I like a good story. Who doesn’t? These new entries into the Fabric Collage Finish Line come with really good stories, telling me not just about the quilts but about the people who made them. These quilts have origin stories—like superheroes, they have a backstory that deepens our appreciation of them.
The best stories have a beginning, middle, and end, which I think is a great structure for talking about our quilts. What inspired them (beginning)? What challenges did we face during the making (middle)? How did it turn out (end)?
Our examples today also include such details as the maker’s previous experience in quilting, personal preferences for color or pattern, and challenges shared with friends that motivated them.
Tell your Finish Line story and share it with us by using the link below. Thank you to the current, past, and future collage quilters for sharing your work with this community!
Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"
We interrupt this post for a quick reminder that there’s been a second crop of stuffed pumpkins freshly added to Oma’s Pumpkin Patch—see this week’s Throwback Thursday post for the story (everything has a story!), or click here to take you right to the Patch!
And now back to your scheduled Finish Line post. 🙂
Allison Lockwood
Allison Lockwood from Pismo Beach, California, took my class at the Madeline Island School of the Arts (MISA), Wisconsin, in June 2021. This was the first in-person class since the beginning of the pandemic. During the year and few months when classes were cancelled, I had started using Zoom to give Live Online presentations, classes, and Fabric Collage Coaching. When getting back to teaching in-person I decided to incorporate some of the tools and techniques I learned online for teaching in-person again.
For instance, for this MISA class I met with everyone via Zoom ahead of time to give them feedback on their subjects, patterns, and fabrics—prior to preparing for travel and class. In this way, Allison and her classmates got a jump-start before landing on Madeline Island, ready to go on Day One.
From Allison:
I have been quilting for 35 years but this was my first venture fabric collaging a face and using Susan’s method of construction. The making of the quilt was very challenging for me and required a lot of focus, patience, and problem-solving skills. I am primarily a hand quilter and it would’ve been impossible to hand quilt this piece with so many layers of fabric. I am more of a beginning machine quilter and lack confidence in this technique. However, I acknowledged that I’ll never get better until I practice and plowed through it with a few cuss words here and there!
Our son Aaron took this photo of our beloved yellow lab, Bonnie, a few years ago using his cellphone on “portrait mode”. I love this photo because it really captures Bonnie’s personality and her love for the beach at the end of our street. Her goofy smile makes me laugh every time I look at this photo. Originally I intended to portray an exotic moth from a photograph that I found on the Internet taken by a person unknown to me. Contacting the photographer was overwhelming to me so I decided to look at my own photographs and those of my family members. I believe that because I love Bonnie so much it was easy to finish the quilt.
Susan encouraged us to start with the nose. The nose is a challenge and I ended up reworking it three times. Also, I took “artistic license” to make two other changes from the original photo. There is a large out of focus rock on the left hand side of the photo. I decided to leave that out as it would distract from Bonnie and would leave little contrast between her and the background. Also, I wanted the sky to be distinct from the ocean so I chose to leave out the clouds and make it a lavender sky. Why have a blue sky when you can have a lavender sky? Also, the complementary colors of yellow Bonnie and the lavender sky are pleasing to me.
Allison, what a great job in finishing Bonnie’s sweet, sweet portrait. I think the soft-toned floral-like fabrics you used throughout (dog to sky) have added to the gentle and friendly feel of this quilt—love the beachy sand dollars in her fur. I especially enjoyed looking closely at the detail photos below (click to see larger). Perfect use of sheer fabrics in those crashing waves, and pretty good quilting too! A job well done.
Tella Lancaster (via her “Nana” Robin Lancaster)
Robin Lancaster of Charlotte, NC, sent in these images and tells the wonderful story of this quilt’s creation by her granddaughter, Tella. Tella was six and a half when she made the quilt—now she’s seven and a half. I adore children’s art in every way, shape, and form, and am thrilled to include this quilt and story in this Finish Line! A special thank you for sharing your artwork with us, Tella! Your mud bubbles remind me of springtime where I live in Maine. 🙂 Keep creating in all sorts of ways—I’m sure your Nana has plenty more fabric she’d share with you!
From Robin:
When my granddaughter was between 5.5-ish to 6-ish, she painted this painting not letting me see it until she was finished. As soon as I saw it I just knew it had to be an art quilt. Fast forward 1-1.5 years and instead of ME making the art quilt, I decided SHE should make it. I took a picture of it, blew it up and had her trace the elements she wanted in her art quilt. “Do you want these dark brown areas?” “Yes! That’s the most important part!” “Why? Tell me about those.” “Those are mud bubbles!” “I see that now. Mud bubbles are definitely important and need to be in there.”
She chose each fabric and I helped her cut out the shapes. Her fabric choices were amazing. Two different blues for the sky and three different yellows for her sun. She also chose to overlay three of the flower blossoms with a silver gauzy fabric with silver “dots” on it and use two different rose colored fabrics for the last flower. I’m not sure I could have made better choices!
I really wanted HER to quilt it with my longarm, but she was afraid of it so I gave her options for each area and she chose from those options. She chose outline for the sky, clouds, flowers and stems. And bubbles, of course, in the mud bubbles! (I didn’t actually give her that choice because my bubbles aren’t that good. “Nana, can’t you just put bubbles in there?” “I can try.” She’s so encouraging! “Nana, they look just like in my mind!” She chose a simple small meander in the background similar to a quilt I have hanging downstairs. (I certainly wish I had taken time to practice my longarming since I hadn’t done it for about 8 months!)
She named her piece “Tella’s Creation” because “God created the flowers, but I created the painting.” This will never hang in a quilt museum, but it is by far the most treasured art quilt I have ever had the privilege of being a part of.
Joanne Hannon Shaw
Joanne Hannon Shaw of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has been a long-time student of mine. I have missed her and her buddies in collage Darlene Determan and Marilyn Davidson since the pandemic descended and we haven’t been able to meet in-person. But just like Joanne mentions below, I know she’s checking out these posts first thing on Saturday mornings It’s readers like her (and quite possibly you) that keep me motivated to provide posts to entertain you week-to-week. For instance, during a recent Friday wind and rain storm, I fretted to Tom, “What if we lose power before I get this [post] finished and it’s not in mailboxes tomorrow morning? What about their morning cuppas??!!”
Back to this quilt. I would have been hard-stretched to pick it out as one of Joanne’s due to the non-animal subject matter. But it certainly has her bold sense of color and pattern. And value—check out the gradating sequence of vertical posts along the left of the tunnel—light and warm colors receding to dark and cool colors—exactly what supports that sense of perspective. Beautiful work, Joanne, but I’m still waiting to see the finished turtles.
From Joanne:
It has been at least ten years since I first met Susan at a Harpswell, Maine, retreat class to learn what her fabric collage was about after being inspired initially with “ Tickled Pink”. I was hooked and have her books and faithfully enjoy her Saturday morning blog with my “cuppa”.
This quilt began as a challenge with two friends and a theme title, Across the Divide. The inspiration was from several photos I had taken on a trip through the Canadian Rockies by train. Bridges and tunnels transcend through the divides of these majestic mountains and this fabric collaged piece depicts the passing through rockslide tunnels. This proved challenging to translate an architectural design into collage as I have only done animals in the past. I folded and finger pressed fabric to create the three dimensional posts. I am so deeply thankful to Susan for all her wisdom, humour and support over the years in sharing this art form. It has been my lifeline during these difficult months and keeps me connected with my friends.
Please tell Tella and Nana – I first saw her mud bubbles as family groupings: Tella tracing herself (the single dot on the far right) being embraced by several generations before her – with the empty area on the far right as a space for her own children. I love this quilt – and the story behind it!
Lori, I shall surely pass on your sweet comment. Better yet, I shall let her read it herself!
Congratulations to Allison for her completion of Bonnies portrait. I know she will always have a big smile on her face when she looks at this work of hers. Tella is amazing and inspiring! What a great job , and having her grandmother’s encouragement to make this piece with her was so heartwarming this morning with my “ cuppa” by my side.
Thank you Susan.
I loved watching Allison’s Bonnie come together during the MISA class. The day she added the teeth Bonnie really came to life. I am hoping to get back to my project soon as other things have taken over but one day soon, I hope. Great job Allison!
Gosh, such wonderful inspiration to see and admire! I am impressed with each person’s imagination and ultimate, final design. Thanks for more beautiful pictures and stories!