"Embraced In Thread,
My Vintage Revival Collection"
In 2025, Susan produced a series of twelve pieces utilizing vintage textiles.
Her work was included in the Spring 2026 issue of Quilting Arts Magazine along with an article she wrote "Stitching the Past into the Present." The editor contacted her after two of her other pieces were featured in the summer 2025 and fall 2025 issues. The artist statement for the entire collection is:
“Embraced in Thread: My Vintage Revival Collection” is a tribute to the quiet beauty of vintage textiles and a way to honour the artists who created them. This 12-piece collection embraces vintage linens, lace, and hand-crocheted doilies. Through an intuitive and interdisciplinary process that focused on slow hand-stitching and fabric layering, I stitched the vintage and contemporary textiles together with needle and threads. I invite you to linger with me in the space between past and present and experience vintage textiles in harmony with contemporary art.
Title of the Quilt: “Stitchers Society”
Artist Statement: Incorporating a photograph taken by my great-great-grandfather T.D. Carscadden (1857-1919) that features women holding their handiwork and sewing tools into the first piece in my “Embraced in Thread, My Vintage Revival Collection” seemed a perfect option. I surrounded the photograph with vintage lace, doilies, roses, and January’s flower the enchanting snowdrop.
Techniques: Appliqué; hand embroidery; photo transfer; slow stitching.
Materials: Commercial cotton; cotton bamboo batting; rick rack; satin ribbon; vintage and upcycled fabrics, trims doilies, and lace; vintage buttons.
Title of the Quilt: “Love Saskatchewan”
Artist Statement: I was intrigued by the story of a postmaster from Love Saskatchewan who cancels stamps on wedding invitations year-round. On Valentine’s Day she uses Love’s unique postmark on the stamps of tens of thousands of love letters. February’s flower the delicate violet symbolizes love.
Techniques: Appliqué; hand embroidery; paper-piecing; photo transfer; slow stitching; trapunto.
Materials: Commercial and vintage cotton; cotton bamboo batting; embroidery cotton; vintage doilies, lace, and trims.
Title of the Quilt: “Enchanting Anne”
Artist Statement: Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books, filled with timeless wisdom like: “It's delightful when your imaginations come true, isn't it?” I chose fabrics in Anne’s favorite color and combined them with lovely vintage pieces and a fabric purchased on Prince Edward Island with her image. Immersed in the slow stitching process, I recalled the fictional Anne’s whimsy, enthusiasm, and wonder. I know she would approve of March’s hand embroidered flower, the daffodil as bright and sunny as her outlook.
Techniques: Appliqué; beading; gelatine plate printing; hand dyeing; hand embroidery; machine stitching; slow stitching.
Materials: Cotton bamboo batting; felt; upcycled and commercial cottons; vintage and upcycled doilies; laces; trims; buttons; beads, and ribbon.
Title of the Quilt: “Purple Prairie Crocus”
Artist Statement: How does one pay tribute to the wildflower that announces spring even before the snow has melted? By embroidering its delicate purple flowers into a wreath with graceful branches of pussy willows and wrapping this around a delicate piece of tatting shaped like a snowflake. April celebrations would not be complete without the humble beauty of a daisy.
Techniques: Appliqué; beading; hand embroidery; kantha stitching.
Materials: Beads; commercial cottons; cotton bamboo batting; embroidery cotton; hand dyed fabrics; upcycled and vintage lace, doilies, and tatting.
Title of the Quilt: “May's Splendor"
Artist Statement: Fabric from an elegant lace dress that I never wore and bell-shaped fragments from my daughters wedding dress inspired this tribute to May and its flower, Lily of the Valley. Delicate doilies and ribboned lace provide a backdrop for vintage seed packages and a May pole stamp.
Techniques: Appliqué; domestic machine quilting; fabric dyeing; hand embroidery; photo transfer; kantha stitching.
Materials: Cotton bamboo batting; commercial cotton; embroidery cotton; upcycled and vintage buttons, doilies, fabric, and lace.
Title of the Quilt: “Blue Bayou"
Artist Statement: This piece began with the intention to preserve the napkin rings my grandmother crocheted to match my wedding china. When I included grandpa’s blue-striped handkerchiefs, a fragment of my father’s shirt, my mother’s crocheted doily, and delicate ladies’ hankies that belonged to my aunt, it became a personal tapestry of memories. The pink hand embroidered rose, a symbol of joy and admiration is the flower of June.
Techniques: Appliqué; hand embroidery; kantha stitching; slow stitching.
Materials: Cotton bamboo batting; embroidery cotton; upcycled fabric; upcycled and vintage doilies, handkerchiefs, lace and trims; upcycled tablecloth; vintage napkin rings.
Title of the Quilt: “Sunshine and Rainbows"
Artist Statement: This design was inspired by delphiniums, the flower for July and my Grandmothers favorite. My daughter carried these beauties in her wedding bouquet. The geometric lines of a vintage hardanger design are balanced with the curves of a hand stitched blue bird feathered with vintage lace and dyed gauze.
Techniques: Appliqué; beading; fabric dyeing; hand embroidery; slow stitching.
Materials: Cotton bamboo batting; commercial cottons; cotton embroidery thread; hand dyed fabrics; upcycled and vintage doilies; hardanger napkin; ribbon; trims; beads; buttons and tatting.
Title of the Quilt: “Elva's Hummingbird"
Artist Statement: Using my vintage doilies, I created fabric cyanotypes in the hot August sun. The vase in this piece was designed from one of those prints then filled with medallions and motifs from vintage doilies. The delicate poppies printed on silk float on a background of eyelet providing the perfect backdrop for my still life study.
Techniques: Appliqué; cyanotype printing; hand embroidery; hand quilting; machine quilting; photo transfer.
Materials: Cotton bamboo batting; embroidery cotton thread; ferric ammonium citrate; potassium ferricyanide; silk; vintage doilies, eyelet, and trims.
Title of the Quilt: “Cocos Island Reef"
Artist Statement: This reef scene was influenced by my visit to Costa Rica and a desire to use the small remnants of gently deconstructed surf lace and mandala styled doilies. The hand embroidered September asters snuggle between the kelp and algae as the coral pineapple crochet and Irish lace florals drift by.
Techniques: Fabric painting; hand embroidery; slow stitching.
Materials: Cotton bamboo batting; dyed gauze; embroidery cotton thread; hand painted muslin; vintage and upcycled doilies; tatting, and lace trim.
Title of the Quilt: “Autumn Splendor"
Artist Statement: Guided by the palette of the vibrant marigold, birth flower for October and the colors of fall, this quilt glows with autumn’s energy. Layers of drifting leaves sweep across the surface while a delicate tatted doily, shimmering with sequins and beads, adds a touch of sparkle. The natural flax fibers of linen offer a grounding warmth creating a serene backdrop for the printed harvest scene. A special button from my friend’s grandmother’s button box completes my portrait of autumn with a quiet nostalgic grace.
Techniques: Appliqué; beading; hand embroidery; kantha slow stitch; machine quilting; photo transfer.
Materials: Beads; cotton bamboo batting; embroidery cotton thread; linen; metallic threads; sequins; vintage and upcycled doilies, trims, lace, and button.
Title of the Quilt: "Gray or Grey?"
Artist Statement: With a desire to discover the interplay of neutral tones, my goal was to see if I could complete this project with vintage materials in the colors between black and white. Shades that shifted like mist across a quiet landscape was my intention. I slow stitched doilies, upcycled fabrics and silk from a vintage tie with taupe threads, softening their edges and adding subtle patterns of shadow and light. To contrast the muted palette, November’s flower, the chrysanthemum was hand embroidered in deep purples.
Techniques: Appliqué; beading; hand embroidery; hand dyeing; tea dyeing; kantha stitch; slow stitching.
Materials: Beads; cotton bamboo batting; embroidery cotton thread; linen; metallic threads; upcycled silk tie; vintage doilies; upcycled and dyed eyelet lace.
Title of the Quilt: "Vintage Christmas 2025"
Artist Statement: A snow globe containing the nativity scene forms the heart of this vintage Christmas composition. Crocheted snowflakes from my grandmother's hand drift across a hand-dyed winter sky, while an embroidered holly sprig brings a touch of festive colour. Vintage lace, embroidery, and treasured fragments are layered together like cherished holiday keepsakes, while beads and subtle sparkle suggest the quiet magic of a snowy Christmas evening. The delicate hand stitches and exquisite fabrics embrace the treasured traditions.
Techniques: Appliqué; beading; hand embroidery; fabric painting; kantha stitch; slow stitching.
Materials: Beads; cotton bamboo batting; crocheted snowflakes; embroidery cotton thread; linen; metallic threads; upcycled silk and lace; upcycled table linens; upcycled ribbon and trims.