Friendship Star
(21″ Sq.)
Designed, pieced, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 12/2018
I guess 2018 has been my year for friendship stars. I first designed this variation of the traditional friendship star quilt for the 2018 IMQE. That one now resides with my newest quilting friend in Gryfice, Poland. I later made a second miniature quilt for my BQFF Best Quilting Friend Forever. Each of those quilts has 4 blue star blocks in the upper left corner and rows of red-ish and golden stars representing the stripes of our American Flag to remind them of me, their Flag Day friend.
I loved these so much, I had to make just one more for myself. Mine is scrappy, but contains the same key elements: a large friendship star in the background behind the small stars, a braid border, and piano key outer border with focal cornerstones. I did add crosshatch quilting in the darker background fabric in this one and I used a wool batting that gave added loft to the small stars.
These three miniature quilts added to my friendship quilt barn quilt complete my 2018 ‘study’ in this traditional block.
Advent Calendar
(27.5″ x 19.25″)
Re-designed and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 12/2018
Another ‘something old’ made ‘new’.
When putting Christmas decorations, I found an Advent Calendar I’d bought at a craft fair LONG ago. My sons enjoyed counting down the days to Christmas with it each year as very young boys.
When I rediscovered it, the burlap background upon which the tree had been sewn was very badly stained, but the tree still looked great and the ornaments are still all here.
Well, I had to try to give it new life for my grandchildren. In a few hours time, I had removed the tree from the burlap and red rick-rack, found a suitable background fabric in my ‘stash’, designed pockets for the ornaments below the tree, sandwiched the top with batting and a backing, quilted, and finished it complete with label and sleeve for hanging. Voila! Better than ever!
Horray! I’ve completed my first Christmas gift for 2019.
[I don’t know what made me search, but before posting I looked to see what other Advent Calendars were ‘out there’.
WHAT a shock to find online a pdf pattern ($15) for making this timeless treasure (google – ADVENT CALENDAR PATTERN — felt Christmas tree advent calendar — Christmas countdown)…
But even MORE surprising… I found completed ones available for purchase from $92 – $355… yes, you read that right! You, too, can make your own or simply buy one… ]
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
(18.25″ Sq.)
Designed, appliqued, embellished, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 12/2018
This quilt came to be as the result of a Reston Quilters Unlimited Club Challenge, but I couldn’t have done it without skills and inspiration gleened this past spring in a quilting class with Cindy Needham.
At the AQS Quilt Week in Lancaster, PA, I took Cindy’s Heirloom Feathers and Backgrounds class. My bigest ‘take-away’ was to simply go with it… lay a plan and jump-in. Perfection is not the goal when doing free-motion feathers. I was encouraged “I, too, could do feathers”, and I was further inspired by the exhibit of her work with antique linens.
The ‘old’ in this quilt include two old linen handkerchiefs, old buttons, an orphaned mid-century modern Marvella earring (from my Mom), and a vintage mother-of-pearl scarf ring (from my grandmother Mimi). New are buttons and Czechoslovakian glass beads. I borrowed the background fabric and a blue bead, though it is clear the lenders aren’t getting them back, and the ‘blue’ includes a unique square button, a large glass bead, and small glass beads.
It was a joy to have this quilt earn a 2nd Place Red Ribbon at the 2019 Virginia State Fair Quilt Show, but all the more so gifting it to my niece, Bethany Shull, on the occasion of her marriage to Marshall McCarroll (10/13/2019!
In the days of old, brides carried quilts made with love by their family and friends off to new homes in distant lands to serve practical purposes and to remind them of those they left behind.
While my niece had long ago moved from where she grew up, I like to think of this quilt residing with her in her new home reminding her of the women of our family whose love remains with her, near or far.
Wool appliqued tree skirt, now completed
I had added to it in 2017 and finished adding figures to it this year. While it isn’t ‘fancy’, I think it conveys the reason for the season.
Mystery Quilt – 1st of 5
(24″ Sq.)
Designed, embroidered, pieced, hand and machine appliqued, painted, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 11/7/2018
Yes, I must keep this first quilt a mystery until all five in this challenge are completed and revealed together in 2020. It was great fun this fall designing this powerful series and seeing this quilt come to completion. Making this quilt was, indeed, a challenge! I made extensive use of the embroidery features on my Phaff (something I only rarely do) and I painted on fabric for the first time. 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.
Cairns Balance
(40.75″ x 21.75″)
Designed, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 11/2018
This ‘modern’ quilt was inspired by both Zen Chic Brigitte Heitland’s London Nights pattern and the mystical stacked stones I first observed on Hawaii’s big island.
Cairns refers to a human made pile or stack of deliberately stacked rocks.
According to Wikipedia, “stone or rock stacking is an art in which stones are naturally balanced on top of one another in various positions without the use of adhesives, wires, supports, rings or any other contraptions which would help maintain the construction’s balance”. Since there is opposition to building cairns in public places, I choose to build mine in fabric.
Barn Quilt
(24″ Sq.) 10/2018
I had the privilege of painting this with Suzi Parron (Smith), who literally wrote the two definitive books on the subject (Barn Quilts and Following the Barn Quilt Trail).
When my local quilt group invited her to give a lecture on barn quilts followed by a workshop, I couldn’t resist signing-up.
For those who don’t know, a Barn Quilt is typically, though not always, one block made up of geometric shapes often representing a favorite family quilt and is painted directly on the side of a barn or on wooden boards hung on the outside of a barn.
Earlier this year, I revealed the miniature quilt I had made for the International Miniature Quilt Exchange based on the Friendship Star block. In keeping with that theme, I chose to make my 24″ square Barn Quilt a friendship star block and, in honor of my Flag Day birthday, I painted it red, white, and blue.
Not having an actual barn upon which to hang this painted wooden Barn Quilt, I will hang mine outside on my front porch.
Birds and Braids
(97″ x 98.5″)
Designed and pieced by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 9/2018
Long arm quilted by Bettie Pharr.
Again, it was love at first sight. This fabric (Free Spirit Fabrics – William Morris Kelmscott Aqua Mini Strawberry Thief) simply spoke to me. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful birds and knew it would look wonderful on my bed. When I told my husband I was going to make a new quilt for our bed, he asked, “What’s wrong with the one we have now?” The answer was, of course, “Nothing, but one cannot have too many quilts for one’s bed!”
It’s true, you know… those who sleep under a quilt are comforted by love!
The design for this quilt came to me quickly. I’ve long admired braided quilts. I didn’t have a ‘pattern’, but I knew I wanted to showcase the beautiful birds in a center diamond and in long ‘stripes’ between braids. My first challenge was finding all the complementary fabrics and knowing how much of the fabrics would be needed to complete the design I had in my head. It worked out that I had bought just enough of everything. Another challenge was centering the birds such that they line-up horizontally across the 4 center diamonds and across the 5 long (not pieced) stripes of this fabric.
Wool batting makes the quilted feathers ‘pop’. I’d always heard wool batting ‘breathed’ like cotton and now, having slept under it for two nights, I can testify that to be true. This one is sure to keep us toasty warm at night from autumn to spring.
(This one was SO big that I had to take its picture sideways. :0 …Thus the ‘flooring’ on the right side of this image. Oh my.)
Throughout our Land of Liberty, Let Freedom Ring!
(81.25″ x 63.5″)
Pieced and mid-arm quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 9/2018
When I saw these fabrics I knew I had to make this patriotic quilt! In the process, I made a few changes to the Land of Liberty pattern by Artly and Wilmington Prints.
As a generous lap quilt or a wall hanging, its message speaks loud and clear.
Land of the Free, Home of the Brave
(81.25″ x 63.5″)
Pieced and long-arm quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 9/2018
As with its ‘twin-quilt’ above, when I saw these fabrics I knew I had to make this patriotic quilt! In the process, I made a few changes to the Land of Liberty pattern by Artly and Wilmington Prints.
It makes a generous lap quilt or a wall hanging, and its patriotic message speaks loud and clear.
(This was the first of what I hope will be many quilts quilted on my new Juki long-arm sewing machine.)
Polihale Beach Sunset
( 22.5″ x 15.5″ )
Pieced, appliqued, Sashiko and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 8/2018
Made in memory of our anniversary trip to Kauai.
As with most all our travels, I sought out quilt shops while visiting Kauai, HI. Two quilt patterns (by Sylvia Pippen Designs) captured my heart and I couldn’t wait to make them. This quilt reminds me of the evening we spent on Polihale Beach watching the sun set on the western-most point of Kauai.
I made both quilts in this first week home from our travels. Jetlag, which gave me wakeful hours in the middle of the night, our internet being down meaning I couldn’t ‘work’ there, and having a quiet weekend at home meant I had lots of studio time and I love the results.
“Honu” and Poipu
(22.25″ Sq.)
Pieced, appliqued, Sashiko, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 8/2018
Made in memory of our anniversary trip to Kauai. As with most all our travels, I sought out quilt shops while visiting Kauai, HI. Two quilt patterns (by Sylvia Pippen Designs) captured my heart and I couldn’t wait to make them. This quilt reminds me of the precious sea turtles we saw beached at Poipu on our last evening there.
I made both quilts in this first week home from our travels. Jetlag, which gave me wakeful hours in the middle of the night, our internet being down meaning I couldn’t ‘work’ there, and having a quiet weekend at home meant I had lots of studio time and I love the results.
In addition to the beautiful island batik fabrics I bought while on a recent trip to Kauai, HI, this quilt also incorporates traditional Japanese Sashiko hand stitching into the making of the waves. Quilting stitches made with iridescent thread also accent the sea turtles ‘swimming’ in the outer light blue border/framing fabric.
Birds of a Purple Feather Flock Together… Tweet, Tweet, Tweet
(49″ x 42.5″)
Pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 7/2018
This delightful quilt began as a challenge from a long-time artistic friend who had recently taken up quilting. (Thank you Christa H.!) She gave me an envelope containing a ‘friendship quilt chain-letter’ and 6″ squares of purple fabric. While not usually inclined to do these, I accepted her challenge to further encourage her growing interest in quilting.
The letter tasked me to mail purple squares of fabric to the first name on the list and then send the challenge to 4 of my friends with the same challenge. I included the promise of a “Purple Play Date” in my studio for those who would take up my challenge.
It was exciting to receive envelopes containing these purple squares from across the country (places including Fairfax, VA, Charles Town, WV, Bartlett, TN, Shippensburg, PA, and Marsing, ID)!
When it came time for our ‘Play Date’, Terry P. suggested this delightful (free online) Block Lotto, April 2013, Bird Block Pattern by Jean-Sophie Wood. It was perfect for the task and great fun!
The purple squares became the birds’ wings, I filled out the birds and backgrounds with fabrics from my ‘stash’, and shopped for the border. Interestingly, the purple fabrics I ‘tried out’ in the border made the quilt too ‘busy’, but this fabric made the bird’s purple feathers ‘pop’. Highlighted in the detail photo below, micro-stippling in the border also highlights these beautiful blue flowers.
3-D Double Diamond Table Runner
(13″ x 41″)
Designed, pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 7/2018
When asked to ‘demo’ the double diamond tool used in the making of my Lion King quilt’s border, I made this table runner to showcase its other possibilities.
Sunflower ‘Barn Quilt’
( 18″ Sq. )
Designed, hand and machine pieced, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 7/2018
Eager to support the Virginia State Quilt Show and Competition at the State Fair of Virginia‘s new Barn Quilt Contest. In 2018, the theme is sunflowers. Each block is required to be a single geometric-based square.
Barn quilts were originally conceived as a way to encourage economic development by promoting agri-tourism and local businesses while bringing travelers to rural areas.
Flower Power 1 & 2
(37.5″ Sq.)
Pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 6/2018
With their clockwise and counterclockwise borders, these fun, cheerful flowers reminded me of the 1960’s, thus their names. Whether hung on a wall or covering a table, they are sure to brighten a room!
Friendship Star
(20.5″ Sq.)
Designed, pieced, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 4/2018
I first designed this variation of the traditional Friendship Star quilt in miniature for the 2018 International Miniature Quilt Exchange. I designed a variation in the star blocks to create a larger friendship star in the background. That first quilt went to my newest quilting friend in Poland earlier this year. I recreated that quilt for my BQFFs (Best Quilting Friend Forever). Like the first one, this one was created with the American Flag in mind to remind them of this Flag Day gal. Blue stars fill the upper left corner and stripes of red-ish and golden stars represent the red and white bars.
Friendship’s Offering
(12.5″ Sq)
Pieced and Quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 4/1/2018
Easter Morn… He is Risen!
(~42″ Sq.)
Designed, pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 3/2018
It all began with 4 bunny shapes cut from an antique quilt. To be clear… I did not cut these shapes. Rather, I found them in an antique store and had to take them home with me. From the start I envisioned them on an Easter quilt. I designed this quilt for them with green grass under their feet, surrounded by half square triangles and flying geese with a subtle Cross at the center. The top and bottom flying geese ‘fly’ in towards the cross and the side geese all fly upward toward Heaven. When I rushed to finish this quilt in the 1990’s I did only the most basic of quilting stitches to hold it all together. About ten years ago, I free motion stitched a large stipple in the background around the bunnies. Yes, I’ve hung it up for Easter over the years, but this year I finished it. Wahoo! Hosting a gathering of family this Easter, including my Mom and my 1 year old grandson, was the impetus I needed to finish quilting this piece, complete with He is Risen quilted into the ribbon in the lower right hand corner of the border.
Four-Inch Five-Squared
(43″ Square)
Traditionally pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 3/2018
This AQS pattern first caught my eye when it was featured in the AQS Blog as 2017 Christmas Countdown. It was shown using red and white fabrics. I chose a beige fabric with a tiny green overall pattern and green and red dots and contrasted that with a green fabric with red and gold specks. The small scale of both prints fit perfectly with these small intricately pieced 4″ blocks. I opted to leave off the 2 inch outer border the pattern called for, opting instead to simply bind it in the green fabric.
I plan to use this quilt year round, and while it doesn’t ‘scream’ Christmas, if you look closely, it still represents the season with its green, red, and gold.
I finished it in advance of National Quilting Day (annually, the 3rd Saturday of March).
#AQSChristmasCountdown2017
Women of My Life
(55″ Sq)
Pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 3/2018
As I sat to write this quilt’s story, nearly a year to the day had passed since I was inspired to create it. It was on International Women’s Day (3/8/2017) that the American Quilter’s Society posted Betsey Langford’s “Women of My Life Block Project”.
I liked the symmetry and ‘feel’ of the quilt shown in her pattern and I’ve long appreciated the old tradition of signature quilts.
Betsey said, “As we journey through life, there are many people who touch our hearts in dear and special ways. They give us a little part of themselves to carry with us. This quilting project is created to memorialize these people, remembering the love and strength they give us each and every day. This month is National Women’s History month, and as I think back on the women throughout history that have influenced my world, I’m reminiscent of those that are not so famous, but have impacted me and changed my life. As my mind thought on these things, the desire to wrap myself in their love and support manifested itself in the idea of this quilt.” And, as she encouraged readers to do, I took her idea and made it my own.
Having long shared my home with my husband and sons, I’ve commented more than once that mine is a male household. Even our dogs have been male. It wasn’t until my boys grew up and married that I gained daughter-in-laws and, as our nest emptied, we added a coop and pastures for my “ladies”, our flock of wonderful egg laying hens. Over the years, I may have been outnumbered at home but I was never ‘alone’. God richly blessed me with the gift of women at every stage of life and at every place I’ve called home. As I pondered who might respond to my request, I emailed out the following:
Hi there!
You are receiving this because you ARE a special woman in my life!
On this, International Women’s Day – I’m ‘working’… and in my creative way, I’m thinking about a quilt, for ME J, honoring those special women in my life… namely YOU.
To participate in this project, what I’m asking each of you to do, is simply take a piece of white paper. On it, draw (with a pencil) a straight line three (3) inches long, on which I’m asking you, in your most beautiful handwriting, to sign your name in black ink.
Don’t think small… your signature ideally would be about one (1) inch high. (Therefore… 3” long and 1” high.) I will transfer these signatures onto fabric that will be worked into a, what I hope will be, a beautiful quilt.
I promise to share the completed quilt with you all, though, with what’s on my ‘schedule’, it could be much later in this year before it is finished.
How many of you are able to send your signature will determine how BIG this quilt will be.
OK… lastly, simply place your signature in an envelope and mail it to me…
And, for today, please know I’m thinking of YOU with a grateful heart for how you’ve touched my life!
XO and love,
If I didn’t have an email address I mailed the request, and some I called by phone. And I waited for the responses.
The first one I received was from a quilting student who had recently taken a class with me. As each signature arrived in the mail, my heart was warmed with the special memory attached to the name and the memories we shared. It saddened me to realize I’d lost touch of some dear friends as a handful of emails were returned, address of the sender unknown. Some computer savvy friends signed their names, scanned their signatures, and returned them to me attached to emails. Some non-quilters were curious about the concept, so I shared this link with them.
Though I had high hopes that I’d finish this quilt and snuggle under the love of these dear friends after my bi-lateral knee replacement, as the date was moved up I knew it would be a project I’d return to after surgery. Sadly, unrelated health challenges further kept me from my quilting throughout the fall.
During my recovery I decided ‘how’ I’d lay out these signature blocks. Rather than a random placement, I decided the inner square would feature family members starting with my Mom in the center and, circling clock-wise, I decided to place each person’s signature relatively in the order in which they came into my life.
It wasn’t until mid-January of this year that I was able to get back into my studio. As I continued transferring signatures to the fabric blocks using a make-shift light box, I noted two areas lacking; those special women who had gone before and those who I couldn’t reach to get a signature. It just didn’t seem right to complete the quilt without those names on blocks, so I added them myself. I identified those who had gone before with a different red fabric on the corners of their blocks. For the signatures that were missing, I printed the names onto the blocks myself.
Around the center block I wrote my full name and who I am to the women on this quilt in order: Susan Drake Shull Gauldin Hickman, Daughter, Granddaughter, Niece, Cousin, Sister, Friend, Delta Gamma Sister, Daughter-in-law, Sister-in-law, Co-Worker, Teacher, Aunt, and Mother-in-law… truly blessed and thankful!
Missing from this list are three very important titles by which I’m known, those being Wife, Mom, and Mimi. These are missing because I fill those roles in relation to the very important men in my life, and this quilt is dedicated to the Women of My Life.
Once back in my studio, besides picking up where I left off with a number of quilts “in progress”, I was also eager to try out my new Brother Mid-arm. I’d bought it before my knee surgery and had it delivered afterwards. I’d even taken an introductory “how to use it” class, but actually quilting on it had to wait until January when I regained my health and after I’d readied a top or two. This quilt was the third quilted on this new machine. I’ve long free motion quilted, but there is always a learning curve to using a new machine. This quilt isn’t ‘perfect’, but it’s mine and I love it!
Just as it warmed my heart throughout this past year to reconnect with these dear friends, receive their signatures, and later transfer those from paper to fabric, I was blessed by the memory of how they’d touched my life as I quilted around each one. The pattern called for 156 pieced signature blocks and three plain ‘rings’ of a solid fabric. My quilt contains 136 pieced signature blocks and 2 ‘rings’. Each corner of my quilt is anchored by a ‘border bracket’ of blue fabric that are not unlike photo corners that used to hold photos onto their pages in albums ‘back in the day’.
My mother used to frequently sing me the refrain of Johnson Oatman, Jr.’s hymn titled, Count Your Many Blessings, published in 1897.
The lyrics are:
- When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.- Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]
- Refrain:
- Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by. - When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. - So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
*alternate text
As the song suggests and as my mother taught me, I do count my many blessings! Numbered among them are each of these precious women represented in this quilt by their name and signature. Now, even when I reach my “journey’s end”, they will never be forgotten!
#AQSWomenofmyLifeBlockProject
Revisiting the Past
(59.5″ x 49.5″)
Pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 2/2018
The military made us neighbors, trials and war forged us as forever friends. What joy that in ‘retirement’ we live close enough to continue to get together in person!
Each time my dear, dear friend Nancee and I get together it is like no time has passed since the last visit. We usually ‘catch-up’ while walking through antique or fabric stores before we have lunch.
This quilt began as a picture Nancee had taken of an antique quilt. I jumped at the opportunity to also re-create this precious piece of the past! First, we guessed at our block size, calculated yardage needed, and shopped together for fabric on one of our outings. Next, we figured out a pattern for the pieced block. It was not a block that went together easily, but we persisted.
Following my knee surgery last year I started quilting a block… intricately. Big mistake. I hated it. After input from Nancee and family I painstakingly removed every little stitch in that block and proceeded to free motion quilt a leaf in each quadrant of the solid blocks with swirls in the pieced blocks. Now, I love it.
This is the second quilt completed on my mid-arm. Its vintage looking fabrics and antique beginnings allow me to revisit the past each time I cozy under it.
Returning Home
(77” x 65″)
Pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 2/2018
This is, for me, a comfort quilt!
Six months ago I had double knee replacement. I knew the recovery would keep me from my studio for a while, but I couldn’t have imagined that a serious infection, unrelated to my knees, would require an extended hospital stay and keep me from getting back to my quilting.
When I was ready to return to my studio I went straight for ‘comfort food’… for me that is traditional piecing.
A few years ago my husband and I had taken a cross country journey. Along the way we’d stopped at quilt shops (of course) and Farm Girl Vintage (by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet) was all the rage. I’m not often drawn in by published patterns, but after seeing these charming quilts hanging in shop after shop I succumb to the urge to buy the pattern book and began picking up 30’s fabrics to add to my stash.
Once I left the hospital and continued my recovery at home, I laid out a plan for making this quilt my own. Once I returned to my home studio, I began piecing a number of tops. This was the first to be completed and the first to be quilted on my mid-arm.
Yes, I’d bought a DQLT15 Brother Dream Quilter mid-arm quilting machine on their Dream Frame last summer. That, too, is an interesting story! For years I’ve free motion quilted on my stationary sewing machine. My husband had encouraged me over and over again to get a long-arm, but I wasn’t swayed. They are so big and take up so much room and are so very expensive. I tend to make mostly smaller quilts and the few too large for me to comfortably wrestle with on my stationary machine I had sent to my local long-arm quilter. Then, last summer I happened to see this mid-arm and I fell in love. I could sit (as opposed to stand) at the machine and it quilted beautifully. I could put a basted quilt of any size on this frame, but the frame wouldn’t take up my whole room and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg… I was sold. My husband laughed and laughed when I called to tell him I wanted a mid-arm.
I bought it before my knee surgery and had it delivered after surgery. It gave me something to look forward to… a reason to speed my recovery, or so I thought. I took a class on how to use it after it was delivered… just one week before I ended up in the hospital. So it sat neglected, until this quilt top was ready for quilting.
Even in my selection of blocks, this quilt represents the comforts that greeted me when I returned home from the hospital and returned to quilting in my studio. Our home is central to the top, surrounded by tall trees. Old Glory flies proudly in these “country crossroads”. Winter, spring, summer, and autumn stars anchor the corners and there is a “simple star” and a “welcome block”. There are “furrows blocks” and of course, there is a Momma hen and baby chicks, “chicken foot”, “egg basket”, and “feed & seed” blocks, and chickens and Roos are “out to pasture” by a “haystack”. There are “farm fresh flowers”, a “sunny sunflower” (standing tall on “crop” blocks). “Apron strings” represents my passions in the kitchen… “fresh pears”, “pie cherries”, a “scrappy strawberry”, “corn & tomatoes”, “peas & carrots”, “baking day” and “canning season”, and, of course, the “kettle’s on”. “Cool threads” represent my studio, along with “Grandma’s quilt block” and a basic “pinwheel block”. A colorful “scrappy maple leaf” and “patchwork pumpkin” complete my favorite season. And last, but not least, a “wooly sheep” represents one of my favorite collections.
There’s no place like home!!!
God’s Valentine Wishes
(6″ Sq.)
Pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about it in his poem “The Rainy Day” and Ella Fitzgerald sang about it with the Ink Spots… yes, “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”.
When a dear friend’s husband recently made his journey home to Heaven unexpectedly, God moved my heart to make this, His Valentine for her.
Heart to Heart
(11.75″ x 8.5″)
Pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman
A Valentine’s Day gift for my sweetheart, made and presented on Spouses Day 1/26/2018.
The heart shaped balloon consists of 20 wool hearts.
Then on February 8th I received these luscious chocolates from my Valentine… gluten free and totally non-fattening… he knows me well!!!
Yes, creativity abounds in our studio!
This up-cycled Russell Stover Chocolates box contains “Fine Assorted Woods” from Dave Hickman’s “Private Reserve” (16 different wooden ‘candies’ – identified as: Black Walnut, Spalted White Oak, Pink Ivory, Cocobolo, Zebrawood, Mahogany, Wenge, Bubinga, Spalted Maple, Purple Heart, Iron Wood, Jatoba, Cherry, and three with special notations: Koa from our 1999 Kauai trip, Cedar from my Dad’s walking cane, and Redwood Burl from Ocean City, MD. Each is beautifully finished to a fine luster and comes with the request, “Wood You Be Mine”. My woodturner knows the way to my heart!
