Three weeks of teaching have been added to my 2027 schedule, so it’s time to send out an update that includes classes between now and November 2027. At some point I’ll add a couple more 5-Day Online classes and of course I’ll continue to provide ongoing Fabric Collage Coaching on Zoom and weekly Tuesday Open Studio Hours—dates posted month-by-month, see info at end of post.
Yet-to-be scheduled 2026 classes include: more Thursday Evening Zooms—such as my Fly-on-the-Wall series and Follow Alongs (subjects and dates yet to be determined).
Photo above, teaching in Bar Harbor, ME, 2025, with Liz Warters and her stately blue swans. I’ll be returning to this location this September for a 1-week class, more info below.
July 2026
5-Day Live Online Fabric Collage Class via Zoom
TO REGISTER
July 13-17, 2026
Looking for a quilt retreat-style experience while staying at home? Without the issues of travel including: how much of your fabric stash to pack, do your scissors qualify as “carry-on,” who takes care of the pets and waters the plants? By working together and providing online teaching since 2020, Tom and I have been eliminating those questions and making the 5-Day Live Online Fabric Collage classroom experience easy and very productive.
“Oink-tavia” by Sylvie Aguilar
When the on-line classes started, I hesitated before signing up. Not being a very tech savvy person, it scared me. I also thought it would be a very long zoom day. After procrastinating for a couple weeks, thinking I didn’t know enough about collage, with my daughter’s encouragement I signed up. That was the best decision I made! What a fantastic class. I learned so much more than anticipated. Susan and her husband Tom, are a great team, and so generous with their time and knowledge. From day one, they made us feel at home. It was like we were all part of a collage artist family. It was so comforting to feel part of a community of fabric artists that understood you and got excited about the same things you did. —Sylvie Aguilar
I love love love that Susan draws on the photos of my piece as we are talking about a certain area and that she notes suggested changes to make. I can print those images to help me make my changes. Having a record of a critique has made the critique more helpful. An on-line workshop with Susan is a wonderful way to improve my fabric collage work. —Darlene Determan
Through our online classes each student receives:
Pre-Class Coaching
Individual coaching sessions live with Susan to get you better prepared for class and to familiarize you with the Zoom platform.
Daily Class Videos
Pre-recorded videos of daily class demonstrations on the process of fabric collage are yours to keep and review both before and long after our week together has ended.
One-on-One Feedback
Every morning of class begins with any questions the day’s recording may have generated. The bulk of the day is taken up with one-on-one feedback. I use Zoom to view and annotate students’ progress photos that are sent to Tom throughout the day.
A Fabric Pack for Fabric Collage
I have been curating special 10-fabric collections—mailed to every Live Online student since the week-long classes began in 2021—colorful and helpful designs that may come in handy during the week, or to horde for a later project if not.
Pre-Class Meet and Greet
Meet your classmates in a pre-class Sunday evening social. This meeting also serves to further familiarize everyone with our Zoom classroom format.
Mid-Week After Class Social Hour and Show and Share
On a chosen evening after class, we kick back with beverage and food to relax and get to know our classmates better. Usually everyone sends us extra photos to share some of their past work in fabric.
Daily Walkthrough of Student Progress
At the end of each class day we go back and visit the beginning and ending photos of everyone’s subjects—oohing and aahing at the great progress and lessons learned as we worked together.
September 2026
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage with MISA in Bar Harbor, Maine
September 14, 2026 – September 18, 2026
FOR MORE INFORMATION
A week-long retreat on the doorstep of Maine’s magical Acadia National Park
You’ll want to come early and stay late to this retreat in Bar Harbor, Maine. Minutes from Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor offers tours, shopping, and (who knew) Fabric Collage! Make it a true vacation by receiving five days of instruction with your classmates and making time to explore this beautiful area of the world.
Past classes at Bar Harbor with MISA.
April 2027
Strada Toscana—Serendipitous Fabric Collage with Susan Carlson in Tuscany, Italy
April 18-23, 2027
FOR MORE INFORMATION
A week of fabric collage and cultural excursions in the Tuscany Region of Italy
If combining fabric collage with medieval towns, culture, and food of Tuscany, sounds enticing, this is the adventure for you. Our workdays of creating a “Bellisimo Sole,” beautiful sun portrait are coordinated with local experiences such as the growing of saffron spice—plus sampling saffron recipes and dying fabrics with saffron dye. Short walking tours in medieval and renaissance art and architecture, visiting artisan shops and other sights in the charming hillside towns of Citta della Pieve and Pienza, all add to the creative influence of this unique experience.
Past class with Strada Toscana in Italy.
September 2027
Susan Carlson Fabric Images at Woodland Ridge Retreat in Downsville, Wisconsin
September 21-25, 2027
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Five days of fabric collage in this cozy retreat just outside of Menomonie, WI
Woodland Ridge Retreat owner Chris Daly, has redefined the word cozy with this all-inclusive retreat. Eat, sleep, and work all in the same location. Wake up, put on your slippers and you may not take them off until bedtime. Along with her delicious food, Chris offers a mouth-watering selection of fabrics housed at the retreat center. Don’t have the fabric you need? Just wander down the hall and browse the inventory that can also be found on her online site: Dye Candy Fabrics. Just be warned! You may want to bring an extra bag to bring home your booty.
Past classes at Woodland Ridge Retreat.
October/November 2027
Susan Carlson Fabric Images at Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California
October 25 through November 5, 2027
SAVE THE DATE Notice Only—Registration will begin later this summer
Soak up the West Coast vibes for two weeks in 2027 for the newest location of my Annual Fabric Collage Immersion class—next year in CA—at coastal Asilomar State Park on the Monterey Peninsula
A short walk through the dunes from the Pacific Ocean, Asilomar Conference Grounds have long been a retreat for the artistically minded. Join me in October and November 2027 with MISA—Madeline Island School of the Arts—for a 2-week fabric collage immersion creating a subject of your choosing. As with past 2-week classes, in 2025 and 2026, an opportunity to explore this area of the world is part of the experience.
Registration will open later this summer, so for now “Save the Date” and stay tuned if you’re interested in joining me!
Ongoing Fabric Collage Instruction with Susan
Fabric collage coaching can be useful at almost any stage in the process. Want or need individualized help? Just starting out and need me to help you refine your design or choose fabrics? Have a work-in-progress and are stuck? Nearly finished but are unsure if it’s really done? I can help.
You’ll send in photos of your fabrics, your design, or your in-progress collage and together we’ll discuss any issues or questions you may have. Using tools such as on-screen notations to identify specific areas, I’ll be able to give feedback, suggestions, or how-to instructions as needed.
Best of all? Your entire session will be recorded for you to review whenever you want.
Customized Coaching Sessions: 1-hour time slots
Online coaching be one-on-one private sessions or can be customized to include two or more friends, for one or more hours—once only or at regular scheduled intervals. Click here for more information or email Tom with any questions.
If I’m not traveling or teaching, I try to be regularly available for coaching sessions Mondays through Wednesdays (except for pre-scheduled Open Studio Hours on Tuesday afternoons).
Open Studio Hours—Weekly Fabric Collage Coaching:
1/2 hour time slots
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 between 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.
Sign up for time slots here
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.
May 2026 Dates
Tuesday, May 5
Tuesday, May 12
Tuesday, May 19
Tuesday, May 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 ([email protected]).
From LeahGrace Kayler—an Open Studio Hours participant who also took a 5-Day Online 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).
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