Two days ago, Tuesday the 13th, Tom and I hosted January’s Monthly Patreon Show and Share. We made it a free event for anyone to register for, not just our Patreon supporters. January tends to be a time of year where “resolutions” are in the air, and for anyone who’s intent for the year includes more time with fabric collage, such a meeting would be helpful. There were more than 100 registrants, with 60+ live attendees, those who couldn’t make it received a link to the recording emailed directly to them.
Of course, my intent is always that folks leave with some new ideas and inspiration to carry them in a creative way from one month to the next. And on Tuesday, from the comments I’ve received, they certainly did. I don’t know exactly what made this particular gathering so special, but it was. I felt it, and so did others.
Tom and I decided that we’d like to promote this sort of camaraderie among our followers and have decided to make attendance at these monthly meetings easier for more people. Now, with a monthly Patreon contribution of just $1 or more (previously $5), you will receive a monthly invitation to attend these presentations. If you wish to receive feedback such as seen in the monthly meeting, you will still need to join at the $10 or $20 per month level.
There were six artists who shared their amazing work and told their stories—such as Cheri Artz and her robust Scottish Highland Coo, “Eddie,” photo above. The comments and feed-back from other attendees, the audience of people linked to each other through classes as well as years of attending these meetings, the overall support that was shown for others’ efforts—it all flowed together.
At the beginning of the meeting I mentioned how this group of collage enthusiasts has grown into a lovely community—and it was in full show. I myself was so energized by all those good vibes that ideas were swirling through my brain until after 1am in the morning, four hours after ending the meeting.
I woke up knowing I wanted to share Tuesday’s presentation to everyone who reads my blog post—not just to those who had registered for the meeting. So here you go:
Recorded presentation—https://vimeo.com/1154351182
Promised 2026 class links for more info—including Glorious Gecko Follow Along and March 2026, 5-Day Live Online Class
And if you are interested in becoming a Patreon member, here’s the link to our Patreon page
With a monthly Patreon contribution of $1 or more, you will receive a monthly invitation to attend these presentations. If you wish to receive feedback such as you saw in the Show and Share , you will need to join at the $10 or $20 per month level.
A Suggested Topic for a Post
When Cheri Artz was sharing her wonderfully shaggy “Eddie,” I mentioned how every-so-often, Highland Coos (cattle) have been fabric collages subjects. One of the attendees proposed a “Highland Coo Post.” Since I woke up quite inspired yesterday, I did some blog post searching right away and found six wonderful collages of a Coo—created between Spring of 2016 and now. If you have any I missed or are now finished, please let me know! Enjoy.
Hover your courser over the photos for the Coo artists’ names, click on any photo to view it larger and to scroll through the gallery. Links to classes and Finish Line blog posts are listed under the gallery. Click on them to find in-progress photos, read the stories, and browse through lots of other fantastic fabric collage along the way.
Cheri Artz’s “Eddie,” in-progress photos can be found in archived 2025 Patreon Show and Share recordings (available through membership); Kristin Mathew’s golden Coo was begun in 2019 at Tanque Verde Ranch, Tucson, AZ; Kathleen Cavanaugh’s “Ylamaan karja” (Highland Cattle) is in the Finish Line: Quilted Menagerie; Leigh McMorrow’s “Rosette Nicole,” was begun in this 2022 Live Online Class, Barbara Blackmon-Gussak’s baby Coo was begun in 2024 at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson; and Karen Down’s shaggy Coo was begun in a 2016 class in Denver, CO.
Final Notes on Tuesday’s Patreon Meeting
Whether or not you were able to attend, there is the recording of the meeting to share with you—at least most of the meeting. We did have a technical malfunction which caused the recording to stop with about 20 minutes left of the live meeting. So don’t be surprised if the recording ends abruptly around the hour and a half mark. Unfortunately, those that weren’t there will miss some nice feedback on LeahGrace Kayler’s newest portrait collage. Fortunately, she’s still at the beginning and I look forward to see more of “Carl and his cat” as the year progresses.
Here are a few comments I could lift from the Chat transcripts to give a sense of the interest this piece generated:
Linda: Skin and hair are amazing!
Cheri: LeahGrace, what you’ve done so far is fantastic. The hair looks so realistic. I look forward to seeing this as you get more of it done.
Jackie: Leah Grace, that leg and hand are looking great.
Brenda: Looking forward to seeing this collage as you progress.
Lisa: Did you use batiks for the cat to incorporate the purple? I really like the way you made a black cat
Brenda: Is the outline made using some type of pencil?
Cynthia: You have done a great start. Especially Love the cat and your partner’s hair. You are definitely on the right track.
Ros: You work AMAZINGLY fast my friend!! It’s great to see all of this….hours later!
The conversation took an interesting turn when LeahGrace shared how, when working on the leg of the sitting figure, her perception of the shape sort of morphed from being a leg to becoming an “area” of the drawing for her to add gradations of values and visual textures with her fabric. It’s a really hard thing to explain, but I knew exactly what she meant—it’s like a hyper-focus where the subject as a whole disappears and all you see and concentrate on is the sort of up and down “landscape” of a very specific area. When that happens to me, assembling a collage becomes a meditation as I hit that sense of flow—LeahGrace agreed.
And then others chimed in and our conversation veered to a related topic about “Looking versus Seeing”—a subject that I do have a couple blog posts about that I can share with you for further reading, below.
And that’s how I wanted to end this post about January’s Patreon Show and Share—as with all the monthly meetings, you never quite know who will be attending, what they’ll be sharing, or where the discussions will lead—but they do end up being inspiring, one way or another.
Thank you again to all our Patreon supporters, you’re the best.
Unlearning Looking and Learning Seeing in Fabric Collage: Part 2—Your Subject
Glorious Gecko Follow Along for February 2026
Susan Carlson Glorious Gecko Follow Along
February 5, 12, 19, and 26—7:00 p.m. EASTERN TIME
Cost: $95
REGISTER HERE
Typically each evening presentation (7 pm Eastern Time) runs about an hour and half. As with all our Thursday Night sessions, a recording link will be emailed the next evening to all registrants to review or watch later if you cannot join us live.
Each week via Zoom, I’ll be giving a live demo with Q&A as I gradually take you from beginning to end of a Glorious Gecko collage. You are invited to “follow along” if you wish, or you may simply want to watch as my piece progresses. I start off with a slide show to get you caught up on the progress I’ve made the previous week, I then work live as I progress to the next step, talking through my thought process and creative decisions while demonstrating the technique.
As a registrant you will receive a code for a free gecko pattern from my online shop to follow along as you play with your own fabric stash—but you are welcome of course to use your own gecko design, or just “go with the flow” of your fabric. In between the Thursday sessions, you can apply the steps covered to your own gecko collage.
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 & February 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 & February 2026 Dates
January 6
January 13
January 20
January 27
February 5
February 12
February 19
February 26
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
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.