Early this week we held pre-class coaching for my class in Bar Harbor, Maine, which takes place September 14-18. Coaching via Zoom is my chance to get a peek at what my students have chosen as their subjects. As usual, the selection runs the gamut from portraits of people to dogs and cats. And of course there will be at least one bird.
Birds have their own challenges—such as how large you have to make them in order for their necks and heads to be big enough to comfortably work on. For example if the entire, say spoonbill is only 24 inches tall, the head it probably only an inch wide!
But once we get the sizing worked out, there’s still the issue of creating the image. Birds are different from other critters (and people) in that instead of hair or fur they have feathers. There are some tips and techniques for making feathers I try to pass on to any of my students who are creating birds. Today’s Throwback Thursday describes in detail how to make feathers without driving yourself loony (get it?).
Please also take a look at the upcoming classes below, especially the trip to Tuscany, Italy next April—a very inspiring experience creating fabric art in a medieval Tuscan town. We’re looking to at least get a head-count of those seriously interested in this adventure (I know many more of you would love to join me there).
However, as with any class, there is a minimum number of registrants needed, and sometime in October I’ll need to make the decision to cancel or postpone the class. So don’t delay in checking out this April 2027 class—itinerary and registration, review last year’s October 2025 class, or contact Tom or I with any questions or thoughts.
Susan’s Fabric Collage 2027 Class Schedule
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
A week of fabric collage in this cozy retreat in Downsville, WI
September 21-25, 2027
FOR MORE INFORMATION
October-November 2027: Fabric Collage Immersion—A 10-Day Workshop In Pacific Grove
Fabric Collage on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula
October 25 – November 5, 2027
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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.