What’s Old Made New Again

Those who know me well, know I love antiques! I’ve even been known to refinish them to give them new life in my home.
I also love giving new life to antique blocks and old linens, especially when they came handed down to me through my family.

Mimi’s Flower Garden

26.5″ Sq
Designed, English paper pieced (EPP), pieced, hand and machine appliqued, thread painting, and custom free-motion quilted by Sue Hickman Berryville, VA 4/2021
I’d come across just a bit of left over border print (from 2020 Drunk on Color quilt) that I simply couldn’t let go to waste.
I created the mitered border first to determine how big this quilt could be. Then, as I began to hand sew the EPP hexies into Grandmother’s Flower Garden blocks, I came across a circle of denim that my mother had hand embroidered decades ago (definitely old!). It fit in perfectly with the border and EPP blocks I was making. I also used a small flower embroidered on one of my own grandmother’s worn linens in one of the hexies and an antique button.
Once the design took shape and the elements were appliqued in place, I thread painted and custom free-motion quilted it.
Just looking at it brings a smile to my face and makes me happy.

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 gleaned 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 biggest ‘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.

I love that antiques, in a sense, keep ‘history’ alive.
Antique quilts are treasures, indeed… but what about antique blocks that have never been sewn into a finished quilt?
Whenever I’ve found antique quilt blocks, and they “speak to me”,  I’m inspired to also give them new life.

Easter Morn… He is Risen!

(~42″ Sq.)
Designed, pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, VA     3/2018
This quilt 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 moment I found them, I envisioned them getting a ‘new life’ 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.

Dogwood Medallion

(45.5″ Sq.)
Designed, pieced, and quilted by Sue Hickman     Berryville, Va     12/31/2016
This quilt began as a single 16″ orphan antique block found, I don’t recall where, y-e-a-r-s ago. I admired the applique workmanship and dogwood design. I always intended to create a medallion quilt showcasing this block, but had a challenging time finding coordinating fabrics.
Like fashion, quilting fabric colors change all the time. This pink reminds me of the original Bayer children’s aspirin color (not ‘pink’, not salmon… somewhere in between), the old muslin had yellowed, and the gray is also unique with undertones of brown.
From time to time I would pull this block out again and look for fabrics to pair with it, and finally in 2016 I found these luscious fabrics. I am so glad to finally complete this quilt, including hanging sleeve and label, and get it photographed before year’s end… my last quilt of 2016.

Stars and Stripes Forever

(75.5″ x 18.5″)
This table runner gives new life to 5 Antique Blocks.
Designed, pieced and quilted by Sue Hickman       Berryville, Va       6/14/2010 Flag Day

Vintage Fans Reborn

Using 24 antique Victorian fan blocks,  top was designed, pieced and finished by Sue Hickman – Spring 2009

Mirrored Antique Blues

(23.5″ x 24″)
Pieced and hand quilted by Sue Hickman using 2 antique blocks mirrored with 2 reproduction blocks.  (2008)