I talk a lot about the sequence in which it is easiest and most effective to create your fabric collage. Today’s post discusses when and how to add sheer fabrics to your quilt. The effect these translucent fabrics have tend to be fairly subtle, so they are often added last, over the opaque fabrics. Sheers can be used for highlights, for shadows, to emphasize or mute a color, or to just add some glitz.
Read on below for insights into how these fabrics can add that final “chef’s kiss” to your fabric collage quilt.
Here are the links to the Fabric Collage Summer Special posts in this series so far.
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Throwback Thursday Summer Special—1 of 14: Choosing a Photo
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Throwback Thursday Summer Special—5 of 14: Creating a Fabric Palette
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Throwback Thursday Summer Special—6 of 14: Sequence
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Throwback Thursday Summer Special—7 of 14: Sequence in Portraits
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Throwback Thursday Summer Special—8 of 14: Using Sheers in Sequence
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Throwback Thursday Summer Special—9 of 14: Background Stories
Susan Carlson Fabric Collage Throwback Thursday Summer Special—10 of 14: Sheer Curiosity?
To dive a bit deeper, the information in this series has been gathered, reorganized and expanded upon in our online learning resource the Fabric Collage Master Class. For more information about the Master Class, click the button below.
Sequence in Fabric Collage Part 3: Using Sheers
(Originally posted March 6, 2021)
It’s becoming more and more clear to me how important it is to pay attention to sequence in fabric collage. The order in which you tackle the phases of your fabric collage makes it easier to create and results in a better outcome. For a review, visit the first two posts in this series: “Sequence in Fabric Collage Part 1” and “Sequence in Fabric Collage Part 2: Faces”. The first concentrates on creating fine lines between larger shapes, the second focuses on a sequential order in which to create the facial features of a portrait.
In this post I’ll address using sheers, because I’ve realized that even the use of sheers in a collage involves a sort of sequence. I use the word “sheers” to include all semi-translucent fabrics: sheers, netting, tulle, lace, organza, chiffon—solid or printed or sparkled—anything that when you lay it down you can see some of the base fabric underneath.
I use sheers near the end of the fabric collage process, usually in the stage I call the third draft. At this point I have the subject and background mostly done. I’ve checked over the image already and made changes as needed. I’m now ready to give it the fine-tooth comb treatment, picking all the nits, really zeroing in on what is working and what needs help. For more on how I use sheers in fabric collage visit this post: “Using Sheer, Netting, and other Semi-Transparent Fabrics.”
Since sheers are semi-transparent it makes sense they come near the end of the process. They will be overlaying the image that I’ve created with my opaque fabrics. At this stage they can be used for many purposes, the most basic of which is to add shadows and highlights, general visual interest or, in the case of sparkly sheers, some bling.
I’m going to focus on three ways these fabrics can be used. For examples, I will use my quilt “Golden Temple of the Good Girls” (above). Each of the good girls will help me demonstrate a different way sheers can be used.
We’ll start with our dog Kali, who will demonstrate the use of lace to create highlights and visual texture in her fuzzy white fur. Djinni cat will expose how the use of sheers blend and soften the look of the fabrics on her silky belly. And Kiiora the budgie will proudly show off how the use of overlapping sheers create dimension on her eggs.
Highlights and Visual Texture
In the detail of Kali above, I’ve circled the areas where I used lace most extensively (it’s in other places too but isn’t as noticeable). I used white lace where the highlights would fall, on the edges of her legs and face that are closest to the light source.
Could I have used lighter fabrics to achieve the highlights? Yes. In fact, I did. There are light fabrics under the lace—you can see bits and pieces of them peeking out. But the lace added a boost of highlight AND also provided visual texture—in this case mimicking the “fluffiness” of her fur.
Below you can see the before and after of adding the lace on Kali’s face and chest.
Blending and Softening
In contrast to Kali’s curly and fluffy hair, Djinni’s fur is silky smooth. In the areas I’ve circled above, pink prints with more or less white in them are my solution to the pure white on her chest and belly. Even snowy white fur has folds and curves making shadows and highlights. So in this case, various pink fabrics stand in for Djinni’s white highlights, shadows, and texture.
But all along, I knew that sheer fabrics would be the final layer for all three of my girls. So when I reached the third draft, after I had a nice first draft base of printed fabrics, I used layers of tulle in both white and shades of pink, with bits of pink chiffon here and there, to effectively “blur” the fabrics under them where needed, allowing the busy-ness of the contrasting fabrics to blend together.
Below is the before and after so you can see how the pale sheer fabrics were used to soften and blend high-contrast areas.
Shadows Big and Small
We were told that our young budgie Kiiora was a boy. Two years later, he laid his first egg. I think she was as surprised as we were. Kiiora laid more than a hundred over her lifetime, so when I was making her portrait I had to include eggs.
Rendering an egg in fabric can be a bit daunting—they’re so perfectly rounded and smooth. But a big part of creating form for a two dimensional object is shading—a highlight as it curves toward us, shadowing as it turns away from us. Netting to the rescue once again. In the case of Kiiora’s eggs, I used a fine tulle netting printed with a small-scale black and green camouflage print to create shadows. Yes, fabrics like that exist. To be more specific, I used a couple layers of that tulle to create the gradation of shadow on each egg.
I’ve found that the best sequence when using multiple layers of tulle or other netting for a gradation effect is to cut and place the darkest—and usually smallest—part of the shadow first. This may be the area that’s farthest from the highlight, or against what the object is resting on—such as one egg casting a shadow on the other.
I started by tucking small, somewhat curved cuts of the tulle either under the orange border or under the neighboring eggs, where the darkest shadow would be. Then a slightly larger piece of tulle was cut to cover and extend past the first—leaving an opening at the top of each egg exposed for the highlight.
The reason for cutting and placing the the smaller shape first was so that the larger piece would “trap” the smaller one, once I held it in place with a smear of glue.
The base fabric for the eggs is a slightly marbleized pastel print. Alone, the eggs, of course, look flat and almost merge together as solid pale lumpy shapes (above). But add a couple layers of sheer printed tulle (below), and voila, budgie eggs.
Just one more of the many ways sheer fabrics add to the effect of your fabric collages—when used in the right sequence. 😉
Susan’s Fabric Collage Class Schedule
September 2026: Susan Carlson Fabric Collage in Bar Harbor, Maine 2026
A week-long class on the doorstep of the breathtaking Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
September 14, 2026 – September 18, 2026
FOR MORE INFORMATION
April 2027: Strada Toscana—Serendipitous Fabric Collage with Susan Carlson
A week of fabric collage and cultural field trips in the Tuscany Region of Italy
April 18-23, 2027
FOR MORE INFORMATION
September 2027: Woodland Ridge Retreat—Fabric Images
Five days of fabric collage in this cozy retreat in Downsville, WI
September 21-25, 2027
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Susan Carlson Ongoing Open Studio Hours
Weekly Fabric Collage Coaching
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 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.
July/August 2026 Dates
Tuesday, July 21
Tuesday, July 28
Tuesday, August 4
Tuesday, August 11
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 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.
Read more about Serendipity Quilts!
5 Comments