I love me a dog nose. In my fabric collage animal classes I often create a dog nose during my in-class demonstration. Rebecca Lilly Segura’s dog nose (above) is a great one. She obviously has looked closely at how a dog nose is constructed, how the nostrils make two reflected commas, how there’s a split in the middle.
I feel that my job as a teacher of fabric collage is to see the strong points in someone’s work—whether it is the eye of a horse (Liza Carter) or the blending of fabrics in a spiral (Carol Simpson) or indeed Rebecca’s nose of a Boston terrier. Pointing out what is done particularly well gives everyone, the student and viewers such as you, the knowledge of what to aim for for future success.
Tom says my motto is “All art is good art” which sounds like an oversimplification. The way I see it, art is not a concrete object—at least not the object alone. Art is the intersection between creator and object. When I teach that is where I live, in that intersection, reacting to what I see and finding the unique strengths that each student has brought into their work.
If you too have a finished fabric collage quilt you would like to share, please click on Submit button. Thank you! And another big thank you to the ladies who have shared their quilts below.
Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"
For an inside look at how I teach, consider registering for my upcoming November Live Online Class:
For a description of our live online fabric collage classes, visit this link.
November 7-11, 2022 (as of 10/7/22, one spot remaining)
REGISTER FOR NOVEMBER CLASS
If this class fills, please contact Tom ([email protected]) to add your name to waiting list.
January 30-February 3, 2023
This class is now full, please contact Tom ([email protected]) to add your name to waiting list.
Liza F. Carter
I first met Liza Carter of Concord, MA, when she attended my June 2019 Maine Quilt Retreat. I have since worked with Liza in one-on-one fabric collage coaching. Liza is very passionate about this horse, Conan, as you’ll read about. What a great story and connection she has with this being. She created his eye early in the collage process, she saw it from the very beginning—the right size, shape, and depth—and it never changed throughout. I also love the lushness of Conan’s rainforest background.
From Liza:
In 2019, a quilter friend of mine called me up and said “Go sign up for this course, I’ll tell you what it is about later, but there is no time now as the course has filled and you need to be the first person on the waiting list.” Trusting her judgment, I did as I was told and it turned out to be one of Susan’s week-long workshops in Harpswell. When I thought about what image I might like to create during the workshop, this photograph of Conan, the horse, spoke to me.
I’ve traveled to Costa Rica a few times to participate in a week-long equine-assisted learning program. The first activities that happens is that the horses choose who they want to work with for the week. Conan has picked me three times. The photograph of him with paint on his neck is from my first week where I painted a vision of my future on his body.
From Liza:
Conan and I had a very special connection when we were working together in Costa Rica. What felt powerful about making this quilt was that I continued to feel the same connection to him during every stage of the process.
I was determined to take the quilt back with me to Costa Rica to show it to him. Costa Rica is very rainy and humid so I knew that the quilt needed to be actually quilted in order for it to be safe to travel. That involved pulling an all-nighter the night before I left during which time I taught myself how to machine quilt using scraps and then quilted the thing. The glued edge binding was added after I came home.
What I loved about showing the quilt to Conan is how curious he was about it. He clearly knew it was connected to him and to us.
Rebecca Lilly Segura
Rebecca Lilly Segura lives in Wilson County, TX. She saw me many moons ago when I was a guest on Alex Anderson and Ricky Timm’s “Simply Quilts.” That was a long time ago, so thank you Lily for following me and fabric collage for so long! I do believe that time and study has paid off with this quilt of Remedy—a tough subject as an all white short-haired pup—not much contrast to work with, but what a great job. And no, you didn’t spend too much time “fretting” over her eyes and nose, they’re as perfect as she is.
From Rebecca:
Although I have never had the pleasure of attending one of Susan’s classes in person, I have her books (“Serendipity Quilts” and “Free-style Quilts”), and the Fabric Collage Master Class Manual. The feedback I receive from the Master Class FB group [for Master Class owners] is very helpful and I appreciate everyone who comments.
This quilt is the first in an ongoing fund raiser that I am doing for our local No-Kill Animal Shelter. I committed to 7-10 pet portraits in exchange for a direct donation to the shelter. I raised $2000 in 2019 for the shelter doing this and it was so well received, that I decided to repeat it. This sweet little girl, named Remedy, is a resident of Kentucky and works in a pharmacy (the name is perfect!). She has such a sweet personality and I hope that I have portrayed that in this quilt.
Originally, I wanted to use threadwork to add the little rim of hair around the front edge of the ears, but came across a great selvedge edge on a white fabric…. it worked like a charm! I added more tulle and lace than I normally do, but it was exactly what I needed to get the pink of the skin under the white hair coat. The tulle helped add subtle shadows/folds on the muzzle.
I probably spent too much time fretting over her features and rebuilt the eyes and nose several times before I was satisfied with the way they looked. In the end, I am extremely happy with the end product and am very proud to send it off to her new home. She will be displayed in the pharmacy.
Carol Simpson
Carol Simpson of San Diego, CA, is another who has been introduced to fabric collage by my spiral project. This is a great project for beginners to grasp not only the basic techniques of fabric collage but to learn to blend fabrics and play with color. Every time I see another spiral submitted for the Finish Line, I want to sit down and make another myself! Such a simple and universal design—that is different every single time.
I could examine Carol’s Festive Spiral for a long time—she’s included such visual interest and contrast—and it lifts my spirits. Thank you, Carol.
From Carol:
This was my entry in Canyon Quilters Color Me Festive challenge. We were given a fat quarter of fabric and the theme and it was game on! I had made one other spiral using Susan’s techniques as shown in her book Serendipity Quilts and by reading all her blog posts and watching her YouTube videos. This was an opportunity to practice and expand. Oh, and the given fabric contained all the little raindrop looking splashes. My spiral won the Judges Choice award for Most Festive!
Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch
It’s not too late to Register for the October Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch!
A video recording will be made available to registrants the day after each session
so that those who may miss an evening can catch up.
This past Thursday at 7 pm Eastern Time, almost fifty folks joined Tom and I in my studio for a live presentation—and it didn’t even feel crowded! 😉 There were slides, lace of all sorts, scissors and pins, questions and answers—as I continued the process of constructing my newest fabric collage quilt, “Winfrieda” the polar bear.
You can still register for these Zoom presentations anytime through October! As we receive new registration notices, Tom will send links to any past weekly recordings. You will then join everyone else in receiving the weekly invitations to the Thursday Zoom presentation, and the following recording on Friday.
Yesterday evening, Friday, anyone who has registered for this October Fly on the Wall Series, if they were able to attend or not, received the recording of the presentation delivered to their in-box. So if you registered but could not join us on Thursday, check your email! It’s there to view whenever you’d like, yours to keep.
Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch—click here for the write-up and to view our free video Introduction to this new series!
October 6, 13, 20, and 27
Each Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time
Special Introductory price for the four-week series: $78
October Fly on the Wall Registration
The detail in this blog post is exquisite and incredibly realistic. At a future point in time, I would like to create a fabric collage of my beloved German Shepherd, Toby. I continue to follow you, Susan, and your students who are all so incredibly gifted and deeply appreciate all your tips, tricks, information, and photos. Thank you for teaching and sharing your work.