This put up concludes the three-post sequence that includes my January (into February) 2023 Dwell On-line Class. Life scurries alongside so shortly, doesn’t it? And now, as March blows in like a snow lion (right here in Maine), and roaring like Reva Hill’s in-progress lion collage above, it’s already a month in the past that this class concluded. I’m already making ready for my subsequent dwell on-line class on the finish of this month.

Just some brief years in the past I wouldn’t have thought it was doable to show cloth collage on-line like I’ve been capable of. It took a number of follow and a number of other improvements, each technological and organizational, earlier than I might decide to doing it. Listed here are a number of the issues that made on-line cloth collage doable.

• Zoom annotation. With the ability to use Zoom’s annotation instruments to mark straight on my college students’ pictures was a sport changer. I might not be there to select up the material and lower a bit out, however I can circle a bit of material. I can’t level my finger at a spot on the quilt and counsel a change, however I can spotlight it on the display. Then the scholar can take a display shot of those visible notes as a reminder of our dialog.

• Utilizing photographs as a substitute of dwell video. Video is nice for communication, however not a lot so for sharing visuals like quilts. Lighting for video is difficult and even with good gentle the picture by no means comes throughout as sharp as is critical. Nonetheless, when I’ve my college students ship in photographs of their work, the picture is crystal clear.
• Pre-Class teaching. Offering a 45-minute particular person pre-class teaching session prepares college students in no less than two methods. First I’m prepping them to be prepared by serving to them finalize their picture selection, line drawing, and cloth choice. However simply as importantly, we’re doing a dry run for the usage of the expertise. Greater than as soon as we’ve got found (and corrected) technical points throughout teaching as a substitute of on the primary day of sophistication week.
• Utilizing Tom. I couldn’t do it alone. With out my companion Tom (or somebody like him) Dwell On-line Courses wouldn’t be doable for me. He’s within the background collating pictures and dropping them right into a slide program for me to take a look at and annotate. Then he makes certain the subsequent particular person is able to obtain my suggestions. A couple of pupil has commented that “Tom retains us all in line.”

• Follow, follow. I spent a number of months early on through the pandemic producing a sequence known as “Thursday Evening in My Studio Dwell!” We did 27 hour-long-plus episodes of that sequence. Across the identical time I began Cloth Collage Teaching, and have since finished dozens and dozens of those one-on-one pupil Zoom classes. Each these actions allowed me to turn out to be acquainted and comfy with the Zoom interface and it gave Tom follow in post-production modifying.
• Pre-recorded Each day Demonstrations. After I train in-person, I take an hour or so very first thing every morning to do an indication of a selected cloth collage approach or course of. I have to get the start to finish info throughout, and sophistication time must be given to it. Nonetheless, we determined that that wasn’t essentially the case in a web-based format. The scholars are on their computer systems anyway, so why not pre-record the morning demonstrations and supply hyperlinks to look at the movies on their very own time and at their time-zone comfort. That manner, our day by day morning conferences throughout class week may be reserved to reply any questions in regards to the day by day matters, saving the hour or so of demo time for a basic check-in with everybody, previous to the official begin of every day’s instructing rounds. A great use of our class time collectively.

Combining a bunch of concepts and abilities permits us to provide the standard of Dwell On-line Courses our college students have been capable of attended.

So it’s good to look again and relish the progress all twelve of my college students made on this class. (For those who missed both of the 2 earlier posts, you may view them utilizing the hyperlinks beneath.) Your complete class was damaged into three subgroups, or “breakout rooms” as Zoom calls them—the Zookeepers (featured beforehand), the Spice of Life (featured beforehand), and Wild Issues (featured immediately).

Wild Issues

This group was made up of Janet Delsener, Judy Bilardello, Kathleen Howard, and Reva Hill. They named themselves “Wild Issues” as a result of that they had all chosen to do massive carnivorous mammals. Tom provisionally named them the “carnivores” however they thought-about that too ugly!

Judy Bilardello

See extra of Judy’s work in these posts: November 2019, Could 2021, and End Line: July 2021.

From Judy:

With permission from Lions, Tigers, and Bears, I got down to make a cloth collage of Kallie, a tiger who was rescued from an deserted roadside zoo in Oklahoma. She is now receiving a lot wanted medical care and can dwell out her life in an open house setting 45 minutes from San Diego. She is a survivor. I need this cloth collage to honor her and have a good time her.

That is my second on-line class with Susan and I’ve taken one in-person class as effectively. To not point out Thursday Evening Dwell in my Studio classes! I knew she would information and encourage me after I wanted assist. Her observations are so clear. Her solutions on the mark. She listens and responds and strikes me ahead after I really feel caught. I at all times come away from my session figuring out precisely what my subsequent steps are.

 

A bonus of taking a Susan Carlson class on line, is the comfort of being in your personal studio or stitching room. All of your provides are available and your cloth stash may be revisited at any time when it’s essential discover simply the suitable cloth piece for the element you’re engaged on. There’s additionally the benefit of speaking with quilters from California to Scotland. How enjoyable is that!!

Moreover, Susan and Tom have a system in place that melds expertise and paintings practically flawlessly. They’re fairly a staff! Every particular person session with Susan is designed in order that she will be able to annotate straight on a photograph of your work as she describes what she sees as subsequent steps or helps hassle shoot no matter wants consideration. I file every session and use it as a reference as I progress. There’s a lot priceless info!

 

Along with my very own work, I actually loved chatting with others in my get away room and throughout the opposite small teams. Our after hour work classes had been informal and enjoyable as we discovered about every others’ lives and shared our previous and present cloth collage experiences…typically with tea, typically with a glass of wine.

 

On daily basis I work just a little extra on Kallie and listen to Susan’s voice in my head reminding me I have to “put it down earlier than I can repair it up”. Step-by-step, “see the place it goes”.

Janet Delsener

See extra of Janet’s work on this put up: January 2022.

From Janet:

The lion is from a photograph taken by my husband on a current South African safari. The lion is a younger male and a part of a delight that we adopted day by day for practically every week. He’s symbolic not solely of an unbelievable trip but in addition of the overwhelming connection to natured that developed all through our journey.

For anybody contemplating the category who’s a novice at this course of, I’d encourage them to work by the moments once they really feel annoyed and to hunt assist from their “roommates.”

 

Ultimately, it’s going to all fall collectively. In spite of everything, if this was easy and straightforward, it wouldn’t appear as superb whenever you stand again and admire your work and the work of others.

In reply to one in every of our survey questions, “What do you see as the largest good thing about the web format of this class?”:

You may have entry to your stash, you may work in your pjs, you may transfer round extra freely to work off nervous power and also you don’t have to fret about snow making you late!

Reva Hill

Reva was one in every of two newbies taking a category with me on this total group of scholars. Nonetheless, she did have some earlier cloth collage expertise—try her spiral beneath. There, Reva acquired nice follow auditioning her cloth selections for her lion, as she labored alongside mixing from one coloration and sample to a different.

From Reva:

My topic was a statue of a lion {that a} buddy had taken. I selected the topic/photograph as I just like the simplicity of it (black and white and an amazing eye) and thought it could be good as a newbie venture.

I loved the category a lot! I didn’t actually know what to anticipate however was not dissatisfied in any respect. I loved being within the consolation of my residence but having Susan out there to information me. I liked all the pre-class movies and the truth that I can watch them as typically as I need. It’s laborious typically in an in-person class to retain every part.

Survey query: How did your on-line class expertise evaluate to in-person quilting lessons you might have taken?

Execs: Having all of my materials, instruments and so forth. with out having to pack issues to an in-person class. Discovered that this was much less tense to arrange for. Studying from observing suggestions given to different individuals. Cons: Not being in an precise room with the opposite individuals and seeing their items in particular person.

And despite the fact that viewing classmates’ work wasn’t in-person, Reva nonetheless felt that her favourite second of sophistication was, “On the conclusion, to see the progress of everybody’s tasks.”

Kathleen Howard

See extra of Kathleen’s work in these posts: End Line: July 2020, End Line: December 2020, Could 2021, and End Line: September 2021.

From Kathleen:

Whereas driving in a California Bay Space suburb at daybreak, my son took a photograph of a coyote on a effectively saved, suburban garden. The coyote clearly felt that, at such an early hour, my son was an intruder into his territory. He snarled for the digicam. I’m serious about portraying the interface between people and animals of their residence/territorial settings. We frequently intrude into their lives, lives which are lived with out issues about our politics or our issues. However a few of our issues turn out to be their issues, particularly in crossover of habitat. I’m serious about portraying these moments of nexus. “Get Off My Garden,” as I feel I’ll identify the collage, is a type of moments.

The coyote’s face and expression had been essential. Whereas I’ve finished a couple of collages, each with and with out Susan proper there to assist, I actually wished Susan’s assist to get this face proper! I used to be so glad to have her ideas and solutions as I went by the method of doing that coyote’s snarling face.

I additionally have a tendency towards utilizing the pure colours of animals I collage. I’m breaking myself of this behavior and respect Susan’s assist in that effort. I wished my coyote’s coloration to ship a message about his each belonging and never belonging on a suburban garden. Susan’s steerage in selecting colours, and getting the coyote’s expression good, was so useful all through the method.

Area Obtainable in Could 2023 Dwell On-line Class

You might be invited to hitch me through Zoom for a 5-Day Dwell On-line Cloth Collage Class. This class is for all ranges of material collage proficiency, from newbie to superior. The category runs Could 29–June 2, 2023.

I’ve included an replace of the variety of spots out there and can do my finest to maintain it up to date because it adjustments. For those who discover on the registration web page that the category has offered out and want to be positioned on a waitlist, please e mail Tom ([email protected]). Thanks.

CLASS DESCRIPTION: 5-Day Dwell On-line Cloth Collage Courses (Animals Solely)

Value: $995 per pupil

Required Class Charge: $169 for the Cloth Collage Grasp Class—a web-based useful resource “handbook” to check with earlier than, throughout, and after class—yours for all times ($199 common value; contact [email protected] for coupon code for low cost. This price is waived in the event you already personal the Grasp Class)

{Hardware} and Software program Necessities: Laptop, pill, or different larger-screen machine; dependable web; potential to {photograph} and ship pictures of collage in progress (a cellphone is beneficial); Zoom assembly software program (free to obtain)

Most Variety of college students: 12

Topic Matter: This class offers with animal topics—furred, feathered, or scaled—pets, unique animals, birds, bugs, sea life, sea slugs, no matter sort of animal appeals to you.

Included: Forty-five minute personal pre-class teaching session to arrange you for Day One among class.

See hyperlinks beneath for extra info.

Could 29-June 2, 2023

2 Spots Remaining (as of March 4)

Register and pay right here:
https://susancarlson.com/product/may-2023-live-online-fabric-collage-class-with-susan-carlson-animals-only/