Whew! After an intense few weeks with little sleep and a lot of leaning on my family, the quilt of Chloe the Marabou Stork is finally done. I won’t make you scroll to the end. Here she is. The title “Kaloli Moondance” was given to recognize the Ugandan name for the marabou stork—Kaloli Bird—and the beautiful harvest … More In Progress: Introducing “Kaloli Moondance”
Growing up in suburban Maryland, I was somewhat removed from the natural cycle of the world. Getting away from the street lights and into nature meant weekend-long, rain-soaked camping trips with the Girl Scouts. Then I moved to rural Maine. In Maine there are the self-evident markers of the seasons—leaves turning golden and scarlet, the first snowfall, … More Quilt Stories: Million to One
Some quilts have complex and rich origin stories. They have a long incubation and are the product of lots of “dream time.” Others not so much. “Fructos” is one of those others. Here’s what I wrote for the International Quilt Festival where the quilt will appear in my “Specimens” special exhibit this November. The 16th Century portraits … More Quilt Stories: Fructos
A portrait of my son gave me the freedom to experiment with a new style of creating fabric collage quilts. … More Quilt Stories: “Samuelsaurus Rex”
Before I was the crocodile quilt lady, I was known by some as the pink rhino quilt lady. Between teaching, home life, and other commitments, I have averaged one big piece per year for about a decade—so certain quilts have defined entire portions of my career. “Tickled Pink” qualifies as one such quilt. It continues to have an … More Quilt Stories: Tickled Pink
Spring is coming on. This fact recently set off a string of associations that led me to recall fondly a quilt I made in 1996. … More Quilt Stories: Farmer’s Market
I seem to learn something from every quilt I make. But some quilts are turning points. They mark a change in style, a way thinking, a way of seeing. “Elements” was such a turning point for me. … More Quilt Stories: Elements
The Fish Lady For a while, early on in my career, I could have been known as the fish lady. Quilts of fish were some of the first pieces I made for a general market. Before, I had done either commissions (portraits, buildings, and so on) or larger portrait quilts that I made mostly just for me. It … More Quilt Stories: There’s Somethin’ Fishy Going On
Of course the biggest benefit of my career is the guilt-free indulgence of buying all the fabric I need (or want!). Each new project requires a different “palette” of fabrics. Wherever I travel, a visit to the local fabric store is part of the itinerary. This in turn leads to stacks, piles, leaning towers, bales, barrels, truckloads, … More Sort It Out: Organizing Fabric
Listen up. Time for some tough love. That picture of your laughing grandchild, that snapshot of your beloved bulldog, the antique photo of your great-grandmother: what wonderful memories they elicit! But they may not be the perfect subject for a fabric collage quilt. It’s hard for me to say no. When students bring me these … More From Photo to Fabric: Choose the Best Shot
Susan Carlson Quilts 