Colleen Carlson

A woman giving a presentation at the Alerus Center, with a large screen behind her showing an image of a geometric spiral pattern and a quilt with a similar pattern in front of the stage.

Colleen’s sewing days started in fifth grade in 4-H in rural North Dakota. She graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in Pharmacy and was licensed is a Registered Pharmacist in North Dakota and Minnesota. In 1999, a girlfriend insisted that they go to a quilt shop. Colleen remembers saying, “No, thanks” but found herself inside the shop. She saw a wonky, paper-pieced log cabin and made her first quilt.

Colleen has quilted ferociously since that log cabin quilt. She’s made quilts of many styles and adapts commercial patterns to meet her needs. In recent years she has been creating her own original designs. Colleen has won Best of Show and over a hundred red, white, or blue ribbons. She has shown quilts nationally since 2014 and internationally in 2024. She has also won many special awards including Best Workmanship and Viewer’s Choice, and multiple Best Use of Color awards, and Faculty Choice ribbons.

Colleen has also recently completed four art courses at the University of North Dakota.

Classes completed classes beginning Fall 2020:

  • Two & Three Dimensional Design Art 112

  • Art History I Art 210

  • Art History II Art 211

  • History of Graphic Design Art 410

Colleen and her husband of 40 years live in Grand Forks, ND, and have two grown kids.

After long days in her career, Colleen found quilting to be the best treatment after hectic workdays. Follow her quilting adventures, travels, and culinary experiments on Instagram @rxquilt.

Cover page of MQG Member News featuring a quilt with black, purple, and light blue squares and a potted aloe vera plant on a marble surface. Title text reads 'Fresh Content from the Resource Library: Toggle Table Runner by Colleen Carlson'.

Colleen’s quilts have been juried entries at these shows:

2014 AQS Des Moines

2015 Road To California

2018 Road To California

2018 AQS Grand Rapids

2021 Road at Home

2022 Quilt Con Phoenix

2022 IQF Houston

2023 Quilt Con Atlanta

2023 AQS Paducah

2023 AQS Grand Rapids

2023 AQS Des Moines

2024 IQF Houston

2024 Cherrywood Poppy Challenge Tour

2025 Cherrywood Abyss Challenge Tour

Member of MQG & SAQA

Logo of the Modern Quilt Guild featuring the letters M, Q, G in colorful designs.
Logo for SAGA Studio Art Quilt Associates, with 'S', 'G', and 'A' in large gray letters, and 'A' in blue with a stylized art quilt design, and the words 'Studio Art Quilt Associates' beneath.