In last week’s Part 1 post I introduced you to four of my most recent Live Online Fabric Collage students from the “class that wouldn’t be divided.” They were learning so much by hanging out together that they had no interest in being divided into Zoom breakout rooms.
Each class seems to develop its own personality and this one was so very supportive of each other—though that’s what tends to happen in most classes—quite lovely for me as an instructor. Such a great community has become “collaged” together. I thank all of you out there for the helpful and productive energy you’ve shared—and continue sharing.
Above, is the (very large) “blue morpho swallowtail” that Ros Petitt began in an earlier online class being auditioned on one of its possible backgrounds. And below, is the class as a whole. Thanks for the week, ladies, you were all so very enjoyable to work with.
Since I still need to break up this October class into two blog posts, I’ll continue to “walk” around the classroom in the direction I took online to view, annotate, and give general feedback. Each person sent Tom photos of their works-in-progress, which he then set up in albums—chronological order by first name. In the fabric collages you see below, you’ll be introduced to; Marcia Kraus, Pam Shaw, Ros Pettit, and Terri Drimel—who picked up their scissors and glue and continued to stay focused and work hard on their fabric collage subjects throughout our 5-day workweek. I’m very proud of how you pushed through all those fabric collage walls that popped up.
Below you will meet them and their artwork, their stories and comments, and their show-and-share selections of quilts that they talked about during our mid-week after-class get-together.
Enjoy today’s tour and be sure to check out last week’s Part 1 post, where you can meet Ann Wilbur, Catherine Lane, Donna Cook, Liz Chronister, and their menagerie of colorful creatures.
As always, click on any smaller photo to view larger and to scroll through that particular gallery.
A reminder that all my 2025 fabric collage classes—both in-person and online—are scheduled and open for registration. Click the 2025 link below for more information, including dates, fees, and descriptions.
2025 Live Online and In-Person Fabric Collage Classes
Marcia Kraus
Marcia Kraus is from Concord, North Carolina, and set up a temporary workspace in her daughter’s old bedroom—a few of us commented what a nice color background it made for our online visits! The walls have the same sort of warmth that Marcia said she wanted to bring out in Lily. She chose autumn leaves and colors to work with and started using the curves and patterns found in her fabrics to beautifully interpret the contours she saw in Lily’s face. After class ended, Marcia sent us the photo with both eyes in place—her Lily is coming to life.
From Marcia:
I chose this animal because of her coloring and thought she would be fun to do. I personally do not know this animal at all so I made her female [named her “Lily”] and with Susan’s help made her what I wanted her to be.
The class was amazing! I have to admit I was terrified to even do an online Zoom class but I made it though just fine, thanks to Susan and Tom. Susan was very generous in giving us all any information, questions we asked, showing us what to look for when choosing fabric, any information we needed it was supplied.
We established a routine of Susan going from person to person to discuss their project how we could make it better, what colors would help to make that happen. It was all worth spending the money to attend an online Zoom class with a creative instructor who cares about what you are doing with your creativity. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!
Pam Shaw
Pam Shaw of Laguna Woods, California, has so many great memories of her childhood buddy, Quirky. She shared them with us in class and now, below, with you. I loved that for a portrait of Quirky, she chose brightly colored and big patterned fabrics—quirky, you could say? He’s gonna be awesome, his nose already is. I always suggest that people go big on their collages, but one thing that was hard to realize online, is exactly how big Pam went. I heard gasps from the class when they saw this photo of Pam and Quirky—big memories, big portrait.
From Pam:
My collage is a portrait of our childhood family pet, Quirky. He was a Boston Terrier and a wonderful dog for children. The four of us siblings tested his patience daily. He had such a quirky personality. If he was annoyed with us, he would growl. We all knew he would never go beyond a growl and we took great sport in teasing him to get a good long growl. It seemed like he was an on/off switch. As kids we all thought it was hilarious. If you poked him he would growl until you took your finger away.He never really minded what was going on and was most happy being around the family. Whenever he was around other dogs he was always up for a fight so he was pretty much confined to our house and yard.
I had two sisters and we enjoyed dressing him up in our doll clothes and sticking him in a doll stroller. There were a few times when he would have an “accident” while wearing our doll clothes and then we were the ones in the dog house. Our dad had tied a thick rope onto a branch of one of the trees in our back yard. Quirky would jump up and attach his teeth to the knot and shake it viciously while his feet were off the ground. As long as someone stood and watched him, he would continue growling and shaking on the end of the rope.
At the end of Quirky’s life my older brother was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Whenever we heard from our brother he would always say that he hoped Corky would still be alive when he returned. He was eighteen years old when my brother came home and was able to see him again.
Pam Shaw Show and Share
Ros Pettit
Ros Pettit lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, not too far from where I grew up, so she seems kinda like a neighbor. I’ve worked with her both in-person and online—actually, she attended our first ever 5-day online class—where she first began her grand butterfly. Knowing that it was time for this piece to be finished (though she has completed and began other projects since), Ros wanted to not only work on the background, but to play with those 3rd draft additions of tulle, netting, and other translucent fabrics, as you see draped over the butterfly, above.
From Ros:
The story of the butterfly is interestingly a fairly benign one. I wanted so much to create my sweet dog in alternative colors. Wisely, Susan suggested that I should make a “simpler/not as important” project first. It took many renditions of my first project to get to a near completion with this project, but I have learned SO MUCH that I am grateful to have stuck with it!
Ros Pettit Show and Share
Terri Drimel
Terri Drimel joined us from Center City, Minnesota. It was so nice to meet her face-to-face since Terri’s name has become so familiar—she’s joined us online on many other occasions including our 2024 four-week February Fish and summertime Bug and Butterfly Work-Alongs (that by the way, we’re bringing back for 2025). Terri sent us the results of those classes to share with her classmates in her show-and-share, below. The artistic exuberance that can be seen in her fish and butterfly came out in this loving portrait of Molly—where Terri has already given Molly her sparkling eyes and the beginning of her joyful expression.
From Terri:
My subject is our beloved Australian Shepherd, Molly, who passed away very unexpectedly in 2023. She was 13 years old, spent her life with us on our little hobby farm, loved to travel and camp out and was crazy about the Minnesota snow. She was a high energy and very beloved and loyal family member.
I had an “aha” moment as I struggled with the eye. I watched the preparatory video several times about the eye. I still struggled with how to determine what fabrics to use and then HOW to use the fabrics to make up everything that goes into the eye and the surrounding bony structure, lashes, fur, etc. I finally figured out how to look at the eye in terms of values and find those values in my fabrics. It’s hard to explain but I was able to figure out a way to open my understanding of what I needed to do.
Terri Drimel Show and Share
