Fabric Collage Finish Line #100: Fabulous Give-Away Third Round and Grand Prize Winner Announced!

One hundred! One hundred Fabric Collage Finish Line posts! That equals hundreds of fabric collage quilts from hundreds of artists. I’m really amazed and honored when I think about all that have learned and flourished with fabric collage—and a special thanks to all who have shared their work and thoughts with others in the last eight years since this blog debuted.

In this 100th special edition of the Fabric Collage Finish Line, we announce the final round picks and Grand Prize Winner of our Fabulous Giveaway. Five names and entries were selected at random (using a computer program) to receive a $200 susancarlson.com gift card—with one name selected at random to receive free registration to one of our 5-Day Live Online Fabric Collage Classes, a $995 value.

That $200 gift card could be used to purchase combinations of the Facial Features eWorkshop ($99), a private fabric collage coaching session ($129), the Sea Turtle eWorkshop ($149) or the Fabric Collage Master Class ($199) in full.

And now, drumroll please, the five recipients of our final round $200 gift card drawing are: Karen Snow, Katherine Crowley Peckham, LeahGrace Kayler, Mary McKay, and Nanelle Strong.

Our Grand Prize winner—of a 5-Day Online Fabric Collage Class—is… Marci Robman! The polar bear collage quilt that she submitted is featured above!  Marci and all the give-away recipients have been notified by email.

The stunning quilts and their stories that these collage artists entered are presented below—enjoy, and may they inspire you to great heights in your own fabric collage journey.

Congratulations again to all 16 of our Fabulous Fabric Collage Finish Line Giveaway recipients—keep Cutting Loose and Letting Go! Thank you again to those who submitted quilts for this event (we will feature your finished collage quilts in upcoming posts), and to everyone through the years sent in photos and shared their work, to help get us to this 100th Finish Line post!

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But first, a time-sensitive announcement: (just in case you find yourself near Stockholm,  Sweden, in the next week) 😉

“Tickled Pink” Wraps Up European Tour with Kaffe Fassett Show in Stockholm, on Sunday, January 28, 2024

Since September 2022, my quilt “Tickled Pink” has been part of Kaffe Fassett’s “The Power of Pattern” show, which has traveled from London, England, to Edinburgh, Scotland (where it was seen by students Mary McKay and Catriona Stirling), and now, for one more week, in Stockholm, Sweden.

However, us arm-chair travelers can still take a short jaunt to the exhibit. Kaffe Fassett has narrated a very nice video about his work, which shows an unusual and inviting set-up at the Millesgarden Museum where the show is being displayed.

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Karen Snow

Karen Snow of Galesburg, Illinois, first submitted this whimsical and sunny portrait quilt of her daughter for Student Work—Finish Line 24, along with “Moon Over My Hammie,” a sweet portrait of her grandson. I encourage you to check out the full and very informational story of the making of the pair in the link above.

At that time, Karen didn’t include the thoughts concerning her son that she shares below. I know how therapeutic it can be to pour your love and concentration into a fabric collage, and Karen’s love for both her children seems to shine out of this piece.

From Karen:

I just tried on my own for years not knowing anyone else was doing it and then I found a picture of your crocodile and started looking for others. I took your online class.

 

It’s of my daughter. She was feeling down about her brother’s suicide and I wanted her to know he would want her happy.

In addition to learning through the Online Master Class, Karen attended my 2020 Thursday Night From my Studio Live! presentations—a portrait series of which has been now combined in the Facial Features eWorkshop. Karen says the mouth on the left above, was her first try. The one above right, was after she viewed the mouth tutorial in the Facial Features eWorkshop.

Click on photos in any gallery to see them larger.

In the photo below, Karen shows us her very effective treatment to finish this lovely fabric collage.

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Katherine Crowley Peckham

Katherine Crowley Peckham of Village of Fox Crossing, Wisconsin has created an adorable portrait of Bella—who looks very enthusiastic about something, and a bit goofy as well. Katherine has done a fantastic job of observing the facial details of her subject—especially the eyes, nose, smile, and great tongue—in order to be spot-on expressing Bella’s personality. Can’t wait to see how some of those other, “ideas swirling around” in her head, turn out!

From Katherine:

I learned about fabric collage through Susan’s book Serendipity Quilts and the wonderful details in the Master Class. I also watched many of the additional You Tube videos of Susan as well as other artists.

Beautiful Bella is my sister’s much loved pet. I have wanted to try collage quilts for many years but after seeing so many pictures of this lovely photogenic dog, she became my inspiration to finally give collage quilting a try. I now have many more ideas swirling around in my head on what I can try next.

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LeahGrace Kayler

LeahGrace Kayler of Bonita Springs, Florida has finished quite a few fabric collage quilts since I first met her in my very first Live Online 5-Day class in 2021, as she mentions below. As I looked back to the classes she’s taken (and she’s correct that there’s been seven!), 2021 seemed to be her year of fabric collage immersion—being able to concentrate on this technique through multiple subjects and challenges helped her to advance quickly as an artist.

In this class link: January 2023 Live Online Fabric Collage Class you will find the beginning stages of her Rocky the squirrel, as well as links to other collage quilts of her favorite creatures. Where LeahGrace’s color choices tend to lean toward realistic with touches of “alternate” shades, she pushed herself to lean into purples for Rocky’s shadowed areas, and touches of yellow in his highlights. What I love, in addition to his eyes, is that she created a “white” belly for him, by using light values as opposed to white fabric, and made it “fluffy” using the prints in her fabrics as contours.

From LeahGrace:

I took my first class with Susan in March of 2021, during Covid. I was so excited to be able to take one of her classes—I didn’t care if it was on-line or not. I felt I would finally have the opportunity to work with fabric the way I intuitively wanted to be working. Since then, I have taken several classes with Susan (7?) and loved each and every one.

I made this collage in the spring and summer of 2023. I’ve always loved squirrels. When I was a little girl, my grandmother would allow them onto our breakfast table to grab some peanuts IF we behaved well and ate our breakfast. I saw this little guy and thought he was adorable. He’s named Rocky for Rocky the Squirrel in the Bullwinkle Show. Every piece I work on teaches me something. Rocky taught me the importance of cutting out lots of fabric before beginning to collage. Having the cut pieces allowed me to work smoothly and the fabrics somehow blended better together. This piece makes me happy!

“Rocky” details above, by LeahGrace Kayler

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Mary McKay

Mary McKay of Palm Desert, California, is another fabric collage artist that I have happily come to know well in the last few years—in her case, both online and in-person—beginning with the 2019 MISA (Madeline Island School of the Arts) class she mentions below. Of all the many collage quilts Mary could have submitted, she chose this early subject of hers, a cute little alpaca that she met.

Her work has grown so much in experience since then that I wondered, why this quilt? But when I read the write-up that Mary included, I understood. “Val” was her ahah-moment when fabric collage started coming together for her. She created this collage on her own as opposed to in a class. She struggled, and conquered, and finished. Wherever Mary goes with fabric collage in the future, her love of it (and of hiding cars in her collages), truly began with Val.

To see Mary’s other colorful collage experiences and subjects check out links in this post: January 2023 Live Online Fabric Collage Class.

From Mary McKay:

I took an in-person class with Susan at MISA Tanque Verde in 2019 and while I was not happy with the moose I made, I discovered I loved the process. I became a Patreon supporter and the dedicated Facebook page, which seems prehistoric now, was a huge help. Other collagers, including Susan, offered helpful advice. What I love about Susan’s method is that it involves thought and decision making that is hard.

After a false start with a wallaby (the only project I never finished) I took some photos of alpacas which showed clearly defined values. I followed the values and made Val. I could trace the value lines with my finger and began to connect the mental replay of Susan in Tucson with what was happening in fabric. There’s stuff I would change but I love the way he turned out. In pre-pandemic history, Susan’s help came through the Facebook Patreon page. My first project, Day Dreaming Moose, lives in the closet. Val hangs on the wall. Val was the start of much collaging joy.

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Nanelle Strong

Even though this portrait quilt, by Nanelle Strong of Stafford, Virginia, is of her own turtle, I think I’m in love with him. Nanelle has caught a pose, an expression, and an attitude in “Devious” that makes me wish I could have met this unique creature, and member of Nanelle’s family. The playful colors give him a warmth of personality, the fabric prints add great visual texture, and the perspective that Nanelle chose, puts us on equal footing this personable fellow.

I started learning how to collage quilt from Susan in February of 2010 when I purchased her book “Free-Style Quilts”, and then bumbled my way to “Serendipity Quilts” in 2013. My family gifted me the Master Class and my quilting continued to evolve.

 

Devious was a personal challenge. I wanted to do right by him, so I carefully followed the Master Class step-by-step while working on him. Though I see things that I could improve upon, I won’t change him. I learned a great deal about my best process and even more about seeing detail and translating it to the quilt.

Devious was a beloved childhood pet who had a huge personality and was a joy to interact with. We were blessed to have him around long enough for my children to meet when they were young. It was important to me to bring out that personality in his portrait. By following along step-by-step I believe I slowed myself down enough to really see the inspiration photo. I have noticed that my quilt making process changed after making Devious and I feel it is more comfortable and deliberate.

“Devious” details above, by Nanelle Strong

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Grand Prize Winner

When Tom and I set up this Fabulous Fabric Collage Give-Away, it was hard for me to think about who of all those that participated would be the recipient of our grand prize—a week-long online class. I’ve experienced and understand how hard my students work at fabric collage, if they’re learning from the my blog, books, eWorkshops, or classes. Regardless of how far along they are in their own skills and journeys—it would be nerve-wracking to have to decide “the one.” Which is why Tom found a way to randomize the email addresses of all the submissions. When it came time for me to nervously press the randomize button, the email address that came to the top of the list was one we didn’t recognize, it wasn’t based on someone’s name. After a quick search, Tom told me who it was:

Marci Robman

It feels nice to me that Marci Robman of Kalispell, Montana, is getting this class. It’s been a few years since I last worked with her at The Quilt Gallery in Kalispell, in 2019, but I can still picture her perfectly—and the collages she created in her classes. When Tom pulled up the quilt Marci had submitted, I was thrilled to see the completed collage of the one she had begun back then.

“Churchill” has so much more contrast than when I last saw him, especially in his deep purple shadows—Marcie really worked with adding as much light and dark values as she could. And I like how she treated his ears. But I really appreciate what she has done with her quilting. I admit that in my own work I enjoy a simple spiral stipple design, but I’m finding so much visual interest in the way Marci has filled in Churchill’s furry parts with flowers and leaves and wavy patterns. I’m thinking that she may have stitched along subtle printed designs in her fabrics as quilting guides, or maybe the lines are purely from her imagination. Either way it’s a great idea and gives pattern to areas that otherwise would appear empty and very plain.

As you’ll read below, Marci took classes with me three years in a row—she has chosen subjects that each offer their own challenges to interpret in fabric collage—a bird, a reptile, and a very furry monochromatic mammal. I look forward to working with her again on her next fabric collage challenge.

Marci’s roadrunner collage from 2017 is featured in this 2018 Finish Line post: Completed Student Work Volume 12. I had to smile when I read how we started the post with, “A dozen Finish Line posts! And more in the works!” Yes, definitely more in the works as here we are with our 100th Finish Line.

The photos above and below are from the 2019 class as Marci began “Churchill.” I remember how Marci wanted to keep this a “white” polar bear, but with using light values of warm colors for the highlights and light values of cool colors for the shadows. You can see her warm and cool fabric choices in the photo above left. Above right, demonstrates how getting started on a collage has its “messy scary” moments.

Getting Churchill’s eyes and nose in place early on, below, was a good idea for Marci—the contrast of those features gives welcome definition to such a light colored piece.

Marci had a set-up to her space that was a bit unusual, but with good ideas. She had an image for color inspiration—the mountain goat pinned on her board, above—a white coated animal that was painted with reflections of color, just like she wanted to achieve on her polar bear. There was also a special little pincushion kept nearby. But most memorable was her action-figure polar bear, changing poses as he occupied Marci’s table and overlooked her progress. There are a couple more photos included in the original class post, but the ones below are my favorites. At the end of the week, he seemed to give Churchill a parting pep-talk.

From Marci:

I learned fabric collage by attending Susan’s classes every summer at Quilt Gallery in Kalispell Montana,  starting in 2017. That year I created a roadrunner. In 2018 I did a colorful iguana and then in 2019, was the polar bear.

Every year I acquired more knowledge and understanding of her process of color value, highlights, shading, and contrast using fabrics. Attending her classes I learned from her demonstration how to create eyes and adding netting to the final project!

This quilt is based on the place I was born. Churchill, Canada where polar bears roam around town. I wanted to draw attention to the environmental changes which may lead to the extinction of these beautiful bears so I placed him on a mound of melting ice.