Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Finish Line: A Captivating Canine Collection

Dogs are one of the most popular for subjects of fabric collage. We can’t help but adore them and they adore us back. Maybe that’s what inspires us to create these homages to our pooches.

When I’m teaching fabric collage, I often do a quick demo of making a dog nose, after making several dozen, I am intimately familiar with how a dog’s nose is constructed.

The doggy noses in this collection—such as the one on Karen Coan’s “Guapo” (above)—are are so cute you want to smooch ’em. Enjoy these furry faces!

If you too have a finished fabric collage quilt that you would like to share with us (pup portrait or not), please click on the submit button below for more info. A big thank you to all who share their collage quilts in these Finish Line posts. And a special thank you to these runner-up’s in our recent Fabulous Fabric Collage Give-Away—you guys are all fabulous to me.

Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"

Learning resources referred to in this post include: Serendipity Quilts, the Master Class, collage coaching, 5-day online classes, Patreon, patterns, and the Sea Turtle eWorkshop.

Click on any of the smaller images to view them larger.

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Pat Beaudoin

From Pat Beaudoin of Dundas, Ontario, Canada:

I first read Susan’s book – Serendipity Quilts, after a friend showed me some pictures of her quilts. I then bought and completed the Master Class Manual. I made the spiral (a must exercise for anyone wanting to learn the technique). I then made a portrait of a friend’s dog. It was a huge hit and I loved doing it. I have since made 4 dogs and this last one Rosie was for a friend’s birthday. Rosie now hangs in a place of honour in their home.

I was lucky enough to go to one of Susan’s workshops in Oct. 2019. A fabulous experience. I had booked another for 2020, but we all know what happened then?

I am now working on my first person – following Susan’s example of her Man in the Moon done using Sam’s face. I am doing it using a picture of my husband. I am finding it a real challenge as I try to use reads and yellows instead of “natural” colours.

Rosie is the dog of a friend. I took many pictures before I found one I liked. My other quilts were the whole dog and I think the closer look at her face is a better image – as Susan says bigger is better.

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Kelly Stafford

From Kelly Stafford of Prineville, Oregon:

I had wanted to do fabric collages but hadn’t found a teacher or technique that I liked or inspired me. Then in 2020, I found Susan’s blog and her Master Class manual, then her online videos. A couple of collage consults then led me to the “Thursday Nights” series, and Patreon. I was very excited to participate in Susan’s first online class. I especially enjoyed meeting other likeminded students who added a social element during those pandemic days, and continue to provide feedback and moral support. I have now completed 13 collages and have 3 more in the works!

This quilt is of my friend’s dog, a 13 lb terrier mix, named Moose (not sure why!) I did this when I was frustrated with another collage and needed a break. I really enjoyed making Moose, especially adding the background pieces that illustrate the other parts of my friend’s life.

Susan has encouraged doing other projects as a kind of “palate cleanser.” To that end, I have made several fish and the turtle from Susan’s patterns. I have also used her technique to make landscape quilts. I’m happy to report that, once again, Susan’s advice hit the mark, allowing me to complete my more challenging collages.

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Sara Crocker

From Sara Crocker of Boquete, Panama:

At the end of 2020, I was auctioning off a personal pet portrait quilt as part of a charity auction and a friend made the starting (and only) bid of $75. Then she asked if I could do both of her dogs…in the same portrait. The only decent photos I had were taken in different lighting and in different poses which provided the biggest challenge for me. I’m a “color” person, so working with realistic colors (as she requested) was very hard for me.

It took me over 2 1/2 years to finish (Covid and breast cancer treatments being the main reasons) but also getting bored with the fabric choices. I collaged the background to resemble the mountains where my friend and I live in Panama and she was thrilled to finally get it. Whew! I immediately started a very colorful quilt!

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Karen Coan

From Karen Coan of Birmingham, Michigan:

I was enrolled in Susan’s class at Empty Spools in March 2021 when another strain of Covid hit. Instead of putting my planned project aside, a friend and I had our own retreat at her home where I started Guapo. Guapo was my daughter’s Staffordshire Terrier (pitbull) who was the sweetest, most gentle dog. He lived with us on and off throughout the years and I came to love him dearly. Before he passed, I wanted to immortalize him for my daughter. With Susan’s help on the Patreon platform, I was able to get her feedback to make him come alive. The quilt was accepted to the International Quilt Festival in 2022.