2019

A Few of His Favorite Things

(52″ x 44.5″)
Though not as long as family and friends would have liked, Kenneth Feist’s was a life well lived. My hope is that this memory quilt will be a comfort to his wife Nancy, his sons, and grandsons, too, until one day they are reunited in Heaven.

Other quilted creations…

In anticipations of Ryker’s FIRST Christmas, I had made him this stocking.

This year, I made an original stocking for Anika’s FIRST Christmas, and Santa filled it with goodies for her at Mimi and Papa’s house.

Tight Lines

(74″ x 56″)
Finally quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 12/2019
Some quilts simply take longer than others. This one was first inspired by the Lunch Box Quilts’ ‘About Trout’ pattern. It was perfect for my fly fishing fellas. I appliqued, embroidered, and pieced two quilts in 2012, and quilted the smaller one to give to my husband right away, but this larger one required some extra effort, so it waited. Following a re-fresh and re-organization of my quilting studio I found this top again and it was, at last (thanks to my longarm), time to get-er’-done. I quilted, bound and labeled it with the following prayer for its owner, “Lord, grant that I may catch a fish so large that even I in telling of it afterward may have no need to lie“.

While the Weather Outside is Frightful, Stitching by the Fire is So Delightful!

Pieced, embellished, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 12/2019
Representative of the kind of quilts displayed on their walls, this tablerunner, one of The Wooden Bear’s ‘Little Quilts’ (January Blizzard Buddies pattern), will forever remind me of Traditions of the White Swan quilt shop in Hagerstown, MD.
For a dear friend who resides in PA, this has been one of our favorite half-way meeting places. We’ve gone there for years to ‘play’ and find inspiration for our quilted creations. I truly hate to see this shop close its doors!
I’ve made one of these tablerunners for my dear friend and another for myself and completed them with hand embroidery, beads, and antique buttons from my grandmother’s button jar.

Mystery Quilt – 4th of 5

(24″ Sq.)
Designed, embroidered, pieced, hand and machine appliqued, painted, and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     11/11/2019

I must keep these quilts a mystery until all five in this challenge are completed and revealed together in 2020. I only note it here to ‘save’ its space in my studio’s quilting history. Sorry for the intrigue, but I think all will agree it was worth it in the end.

Farm to Table

(15″ x 42″ )
Designed, pieced, quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 11/2019
A free range, home grown, farm fresh table runner.

The Colors of Fall

Designed, pieced, quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 11/2019
A simple ‘stack and whack’ table runner showcasing the colors of fall, my favorite time of year.

The Country Quilter

(36″ Sq.)
Designed, pieced, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, Va 11/2019
Green abounds, stone walls surround the family, church, and farm that make up this country quilter’s life.

3-D Double Diamond Christmas Placemats

Designed, pieced, quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 11/2019
I started the first of this set of six in advance of my 3-D Double Diamond demonstration of this technique at the Northern Shenandoah Valley Quilt Show (4/2019). As Christmas approached, I was motivated to finish the set in time to use them on our holiday table. I think they beautifully complement our red Waechtersbach dishes, bought in FRG long ago.

Christmas Tree Skirt

11/2019
Their special request for a tree skirt came last Christmas. While traveling this spring in Florida I popped in to a church’s weekly re-sale shop, and there I found a large, old, green linen table cloth which would be perfect for the base. As Christmas approached, I cut out the skirt, backed it and appliqued stars. [It doesn’t have batting, so it isn’t a ‘quilt’, still I wanted to document its creation.]

Joyeux Noel #2

(15.5″ x 44″)
Machine pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 10/2019
Beatrice Marx’s Starry Night table runner pattern and these beautiful linen fabrics reminded me of Scandinavian Christmases – Joyeux Noel.

Joyeux Noel #3

(15.5″ x 41″)
Machine pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 10/2019
Beatrice Marx’s Starry Night table runner pattern and these beautiful linen fabrics reminded me of Scandinavian Christmases – Joyeux Noel.

A Walk in the Woodlands

60″ x 50″
Designed, pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 10/2019
Really two quilts in one, flying geese travel up and down the front (in similar fashion to the triangles sponge painted on a wall in his room) while the back showcases The Stag in earth tones (laser cut pieces designed by Madi Hastings) flanked by more flying geese. Designed specifically for Ryker Gauldin’s ‘big boy’ room, with geese that match the green of his newly restored and painted dresser.

Grandmother’s Flower Garden Table Runner

(18″ x 62″)
Layout an original design traditionally English Paper Pieced and appliqued by hand and machine quilted by Sue Hickman. Berryville, VA 8/2019

Mystery Quilt – 3rd of 5

(24″ Sq.)
Designed, embroidered, pieced, hand and machine appliqued, painted, and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     7/27/2019

Yes, I must keep these quilts a mystery until all five in this challenge are completed and revealed together in 2020. I only note it here to ‘save’ its space in my studio’s quilting history. Sorry for the intrigue, but I think all will agree it was worth it in the end.

I Spy Family Fun at the Beach

(34″ x 24″)
Pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 7/2019
With thanks to the one, and only, rainy afternoon during a visit to Hilton Head and Island Quilters inspirational fabrics combined with footprints in the sand and beach items fabrics from my stash. 
These small quilts bring a smile to my lips and a song to my heart. My cherished memories of time shared with family at the beach span decades and it is sheer joy to add to those with this next generation!
It is my hope these quilts will be played with and bring to mind special memories of summer family fun all year long.

Koi Uncorked 

(52.5″ x 60″)
Pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     4/2019
Koi means love in Japanese? How about that!
I also learned that in Japan, koi symbolizes many good qualities. Known to swim against the current and overcome great obstacles, koi symbolize strength, courage, patience, and success through perseverance. As koi can grow very large and live a long life, they have become a symbol of prosperity and good luck. Their slow, graceful movements also symbolize peace and tranquility.
That is what I’ve always found when beside a koi pond… peace and tranquility.
When I saw this fabric, I knew in an instant I wanted to kaleidoscope it and the result is just what I hoped.

Whimsically Bohemian

(65.5″ x 63.5″)
Designed, pieced, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 6/2019
Usually when creating a kaleidoscope quilt I’m working with only one main fabric, but these two were, simply put, meant to go together and this border hugs them perfectly. This quilt’s name says it all… Whimsically Bohemian.

Fractured Floral #15

(17.5″ x 15″)
Fractured, pieced, thread painted and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     4/2019
Again, these flowers transport me to a tropical paradise. Fractured and embellished with thread painting added dimension to Lynnea Washburn’s already beautiful and colorful design (Island Sanctuary / Robert Kaufman fabric). And again, I lost count of how many different colors I used in quilting it.

Fractured Floral #1 4

(17.5″ x 15″)
Fractured, pieced, thread painted and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     4/2019
These flowers transport me to a tropical paradise. Fractured and embellished with thread painting added dimension to Lynnea Washburn’s already beautiful and colorful design (Island Sanctuary / Robert Kaufman fabric). I lost count of how many different colors I used in quilting it.

My NQM-BOM Sampler Quilt

(66.5″ Sq.)
Pieced, paper-pieced, English paper pieced, embroidered, hand and machine appliqued, embellished with antique buttons, and quilted by Sue Hickman    Berryville, VA     3/4/2019
Top showcasing NQM-BOM blocks designed by Sue Hickman

To read this quilt’s full story, click here to go to its page.

Twin Sturbridge Peaks 

(108″ x 86.5″)
Pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     2/2019 While Traveling in New England years ago, I found these charming ‘Sturbridge” inspired printed squares. (Truth be told, it was the rooster weathervane and the sheep blocks that insisted I take them home!) Sharyn Craig’s ‘Twin Peaks” pattern offerred just the right setting to showcase them.

UPDATE – This quilt earned a 1st Place ribbon at the 2019 State Fair of Virginia Quilt Show (Class 6003 – machine pieced and longarm quilted category) and the 1st Place Longarm Quilting ribbon and was additionally designated ‘Best in Show‘. I am so honored to have this quilt thusly recognized! It was among the first quilts quilted on my longarm and my very first quilt to earn the coveted Best in Show ribbon.

Mystery Quilt – 2nd of 5

(24″ Sq.)
Designed, embroidered, pieced, hand and machine appliqued, painted, and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     2/20/2019
Yes, I must keep this second quilt a mystery, too, until all five in this challenge are completed and revealed together in 2020. I only note it here to ‘save’ its space in my studio’s quilting history. Sorry for the intrigue, but I think all will agree it was worth it in the end.

Jerry’s Quilt 

(60″ x 48″)
Designed, pieced, quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     1/2019
A quilt memoralizing our dear friend, Ohio native and Ohio State fan extraordinaire, beloved husband, father, PopPop, Jerry Atkison (2/3/1957 – 1/30/2018).
Made using his own, very dapper button-down shirts, Ohio State logo’d polo shirts and laynard, family photos, Disney t-shirt, and work insignia, it is my hope this quilt will hold treasured memories close while offering warmth and comfort to his Diane.
While making this quilt, I learned it is quite an honor for an Ohio State band member to “dot the ‘i’” at a game. As I free-motion quilted it, I couldn’t help adding the description “Beloved”, for Jerry surely was that by everyone who knew him, and I also inserted “Ohio” and ceremoniously dotted the “i” in Jerry’s honor. Until we meet again, Jerry…