Each week brings us closer to our three-week Fabric Collage Finish Line Fabulous Give-Away starting (next year!) on the first Saturday in January.
We are looking to receive as many submissions as possible before next week’s deadline of Sunday, December 31, midnight Pacific Time. So if you haven’t submitted your finished fabric collage quilt, please do so before the end of the year! Already sent us a submission years ago? Or a have a quilt(s) that recently showed up in a Finish Line post (including these December posts)? You can re-enter any one quilt of yours that has previously appeared in the Finish Line. This squirrel named “Chet”, detail above, by Dale Goldberg, would be a wonderful re-submission.
Keep the submissions (and re-submissions) coming!
In the meantime, Tom and I wish you all the best in this holiday season—safe and problem free travels, warm homes and good company to enjoy, savory meals and sweet deserts. And lots of sparkling lights. Merry Christmas.
Photos above are from our seasonal excursion to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and their Gardens Aglow display of lights—for an evening of sparkle immersion, and to revisit two of their trolls. 🙂
Fabric Collage Finish Line Fabulous Give-Away
PRIZES
Five 3rd Place Prizes—$25 Gift Card to susancarlson.com
Five 2nd Place Prizes—$100 Gift Card to susancarlson.com
Five 1st Place Prizes—$200 Gift Card to susancarlson.com
One Grand Prize—Free Admission to any All-Levels Susan Carlson Live Online Class ($995 value)
Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"
Winners will be determined by a random drawing. To enter, simply submit any finished (quilted and bound) fabric collage quilt (in the collage method that I teach), between now and midnight December 31, 2023, Pacific Time. It is important that you complete the submission form entirely. Incomplete entries may not be accepted. Prizes are not transferable. One entry per person, please.
IMPORTANT: You may re-enter a quilt that has appeared previously in the Fabric Collage Finish Line, but you must re-submit the quilt using the link below. For those who have had multiple quilts appear in Finish Line posts, please choose one quilt and it’s story which you would like to enter and re-share for this give-away. If your work shows up in these December posts, please re-submit (or choose a different finished collage you’d rather submit) for the give-away. Thanks!
Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"
When the New Year rolls around, each Saturday we will announce winners and display the winning quilt entries in special Finish Line posts. On January 6, we will announce third place winners, on January 13, we will announce 2nd place winners, and on January 20—Finish Line post 100!—we will announce the first place and grand prize winners. Submissions not selected for a prize will be featured in future 2024 Fabric Collage Finish Line posts.
Edith Allison
This fantastic spiral is the first collage quilt by Edith Allison of Storrs, CT. I love it when someone tells me that’s how they started with collage, with a spiral, ’cause it’s what I do recommend. Spirals can be so fun to create. You can tell that Edith let go and played with this design, and learned a whole lot along the way: how to blend from cool colors to warm colors, how to create contrast with light and dark values, how to use the patterns in fabrics for visual interest. Spirals are a symbol of new beginnings, and “Rainbow” is an ideal start to what I hope is a new fabric collage journey for you, Edith.
From Edith:
The idea for this quilt, and all the techniques used came from Susan‘s book, Serendipity Quilts, as well as her blog, and YouTube videos.
This is my first collage quilt. I have long admired the color and creativity used in collage quilting. I have also been pursuing ways to stay engaged in the creative process throughout the making of a quilt, rather than making all the decisions upfront and executing them as is frequently true in traditional quilting. The idea for a spiral as a first project came from Susan’s book. I had a wonderful time putting it together.
Dale Goldberg
Dale Goldberg of Lansdale, PA, has pursued fabric collage with other subjects through our September Live Online Class Part 1—The Zoophies and feedback through our monthly Patreon meetings—and then there’s cute little Chet. This is the first time I’ve seen Chet and I’m loving him. Aside from his inquisitive expression, Dale has created the look of a fuzzy furred grey squirrel with a variety of non-grey colors and fabric patterns such as polka dots and flowers—perfect. Great job again, Dale, and I identify with your “bomb in the studio” comment, though I think that’s a sign of successful creativity.
From Dale:
I have taken several workshops with Susan online, read her blog, and also have a copy of her book, Serendipity quilts. I also have the Fabric Collage Master Class manual. I have learned so much from Susan, and have also benefited from seeing the work done by others who have made quilts using Susan’s technique.
This quilt was made for my sister, who is soon turning 75. She has a love/hate relationship with squirrels, so I wanted to make her a squirrel quilt. I searched online for squirrel photos and found this free photo of “Chet” (I like to name my quilts as I’m working on them – he seemed like a “Chet”). He is just so “fresh” looking!
If I didn’t love my sister so much, and made Chet with the intention of giving it to her, I would keep the quilt because it makes me laugh and I am so happy with how he turned out.
My studio looks like a bomb went off, with fabrics all over the place. I am still trying to figure out the best way of organizing my fabrics.
Connie Morrison
The work of Connie Morrison of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, first appeared in The Fabric Collage Finish Line: Quilts from Online Submissions. This time, she has created a portrait of her dog, Ember. The colors and fabrics that Connie chose are very effective in telling Ember’s story. The feeling I get is cool, watery and icy, but soft and warm as well. Even without reading Connie’s story, I’d sense that her dog is in the snow, but quite relaxed and comfortable, perfectly at home in her surroundings, radiating warmth, with an intelligence in her eyes. What a beautiful portrait of a companion, Connie.
From Connie:
This quilt is a portrait of one of our dogs… a red and white husky. My husband and I ran sled dogs for many years and Ember was one of them. I started this quilt well before Covid and worked on it sporadically over several years. I think I redid the face at least 5 times before I got it right.
Below left, is one of the unfinished faces Connie chose not to use. Wow! What a difference in the expressiveness of Ember’s eyes (among other things). Obviously, all the re-do’s that Connie went through were all to her benefit. A great example of the use of drafts and edits to work through problem areas of your subject.
I was honoured to have my quilt selected to the Canadian National juried show 2023 which was this month. I (of course) noted that I had learned the technique from Susan’s blog and her book Serendipity Quilts. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of making this quilt. It took me a few years to complete but it was worth it!!!
Carolyn Mathieu
Carolyn Mathieu of Stephens City, Virginia has boldly ventured into the skies for inspiration for her celestial subjects (the second, a sun, is included below). She has repeated circles and orbs not just in her backgrounds, but also in the portraits as well, emphasizing their rounded contours. These sorts of repeating patterns found in fabrics are a good way to narrow down the “universe” of choices we have when it comes to choosing a fabric palette to tell the story of our subjects. Another heavenly job well done, Carolyn.
From Carolyn:
This is my second fabric collage submission based upon “Serendipity Quilts“! When I shared “Spiritual Leo” back in November 2022, I knew that Leo needed a friend!….On to page 49 and the MOON portrait! I did not need to put the book under my pillow at bedtime like the first time, but find myself reading and re-reading the text to absorb as much as possible.
Most challenging for me, is choosing the color palette and fabric blends. I refer to my stash, and purchase batiks that add some flow and energy. I try something, WALK AWAY and pass it many times and yes experiment with fabrics… till EUREKA… that’s it! Most IMPORTANT are the POSTS provided on Thursday and Saturday! They are inspiring and I devour them! They feed the creative soul! THANK YOU SO MUCH SUSAN AND TOM!
Thank you, Carolyn, for all that enthusiasm! That eye is a fantastic Eureka! moment, as is the way you played the two contrasting background fabrics against each other. I love the additions of planets peeking in and out of the layers of your “Caribbean Moon” sky.
I included Carolyn’s “Spiritual Leo” from Fabric Collage Finish Line #85 below, the first of her pair of celestial portraits.
Don’t forget to enter YOUR completed fabric collage quilt in our
Fabric Collage Finish Line Fabulous Give-Away!
Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"
Deadline midnight December 31, 2023, Pacific Time
Gift Cards Now Available for Any susancarlson.com Product
or Class Purchased Through Susan’s Website
Gifts cards are available in six designs for any amount and can be applied as a “coupon” to reduce the price of a larger purchase—or towards a smaller purchase with a remaining balance to be used at a later date.
For more information, click here.