photo gallery of many of my quilts.
Fabric Collage Toolkit
A collection of helpful tools and supplies to get started on your fabric collage journey. These make great stocking stuffers for your favorite fabric collage enthusiast. See especially the books “Bird by Bird” and “Wild Mind”, both of which are great sources of inspiration and creativity.
Woman Artists 2022 Date Book
$15 (plus S&H, regularly $17.95)
I have a few available copies of this datebook, which just so happens to feature my quilt “Tortuga Verde” for the second week of August 2022. Handily sized (4-1/2 by 6-1/2 inches), I get one every year to capture daily thoughts and events. And the mechanical pencils I like (linked in my Fabric Collage Toolkit above) work great on the uncoated pages.
A Holiday Gift from Us—Enjoy a FREE PATTERN of Your Choice
If you need a boost of inspiration, let my variety of designs get your creative juices flowing.
These downloadable patterns are perfect for fabric collagers of any level—created to give alternate design options to the fabric collage technique found in my Serendipity Quilts book and eWorkshops.
Use the coupon code below.
This code may be shared (just forward this post to a friend) but applied only once per user.
freefabriccollagepattern
Visit susancarlson.com/patterns to select.
And feel free to add additonal $5 patterns to your cart, if you so desire. 😉
I will certainly sign up once I am a back in the States, but since I am in London right now, it wants to charge me everything in Pounds Sterling and I would rather pay in dollars. I will be back in the new year.
Wishing lots of laughter and warmth this holiday season.
Jane Copper-Short