A couple Saturdays ago I suggested that you crop your fabric collage quilt with the same “rules” you would crop a photograph or other artwork for framing. Even if you’re not putting your fabric art into a mat or frame, the amount of space you leave around your quilt’s subject will give it a sense of balance—or not.
In today’s Throwback, I discuss how to finish off the edges of your quilt. And one of the steps in that process is squaring up and trimming your quilt to size—again, leaving an adequate amount of space around your image. I use a rotary cutter and mat, along with a variety of quilting and metal rulers.
In this coming Saturday’s post I continue the discussion about how to “frame” your image, by talking about diagonals. It’s perfectly okay to center your image if that makes sense, but sometimes it’s more interesting if the image is offset, creating a diagonal flow to the piece. You’ll see what I mean on Saturday.
Click here for more about all my 2026 teaching offerings
2026 Live Online Classes
I’m excited to announce my 2026 Live Online Class Schedule. Looking for a quilt retreat-style experience while staying at home without the issues of travel? By working together, Tom and I have been making the 5-Day Live Online Fabric Collage classroom experience easy and productive since 2021.
5-Day Live Online Classes via Zoom
March 2-6, 2026
REGISTER HERE
July 13-17, 2026
REGISTER HERE
8 students limit
Price: $1195
Through our online classes each student receives: Pre-Class Coaching, Daily Class Videos, One-on-One Feedback throughout the week, a Fabric Pack for Fabric Collage, Pre-Class Meet and Greet, Mid-Week After Class Social Hour and Show and Share, Daily Walkthrough of Student Progress
Membership in the Fabric Collage Master Class is a prerequisite if not already owned ($169, after a $30 student discount).
2026 In-Person Classes
Susan Carlson Fabric Images in Santa Fe, New Mexico
March 23, 2026 – March 27, 2026
Santa Fe, New Mexico
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Immersion: A 10 Day Workshop at Woodland Ridge Retreat
April 21, 2026 – May 2, 2026
Menomonie, WI
FOR MORE INFORMATION — Two spaces recently opened!
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage in Bar Harbor, Maine 2026
September 14, 2026 – September 18, 2026
Bar Harbor, Maine
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Serendipitous Fabric Collage: Fantastical Fish of Tuscany—Pesci Fantastici di Toscana
October 19-24, 2026
Città della Pieve, Italy
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Susan Carlson Ongoing Open Studio Hours
Weekly Fabric Collage Coaching
Tuesdays, January 2026
1/2 hour time slots, $65 each
One afternoon a week, I’ll be available to help, encourage, and coach anyone who needs it—between the hours of 1pm-4pm Eastern Time (for instance, this would be 10am-1pm Pacific Time).
Coaching could be to continue working on an in-progress collage, or to begin a new project—whatever is desired.
Sign-up can be for one day or multiple days—every week, every two weeks, once a month or once only. These sessions will be recorded and emailed to you, just as coaching sessions are, so they can be referred to as needed.
Please note that times are listed in Eastern Time!
(Simply click on a slot and type in your name, Tom will bill you before your session)
Please contact Tom ([email protected]) so he can contact you with more instructions.
January 2026 Dates
January 6
January 13
January 20
January 27
If you are interested in this sort of coaching but Tuesday is not a day that would work for you, just drop us an email and we can figure something out—this is a new and flexible idea that is open for adjustments.
From an Open Studio Hours participant who also recently took a class with me:
I can’t recommend enough this new format. I’ve met with Susan three times since our class (once a week) and each session has been inspiring, motivating, and very helpful in terms of defining my path forward (and also creating some accountability relative to that path…). Before each session, I think about what areas I would like to focus on and send off a photo with my questions. In this way, I get from Susan exactly the support I need, plus a video recording to remember it. Meanwhile, preparing for my session helps me make my project a priority so I see ongoing progress, which is gratifying.
Honestly, this was the format I was hoping for. I told Susan I wanted to write a testimonial about it because I was so happy she was offering it. So, if you’re like me and a periodic check-in keeps you learning, growing, and doing your best work, sign up for coaching. Maybe I’ll see you there (you get to listen in on other sessions during the open studio you attend). —LeahGrace Kayler
Celebrating 10 years of the Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Blog
November 15, 2015 – November 15, 2025
To celebrate our ten year anniversary, we offering two specials: a free pattern and a $30 discount on the Fabric Collage Master Class. Specials good until January 1, 2026.
Free Pattern
Coupon Code: 10yearsfreepattern
Choose Here
(Click “Apply Coupon” before checking out)
Feel free to add any other patterns at $5 each 😉
Master Class Discount
Coupon Code: 10years$30masterclassdiscount
Purchase Here
(Click “Apply Coupon” before checking out)
Fabric Collage Online Master Class—Updated
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.
Click here for more information about the Fabric Collage Master Class.
Price: $199
Lifetime Access
Suitable for all levels, including beginners
Further Susan Carlson Learning Resources include: Facial Features eWorkshop, website, Serendipity Quilts, patterns, blog (in general), YouTube videos, Sea Turtle eWorkshop, Fabric Collage Online Master Class, Patreon. , and our February Fantastical Fish and Summertime’s Fascinating Bugs and Butterfly Work-Alongs
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage: Fantastical Fish eWorkshop I
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: 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.
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.
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.