In November and December I hosted a 4-week Fly on the Wall Susan Carlson Studio Watch, where I invited viewers into my studio as I began work of my next fabric collage quilt, a leopard using African fabrics. I thought you might like to see how that first draft Zoom series ended up, for now. I’ll be continuing work on my “Mama ‘Tswana” as the new year begins—stay tuned for more updates.
I totally enjoyed using the big, bold, and color saturated prints from my collection of African fabrics. While they can pose a challenge to use in a collage such as this, African fabrics are vibrant and exciting and just the sort of energy I hoped to inject into this portrait of a female leopard calling for her cubs—based on a photograph taken by my cousin’s wife Tanja Bauer, while on safari in Botswana.
In February, I’ll be starting a new Thursday Night series aimed at helping you jumpstart your own creativity using versatile fish designs as fanciful fabric collage subject matter. Join me for four weeks, I’m gonna show you just how fun it can be.
Thursday Night Follow-Along: Quilter’s Trophy Fish
If you’re looking for a fresh and creative start to the New Year, here’s a step-by-step way to play with the fabric collage technique. This Thursday Night series scheduled for February 2024 will be a break in routine to just play with fabric using a subject I’ve been fond of for decades—fish—they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, which means anything goes. If you’ve been wanting to “cut loose and let go,” here’s your chance. Each week I’ll be giving a live demo with Q&A as I take you from beginning to end of a fantastical fish collage—using your own prized fabric stash.
February 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2024—7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
(class has now ended)
As with all our Thursday Night sessions, a recording link will be emailed the next evening to all registrants to review or watch later if you cannot join us live.
In between the Thursday sessions, you can apply the steps covered to your own fishy fabric creation. As a registrant you will receive a code for a free fish pattern from my online shop to follow along as you play with your own fabric stash—but you are welcome of course to use your own fish design, or just “go with the flow” of your fabric.
Why choose fish for a fresh start? Well, way back when I first started down the fabric collage path, I made four fish. A year later I had made over a hundred! Needless to say, they were quite addictive. I called them my “Quilter’s Trophy Fish” since it was using my fabric stash—and hunting down more additions—that I found so entertaining. I’m certain that the repeated exercises of play with subjects that are as variable as fish, and are as colorful and full of pattern as my fabrics, gave me valuable experience in how I’ve approached my later work in fabric collage.
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.
Facial Features eWorkshop
Click here for more information.
- Eight videos (over 8 hours combined length) collected into one convenient and organized spot
- Each annotated with “Jump Points” allowing you to scan forward and backward to the information you need
- Facial Features Templates included as PDF’s to download and work along with
- Like the Fabric Collage Online Master Class, membership in this eWorkshop is for life
$99
BUY NOW
(With a special Summertime offer good from now through August 31st, 2023)
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.
Susan, your leopard is breathtaking! Her eye and expression are mesmerizing. I think this is going to be your best work yet! I’m excited to watch how it’s coming together.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE SUSAN CARLSON’S DESIGNS.