As we count down the days to the official start of summer, Memorial Day, some of you may have a different idea of “wings” on your mind, like BBQ wings for the first-of-the-season cookout after the parade. However, what I have for you today is a no-fuss, peaceful and piece-full parade of winged (and finned) creatures—to be admired in all their colorful finery—such as Cindy Pilkington‘s “Peace of Mine” (photo above).
The last two weeks of Throwback Thursday posts (here and here) have brought attention back to our very first Fabric Collage Finish Line post that debuted on August 27, 2016—and showcased a whopping 14 quilts! Now that Tom and I have a few more years of blog experience under our belts (we passed the 100 post mark for the Finish Line category earlier this year), we’ve realized that too many quilts in one post means the finished collages just can’t be appreciated as they should be.
So I started breaking up that earliest Finish Line into smaller “Not to be Missed” Throwback Thursday collections—the better for the individual quilts to shine and the artists to strut their stuff. The Finish Line started as, and has continued to be, a way that you my students and readers, can share your finished fabric collage quilts with others.
Please savor today’s Throwback Thursday post of (non-barbecued)—Fabric Collage Wings and Fins—the third of three curated groupings selected from “The Finish Line: Completed Student Work 1” (August 27, 2016).
As always, I invite anyone who would like to share their own finished fabric collage quilt to click on the button below for more information. Your art, creativity, and stories are greatly appreciated by all. Thank you.
Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"
Click on any of the smaller gallery groupings below to view photos larger.
Cindy Pilkington
Began February 2016: St. Augustine Piecemakers, St. Augustine, FL
I’ve received many lovely notes, like this one from Cindy Pilkington: “I finally finished my moth from your two day workshop I attended earlier this year at the St. Augustine Piecemakers. I’m so pleased with it and really enjoyed the experience of using fabric in a different way, a more artistic way! Thanks for opening my eyes and my mind to this form of fabric art! I have named it “Peace of Mine” I look forward to trying something a little more challenging now.”
Cindy did such a nice job using the designs in her fabrics to their full potential with flowing curves and leaves. The black and aqua accents on the edges of some shapes are especially effective. I especially like her “peace-full” background treatment. 😉
Susan Desmarais
Began May 2016: Mother’s Day Quilt Retreat, Harpswell, ME
This butterfly truly illustrates the Impressionistic capabilities of this fabric collage process. Dabs upon dabs of fabric “strokes” make up this colorful fellow by Susan Desmarais. In the progress shot above, the upper and lower wings meld together. Susan gave a sense of separation by filling in the gaps with either yellow or blue fabrics, and now the finished piece has found its home.
Kaye Burns
Began November 2014: Maine Quilting Retreat, Harpswell, ME.
In the very first class Kaye Burns had with me, she dove into this mythological beast. I say beast because the wings alone are huge and daunting. She got about this far in the four day class.
From Kaye: “Hi, here’s a photo of the quilt I did at your retreat in Maine last Nov. 2014. I entered it in our local county fair and won best of show. Many thanks for a terrific retreat and for sharing your technique!” Kaye mentioned that her husband made “some hooks out of very small horseshoes and a dowel with some sort of decorative ends to hang it with.” Nice touch!
Kaye layered the entire collage prior to quilting, with a diagonal stripe tulle that alternates between pink and purple, simulating rays of light. A great effect, especially noticeable when viewed from a few feet away.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kaye in quite a few classes. Between a couple of them she created another quilt, the beautiful coral reef collage she is so proudly showing me in the photo below.
Linda Cooper
When I saw Linda Cooper in a class with Quilters Unlimited in Northern VA, in June 2016, I felt she was one of those students that looked so familiar but I just couldn’t place her. As it turned out, it was because she had made the fish, pictured below, in a class at G Street Fabrics in Rockville, MD, in 2004! So I don’t think I can be faulted for not quite remembering the details. But it was fun to see Linda’s first fish completed—be sure to note the fish friends she quilted into the background.
Linda later took a class with me at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, VA, starting a floral piece that is still in progress. [Editer’s note: Linda finished the floral collage later in 2016, see it in this Finish Line]
And then it was back to Northern VA, for that 2-day fish class with Quilters Unlimited. Linda had other guild duties to take care of, and only got so far in class, but take a look at that eye, below. It’s got some intensity already.
In the end, the fish developed a great personality—looks so happy and playful to me. Linda finished it up with more of her lovely quilting. I hope to meet her again someday.
NOW AVAILABLE!
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage: Fantastical Fish eWorkshop
INCLUDES:
• All four recordings from the four-week class.
• Extended 10-minute edition of piecing time lapse (see below).
• Over six hours of video instruction.
• Annotated videos with “jump points” to help find the information you need.
• Materials list
• Links to helpful blog posts.
• Free fish pattern of your choice.
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage: Spiral eWorkshop
Wondering if fabric collage is for you? This playful eWorkshop, though intended for beginners, is suitable for all levels, with lifetime access. The spiral project teaches the basic techniques of fabric collage and is simple and low stress. However, it also serves as a handy refresher course for those with more experience.
Why does a spiral make a great project for fabric collage? Find out in my post The Under-Appreciated Fabric Collage Spiral. The Spiral eWorkshop is included as an exercise in the Fabric Collage Master Class. Get a taste of the process, then if you decide to buy the Master Class you’ll get the full $25 cost back as credit toward the purchase.
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.
Fabric Collage Online Master Class
The Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Online Master Class Manual is a multi-media resource guide to the process of fabric collage. Using video, photos, text, and links to my blog posts for further relevant reading and information, I take you from beginning to end in creating your own fabric collage masterpiece, following my guidelines in a step-by-step format. Lifetime Access. Suitable for all levels, including beginners.
Read all about the process of creating the Master Class—explanation of its genesis—the whys and hows Tom and I made some of the decisions we did in this post: Online Master Class Now Available: Some Reflections.
Facial Features eWorkshop
Designed as a supplement to the Fabric Collage Online Master Class, or for those who have a good understanding of the basics of Fabric Collage. Lifetime Access. Intermediate or advanced levels suggested.
The Facial Features eWorkshop contains 8 videos and over 8 hours of in-depth instruction for creating each feature of a portrait in fabric. The videos are annotated with “Jump Points” allowing you to scan forward and backward to the information you need. Facial features PDF templates are included as reference and basic designs to work along with. Like the Fabric Collage Online Master Class, membership in this eWorkshop is for life.
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage: Sea Turtle eWorkshop
Learn fabric collage through a start-to-finish project—from pattern and fabric selection through quilting and binding. Each step is clearly written, illustrated with photos, and further demonstrated with videos. Learn the technique with a Sea Turtle then launch into any fabric collage project you wish. Lifetime access and suitable for all levels, including beginners. Sea Turtle Pattern included
Read all about the Sea Turtle eWorkshop in this blog post: Fabric Collage Sea Turtle eWorkshop Launch.
Book: Serendipity Quilts—Cutting Loose Fabric Collage
Full color throughout. Five projects of increasing complexity, four patterns to enlarge are included.
These books will be signed by Susan and can be inscribed to a particular person.
Read more about Serendipity Quilts!
I love seeing these works of art a second time! I enjoy examining the details of each one. Kaye Burns’ use of the striped tulle is just brilliant and created a stunning effect on her Pegasus quilt. Thank you for a second opportunity to admire these quilts!