Susan Carlson Throwback Thursday: Happy Birthday, Oma!

My mama, Meta, now known as Oma, turns 90 years old tomorrow, January 20, 2023. Please take a moment to wish her Happy Birthday in the comments below—we’ll print them out and deliver them to her.

You may be familiar with Oma’s work through Oma’s Pumpkin Patch, the subject of this week’s Throwback, but the hundreds of pumpkins she’s now created are just a drop in the bucket of her life’s creativity. The very first post featuring Oma’s Pumpkin Patch was in October 2020. In that post I gave some of my mom’s background and how she influenced my artistic journey. She is an incredible, strong woman, who left her homeland behind, raised children, made a home, cared for and helped support her family. It’s a familiar story, I know, shared by many women, who like her don’t always receive the recognition they deserve.

Maybe you are sipping on a cuppa as you read this. If you are moved, raise a cup to Oma as she enjoys her own “Tasse Kaffee” with a big slice of homemade Maine wild blueberry-lemon pound cake—her birthday request from Tom, every year.

Playing with Fabric in Oma’s Pumpkin Patch

Register for Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch 2023

• January: Sunshine Oma
January 5, 12, 19, 26, 2023
$98
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Watch—and work along with me—as I create a collage portrait of my lovely mama (a.k.a. Oma) as a radiant sun face—to have ready for her 90th birthday near the end of January.

Each session is recorded so don’t worry if you miss something during the presentation or even miss the entire evening. You’ll be able to catch up with the recording.

For those who wish to try their hand at a sun portrait, in addition to the slideshow, demo, Q&A, and full recordings of the four presentations, registrants will also receive all of the following:

• A free PDF of my Sun Portrait pattern.

• Free access to the Thursday Night in My Studio Live! recorded presentation (see preview below) that explains how to adapt my Sun Face pattern to a photo of a particular person.

• And a $20 discount for a one-on-one coaching session scheduled for January or February 2023—in case you’re interested in specialized help with your own work-along creation.

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.

CLICK FOR MORE INFO

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.

CLICK FOR MORE INFO

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.

CLICK FOR MORE INFO

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.

65 Comments

  • To Susan’s Oma: Happy 90th birthday, and thanks (on behalf of myself and so many other quilters who have benefited from Susan’s teaching) for raising a daughter with such patience, creativity and inspiration. Family is one of life’s greatest blessings, and she is blessed to have you in her life and you are blessed with the amazing person your daughter is.

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday, Oma!
    I have several of your beautiful creations I have bought over the years and also given as gifts, and they have given great joy to all of us who have them. May this be a very special 90th year for you!

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Oma!!! What a great milestone in your life! May you have many more.
    Anita L-L from Ann Arbor, MI

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Oma! I proudly display my Sunflower Pumpkin on my dining table and think of you every day. Well done on living well!

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Oma!
    Thank you for passing your creativity on to your wonderful daughter. You have given all her students a valuable gift.
    Keep making the pumpkins – they’re delightful
    Here’s to many more birthdays,
    Janet D.

    Reply

  • Happy, happy birthday to Oma Meta! I wish you a very special day and a year full of blessings! Your beautiful pumpkins are so very creative and obviously made with love and care. Thank you for raising up such a talented daughter who is willing to share her expertise with so many. Happy birthday!

    Reply

  • Happy birthday Oma! 90 is fantastic! I hope you are going to celebrate in style!! I love that you wear your years with joy and vitality and are still doing so much that you enjoy. God bless you, and I wish you many more amazing birthdays.

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Oma, so inspiring at 90 years young. Love the sparkle in your eye! Cheers, hugs and best wishes for many more 🙂 !

    Reply

  • To OMA the Pumpkin Lady – Have an amazing 90th birthday. You deserve a day of relaxation and chats with friends. What an amazing life you have had. Share it!

    Greetings from Jill in Portland, Oregon

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Oma!! I hope you have a lovely day as you celebrate your special day with those you love and those who live you!
    I have one of your pumpkins!! ????????
    Love, Linda Peterson

    Reply

  • Dearest Meta,

    Congratulations on reaching 90 years! This is quite an accomplishment! From what I gather thru Susan’s Thursdays and Saturdays email posts, you are healthy and have a good outlook on life not to mention whenever we see you, you are always smiling!!

    I find it especially heartwarming that your grandson helps you with promoting your pumpkins. The joy grandchildren can bring to our lives can be overwhelming, but we grandmas can handle it. 🙂

    You certainly raised a wonderful daughter! Wishing you many more years.

    Reply

  • Happy birthday to you, Oma!! (I go by Oma to my grandson, too!). I hope you have the most pleasant of birthdays!!

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday OMA! We are so blessed to have Susan in our lives and know you have been the inspiration of her many talents. You are blessed to have a beautiful family and they are blessed to have you too! Hope you enjoy your 90 year celebration and have many more!
    Love the pumpkins. Very cute!

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday, Oma. I am so happy to be a part of your pumpkin patch family. Some of your precious pumpkins have ended up in my care until I have been able to place them in their forever homes. They have been shared with both kids and teachers who were badly in need of a small, tangible hug-a hug that can be seen and remembered. Thank you for making each one of those individuals, (and me, of course) feel a little bit better.

    Reply

  • Have the happiest birthday, Oma. Thank you for gifting your creative genius to your kind and fearless daughter and thank you too for gifting your daughter to the world. We are all better for knowing her and it all began with you. Enjoy your day doing whatever pleases you!
    Sincerely,
    Judy

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday, Oma,
    Susan’s love for you has made you very special to us. Have a wonderful 90th celebration.

    Reply

  • Dear Oma,
    Happy birthday to a remarkable woman. I enjoy pulling my pumpkin out as I begin to work on my next collage experience and reflecting on all that you have shared with the world. Your talent with fabric prior to arriving in this country was incredible to say the least. Your children and grandchildren carry on your beautiful resilience. I imagine it’s hard to fathom the incredible strength of your creativity. Not only did you influence your family, but through that inspiration, you have influenced generations beyond your own two hands! Thank you for being present on the Earth! Cheers!

    Reply

  • Dear Oma!
    Sending you much love and blessings on your 90 birthday!!! Thank you for Susan, for your grandson and for the pumpkins! My mom lives in Peru and she will be celebrating 92 in April. Seeing your pic reminded me of how fortunate Susan and I are for having our moms still with us. What a gift from above! A toast on your birthday Oma, and for many more healthy years!
    Rossanna from New York.

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Oma! Your wonderful pumpkins adorn my home, as well as my friend’s homes who received them from me. Thank you for sharing your other “gift” to us, Susan.

    Reply

  • Happiest of birthdays, Oma!
    I am writing to you from California. It is usually quite sunny, but today we had a delightful rainstorm. I read that you’ll have a special lemon blueberry cake and maybe some birthday candles. My mother’s family is from Mexico–if you were here, we would pick a special pinata filled with candy and treats to celebrate your special day! Since you are so colorful and creative I know you would enjoy picking out a bright, happy pinata–maybe even one that looks like a pumpkin! Sending you a big hug and wishes for a healthy and happy year, Juliet

    Reply

  • Happy 90th Birthday, Oma! Greetings from the state of Georgia. Keep making your beautiful pumpkins, you are an inspiration at any age. I love my Oma pumpkins and enjoy them all year long in my quilting room! Enjoy the lemon blueberry cake! Yum!

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday, Oma! Sounds like you will have a yummy cake! I think I may try the recipe soon! Judy Forkner in Boulder, CO

    Reply

  • A very happy birthday to Oma. May your day be filled with joy and the love of all those that are important in your life.

    Reply

  • Happy birthday to Susan’s Oma. you are so blessed to have such a talented and gifted daughter. I wish you very many more happy, healthy years. God Bless.
    Sandra

    Reply

  • You are an amazing fabric artist and your gift of creativity lives on in you and your daughter! Enjoy this very special milestone birthday!

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Oma ????❣️
    I am always reminded of you when I am gazing at the little pumpkins that are perched on my window sill in my sewing room. Your daughter Susan has given me a wonderful forever gift and I cherish the memories that go with that.
    Joanne

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday, Oma! I wish you a wonderful day to celebrate and good health and happiness in the coming year. ????

    Reply

  • A very Happy 90th Milestone Birthday, Miss Oma! You are an example to many. May you continue to enjoy all that life has to offer. Bless you!

    Reply

  • A very Happy Birthday OMA, may you have a Birthday full of joy and warmth with your family around you.God bless you and keep you well. From Sandra hère in France.,(who appreciates and follows you,thanks to your exceptionally talented daughter)

    Reply

  • Happy, Happy Special Birthday, OMA! You truly are an inspiration to others by continuing to stay active and productive in our later years! May you have many more healthy and happy ones in the future!

    Reply

  • Happy Birthday Meta!!!!
    We love the pictures you sent. We really enjoyed our last visit with you. Words can’t adequately express how dear you are to both of us. You have made a difference and lifetime impression on Rick and then me as well. Love Always, Rick and Sherry

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *