Fabric Collage Finish Line: A Visit to the Zoo

I may have now lived in Maine for nearly three decades, but I grew up in Maryland, just outside the DC border. When I was in elementary school, I didn’t realize how unusually lucky I was to be taken on usual school field trips (as well as family day-trips) to the Smithsonian Museums, and the National Zoo. This was back in the 1960’s and ’70’s, and zoos have come a long way since then, thankfully. But it was what it was, and the only way I could be exposed to such a variety of animals. I’m sure my love and appreciation of creatures began with those suburban excursions.

However, each of the wild animals you’ll meet in the finished collage quilts below, weren’t generated from trips to the zoo. The fascination of these subjects came from up-close-and-personal encounters or research. Each one is a multi-colored examination in fabric and each one has been imbued a personality from it’s creator—such as Rhonda O’Keefe’s “Zebras,” detail of quilt, above.

Enjoy your own field trip through this collection of creatures—found in both the wild and in zoos—captured here, in fabric collage.

If you too have a finished fabric collage quilt that you would like to share with us, 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.

Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"

Learning resources referred to in this post include: Serendipity Quilts, the Fabric Collage Master Class, 5-Day Online Zoom Classes, Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch, and Patreon.

Click on any of the smaller gallery groupings below to view photos larger.

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Kathleen Dotson

From Kathleen Dotson of Walnut Creek, CA:

I work for a public benefit corporation—Ophirex, Inc.—that is developing a pill that will treat venomous snakebites where they happen. So I thought I’d make friendly snake.

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Rhonda O’Keefe

From Rhonda O’Keefe of Hudson, NH:

The quilt is based on a photo I took in Tanzania. It was a perfect project for while I was working from home during COVID.

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Jean McCreary

From Jean McCreary of Victor, NY:

This quilt was inspired by a trip to Rwanda in 2019 to visit some of the last remaining family groupings of Mountain Gorillas in Virunga National Park. I took a photo of this mama and her baby from about 10 feet away, and adjacent to them was the huge silverback papa, who may inspire one of my next quilts.

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Judy Bilardello

From Judy Bilardello of Santa Cruz, CA:

I took 3 classes from Susan; 2 of them on line and the first at Art Quilt Tahoe. In addition, I used her book and Master Class Manual, her Thursday Night in My Studio Live presentations, and watched Winfrieda the polar bear being created [Fly on the Wall: Studio Watch]. I have become a member of Susan’s Patreon group and participate there as often as I am able. No matter how much I learn, something new always presents itself whenever I’m working on a project. Kallie was my biggest challenge and, I think, my greatest success. I loved making her

I was inspired by a story from Lions, Tigers and Bears, a rescue organization just outside San Diego. Kallie the tiger survived horrid conditions in a roadside zoo in Oklahoma and then was abandoned when the zoo shut down. LTB has brought Kallie back to health, given her the medical treatments she has needed, and the care and love she deserves. Kallie amazes me…so strong and so determined to live her best in spite of all she has endured. I knew I wanted to honor her in collage.