Recently in the second session of my four-week “Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch” (see below for an update) someone asked about the scissors I was using. It was a good reminder that not everyone yet knows about the wonders of the Gingher appliqué scissors (above) that I use and recommend to everyone. I figured it was a good time to go back and revisit this post, “Running With Pelicans: Scissors for Fabric Collage,” that I wrote almost five years ago.
These scissors, that I call “pelican-bladed” (because don’t they just look like a pelican?), are the workhorse of my fabric collage. They are practically surgically attached to my hand, cutting down larger designs in my fabrics into manageable shapes (see “Create a Fabric Collage Palette“), trimming and snipping, even cutting away the foundation fabric from the collaged image (if needed for background treatment).
So often I get comments like, “oh, that’s how I can use those scissors!” from students who’ve had them for years. If this Throwback Thursday post convinces you that you need these in your studio, check out my “Fabric Collage Toolkit” for more info.
And… it’s not too late to attend live and ask questions in our first “Fly on the Wall” series featuring my lace-collaged polar bear “Winfrieda.” The final two October sessions are tonight and next Thursday! Come visit me in my studio as I work on my newest fabric collage quilt. Recordings of previous sessions are sent with registration for anyone who needs to “catch up” to where Winfrieda is at this week.
View the Free Introduction to October’s Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch Series
Register for the October Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch
UPDATE: A recording will be made available to registrants the day after each session.
Sign up anytime in the month and all four recordings will be included to view or review.
October 6, 13, 20, and 27
Live each Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time
Special Introductory price for the four-week series: $78
October Fly on the Wall Registration
Throwback Thursday Post
Upcoming Live Online Classes
For a description of our live online fabric collage classes, visit this link.
November 7-11, 2022
This class is now full, please contact Tom ([email protected]) to add your name to waiting list if you are interested.
January 30-February 3, 2023
This class is now full, please contact Tom ([email protected]) to add your name to waiting list if you are interested.
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.
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.
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.