That’s me and my guy, Tom, horsing around at the very first Zoom in a week of Zooms—photo credit goes to one of the first students I met with this week, Mary McKay, who is obviously quick with a screen-shot. The best thing about four Zoom meetings in one week is that every person I met with and discussed their plans or progress on their collage work, is serious and dedicated to their art. They’re also very nice and a pleasure to spend time with, even when it’s online, from my studio.
It was one of those weeks when I began each morning confirming with myself what day it was and what time was that day’s Zoom meeting, before planning the rest of my day. Monday and Wednesday—1 pm to 4 or 5 pm—was pre-class coaching for my upcoming live online class. Tuesday was our monthly Patreon Show and Share at 7 pm, but there were so many folks submitting images that for the second month in a row, we added a “bonus” evening on Thursday, also at 7 pm.
Pre-Class Coaching
It is now a standard feature of any class taken with me that I (and Tom) provide pre-class coaching. Pre-class coaching started as a feature of my Live Online Classes, but it was so useful at helping students prepare for a class in general, that I began to offer pre-class Zooms to those taking in-person classes as well.
In pre-class coaching we go over the beginning steps of the project: subject, photos, making a tracing to work with, enlarging the tracing, and potential fabric choices. Once these basic preparations are dealt with, students tend to arrive more relaxed and ready to dig into their project from day one of class.
This sort of coaching is available to everyone, whether taking a class or not, through my Fabric Collage Coaching. Whether a newbie to fabric collage or having taken multiple classes, coaching can help focus in on what is needed to successfully complete a fabric collage quilt. A 45-minute session can cover a lot, with no need to remember it all, since each session is recorded for viewing at any later time.
Monthly Patreon Show and Share
For a few years now, we have offered our Patreon supporters the option of receiving feedback on their quilts. Each month—usually on the second Tuesday—we hold a Zoom Show and Share. Patreon supporters send in images of their work, either finished or unfinished for feedback from me, or sometimes just to share with the group.
As the years have progressed, I have definitely noticed how this online community has grown closer, more supportive, and knowledgable at giving feedback themselves. The evenings are useful for the contributor because they get important feedback on their projects. And it is useful for the viewers, who have the chance to practice their critical looking skills, which they can then potentially apply to their own projects.
Our Patrons help support the weekly writing and production of this blog by making a monthly contribution via Patreon. The monthly Show and Share Zoom meetings are our way to show our appreciation in return. Interested? We would be happy to see you too at a future Patreon Show and Share! Click here for more information.
In this past Thursday’s “bonus” Show and Share of the month, Leigh McMorrow, both a long-time student and Patron, sent in the image (below) of her amazing portrait collage of her and her sister, based on a 1963 photo. Since last month’s Zoom, Leigh created that fantastic background, and was now looking for final thoughts and observations before quilting, though it was hard to come up with anything besides, “wow.” I suspect we’ll see a finished quilt in July!
Between Zooms
Walking in and out of my studio so much this week, I saw little tasks I could accomplish in the times between Zooms—such as pausing at the door to finally flip the page on my studio calendar from May to June—it helped me feel just a little more caught up.
Earlier this year as I began to tidy my studio I rearranged the artwork on the wall next to the door (above), incorporating a couple children portraits I had made for my parents—myself at three to the left, and my son and niece (ages three and one and a half years) to the right. The paper sculptured deer head was made by Tom years ago as a present for me.
In the photos above, a dragon teapot I made in my senior year high school art class and recently found in a box from my parent’s attic, hadn’t yet found a place in our house either. But I think she looks happy now along with a new (just brought back from Wisconsin) baby dragon—a raku pincushion by my friends Joe Clark and Nancy Blake. Both clay dragons have nestled next to a windowsill arrangement relocated from my mom’s kitchen to my studio.
Outside My Studio This Week
Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch—Bella Luna
Join me this summer, via Zoom, for four Thursdays in July and August as I work on a new project in my studio—a beautiful full moon. Look over my shoulder as my Bella Luna progresses from drawing to fabric selection to cutting and gluing to background.
Fly on the Wall: Susan Carlson Studio Watch—Bella Luna
July 17 & 24, August 7 & 14, 2025—7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (no class on July 31)
Each session will last roughly 1-1/2 hours.
All sessions will be recorded for viewing later, if you cannot attend live.
Price: $78
USE THIS LINK TO REGISTER
The moon examples you see above, are edited and color-adjusted using the image of my existing sun portrait collage. These are ideas as to what a moon portrait could look like. A full moon example for this Fly On The Wall does not, well, exist yet—however on Thursday, July 17, 2025, it will get started.
Though this isn’t officially a “class,” feel free to join me in collaging your own celestial portrait—sun or moon—if you feel so inspired. A link for a free Sun Portrait pattern (collaged example above), which will also be used as the full moon portrait design, will be emailed upon registration for the series.
Looks like a little chunk of heaven. You are truly blessed…and so are we to have you in our lives! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Brenda, for not only sharing your art work with us, but also the new framing technique you figured out! XO
Love to see your studio and garden. Why can’t I grow poppies like that?