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
Telling My Story At the end of last year I was asked by Brenda Smoak (via referral from friend and fellow quilt teacher, Rose Hughes) to participate in her blog that highlights a different visual artist every week of the year. It’s called Artists Tell Their Stories. We are asked to “… choose one area of your life … More Two stories: One About My Fabric Life, One About My Family Life
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
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
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
“Dain,” an early portrait of my father-in-law, influenced my quilting in several important ways. One piece of plaid fabric especially changed how I pieced quilts forever. … More Quilt Stories: Dain and the Piece of Fabric that Changed My Life
We all have projects that just never seem to get finished. Quilters sometimes call them UFOs–Un-Finished Objects–and these projects are almost always the source of guilt and self-criticism. It’s bad enough when the projects are for ourselves. Worse is when the project is a gift. Two years ago, Christmas 2013, I started to make a quilt … More A Christmas Gift that Keeps on Giving
Inspiration comes from many unexpected sources. I’ve found a book on writing by Anne Lamott to be both useful and entertaining when I or my students need a boost. … More “Bird by Bird”: How I Use a Book on Writing to Teach Fabric Collage
Susan Carlson Quilts 