With apologies to Dr. Seuss: Today I wish to dish some fish. Some fish today I wish to dish.
May you enjoy savoring these Finish Line Quilts of delectable fish. Today’s menu items sample the varied recipes one can use to create a fabric collage quilt. The contributing pescatarian chefs include: Christine Stern, whose fish was created referring to my Fantastical Fish eWorkshop; Brenda Carter’s was created during 2024’s Fantastical Fish Follow-Along; and Kim Hankins-Kujawa’s portrait of her dad—sporting a king salmon, detail above (be sure to look close at his wild sunglasses)—was started during an in-person class with MISA in Tucson, Arizona.
These women are accomplished artists who have taken this collage technique and added their own personal touches to bring out the whimsey and magic of their colorful and pattern-full subjects. It’s always a pleasure to view their artwork—I thank them for their submissions.
If you too have a finished fabric collage quilt and story that you would like to share, please consider sending in photos and descriptions for future Finish Line posts—and as always, thank you!
Submit Quilt for "Finish Line"
Learning resources for my fabric collage technique include: this blog (in general), my website, patterns, Fantastical Fish eWorkshop, Serendipity Quilts book, the Fabric Collage Online Master Class, week-long classes and other learning opportunities.
A reminder that my new Captivating Cats Fabric Collage 4-Week Follow-Along
begins on Thursday October 29, and continues on Thursdays, November 5, 12, and 19, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Check out the Follow Along class details in this post: The Captivating Art of Fabric Collage—New Learning Opportunities in 2026 and 2027
Cat Portrait pattern and Follow Along email will be sent to all registrants beginning the week of October 12th.
Click on any of the smaller gallery photos in this week’s post to view them larger and to scroll through each photo gallery. Enjoy!
Christine Stern
To see more of Christine’s playful and inspiring quilts, click here.
From Christine Stern of Bayfield, WI:
I thought you might like to see what I created in your Fantastical Fish eWorkshop, with your Winged Butterfish pattern. I did not follow your usual advice to go BIG (only 17” x 15”), because I wanted to make a special hanging for the door of our apartment at our new senior community. Since we still spend a lot of time at our vacation home in Wisconsin, our neighbors were always asking when we had returned to Minnesota and when we were leaving again. They know we love fishing, so your fish design seemed a natural. I added the embroidered text hangers (Embrilliance app+Bernina embroidery module) that can be flipped according to our schedule.
I have followed you for many years, taken a couple of in-person workshops, and learned from your blogs and posts. Even so, I was able to advance my skills by really paying attention to your lessons and listening to your responses to class questions. I got comfortable with Pelican [a.k.a.”duckbill”] scissors, which I hadn’t used before! After auditioning several different tulle-net possibilities, I concluded that they dulled the colors too much, so I quilted directly on the piece. Following your careful gluing guidance, I was able to do that with confidence, using my Bernina stitch regulator attachment.
Brenda Carter
To see more of Brenda’s funky and colorful quilts, click here.
From Brenda Carter of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada:
I learned so much from Susan through the Master Class, zoom workshops, fortunate to take 2 different workshops—one at Tanque Verde Ranch, Tucson, Arizona and the other a 10-day class in Bar Harbor, Maine. Susan’s website, blogs, Patreon, teaching tools and basically networking with everyone I have met in Susan’s ‘circle of friends’ has been an inspirational force for me. It is so nice to meet so many people with the same interests. Even if we live far apart, we still manage to stay in touch sharing our ideas about fabric collage quilting.
This fabric collage quilt was a so much fun to create. I started with just an outline from a copyright free cod fish. The fish is made using vibrant coloured African fabric pieces, with background fabrics created by fabric designer Marcia Derse. When I thought the piece was finished, my husband and I looked at the cod’s huge mouth and we thought it needed something more. We thought to add a cigar and that’s exactly what I did! Hence, the cod fish is officially named the ‘Codfather’ in reference to the ‘Godfather’ movie era. You can really do whatever you like when it comes to collages. Ideas are endless so just go with it and see where it takes you.
A shout-out to Brenda who has achieved recent artistic recognition in her community and has a heck-of-a browsable website. Fantastic work, Brenda! 🙂
Kim Hankins-Kujawa
To see where Kim’s loving and whimsical quilt began, click here.
From Kim Hankins-Kujawa of Wildwood, Missouri:
The subjects of this quilt are my father, Kirk, and the King Salmon he caught in the Kenai River in Alaska in 1987. I began this collage in Susan’s class at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, in January 2024 and completed it at the end of 2025. I put a great deal of love into creating this piece.
My father passed away in 2016, and working on this collage was an emotional experience. The process brought back many wonderful memories of him. I especially loved transforming a photograph into a painted portrait using fabric—a deeply meaningful and intimate way to honor his life.
Although choosing a portrait for my first collage quilt felt daunting, Susan’s patient guidance helped me take it one step at a time. I focused carefully on my dad’s eyes, face, and hands, knowing these would be the most challenging elements and the key to capturing his likeness. Once his portrait was complete, I experimented with several background options before settling on the final design.
As a beginner in free motion quilting, it took several months to gather the courage to quilt the collage. I worked slowly and deliberately, allowing myself the time the piece deserved, and I am very happy with the final result. My father’s collage quilt now hangs in my studio, where it continues to remind me of him and the love that went into every stitch.
