Well, Groundhog Day has come and gone and I doubt that many of us have much love for Punxsutawney Phil right now, but let’s keep in mind that (according to Google) the groundhog’s predictions are only 35% to 39% correct. With that track record, I think my Djinni Cat could do better—and she agrees. Djinni’s prediction is that as we settle in for a few more weeks of winter, it’s about time that I provide her a new project to (literally) settle into. And starting today, on Zoom, 7pm Eastern time, I’ll be settling you into a new fabric collage project as well.
I invite you to join Djinni and me via Zoom, in “our” studio for the month of February—where there will be lusciously colored fabrics scattered about on my pinning board, table, and floor—a delight to both of Djinni and I. There will be patterns and contours to lead us and you through the bulk of the remaining winter with a Glorious Gecko Follow Along—I’ll be doing my best to make both the project and our days together bright and glorious.
It’s not too late to register for my Glorious Gecko Follow Along—starting today
7:00 pm Eastern Time
REGISTER HERE
Click below for more info about the Follow Along
Preview of February’s Glorious Gecko Follow Along 2026
Enlarging the Pattern for Your Glorious Gecko
Already signed up?
First, consider what the word “glorious” means to you, and how that may help direct the making of your Glorious Gecko. Having some sort of direction or story in mind is a way to narrow down the (nearly) infinite choices in your fabric stash. For me, I started thinking about glorious vistas—sunrises, sunsets, star-studded night skies…, and rainbows. Within a couple days I received a surprise gift of a fabric panel of rainbow colored designs from a friend (Thanks, Mary!) and it cinched the deal. The colorway for my gecko will be “rainbow.”
One of the first things I have my Follow Along participants do (if they haven’t already) is create a fabric collage palette. Creating a palette involves choosing a beginning selection of fabrics—ones which you think you may like to use in your project (more about that in the Follow Along). Cutting hand-sized pieces from those fabrics allow them to be more easily held up to your pattern in order to audition how they’d look on the collage.
Above left photo, a palette cut from the nine fabrics of my initial selection (I’ll no doubt add more as I get going on the collage). Above right, those same cuts, jumbled together as a quick view as to how they’ll work together and if there’s any color or value additions to make before I get going.
Below, those same cuts rearranged by color and value—ready to be picked up, arranged on the pattern, cut down if needed, pinned in place if they look good. Repeat.
Glorious Gecko Follow Along
REGISTER HERE
Today’s Throwback Thursday link, below, gives more detail about this first step in fabric collage.
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.
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