January 2013
Welcome to my website! It is a new year and I have many new and exciting things happening in 2013 and beyond that I would like to share with you.
Here are some of things happening now and in the future:
I am pleased to announce that my new book, "Fabulous Feathers & Fillers", is available. For the month of May I will offer it at a discounted price of $20.00! Please go to my store to order.
I am happy to announce that I have online classes available through a new craft site I filmed 4 classes on machine quilting the last week of January in San Francisco. The classes are now available at www.creativebug.com. The classes cover: the quilt sandwich, basic machine quilting, free motion machine quilting and finishing your quilt. It was a great experience working with the Creativebug team! Please visit their site to see my classes and take a look at all of the great classes they have to offer!
My sister, Pat Holly and I are happy to announce that we created the 2013 Block of the Month Quilt for the Quilt Show. The quilt is called "Two of Us" and is completely made on the home sewing machine. It is machine pieced, machine appliqued and machine quilted. The quilt debuts this month and each month will feature a part of th quilt with patterns and instructions. Please visit www.thequiltshow.com for information.
My episode on The Quilt Show is airing in January! I went to Boulder, Colorado to film this in August. It is my second time to be featured. I had a great time with Alex and Ricky, they are such professionals and made it easy to be in front of the camera. The episode is about how I design and then machine quilt feathers, with a focus on the concept I call "Wholecloth Feathers". These techniques will be featured in my upcoming book that will be available in April. Again, visit www.thequiltshow.com to view this episode!
My sister, Pat and I have an exciting new venture that we would like to announce for 2014! Our good friend and fellow quilt teacher, Gwen Marston has been hosting her annual Beaver Island Quilt Retreats for the past 29 years, first on the beautiful Beaver Island in Lake Michigan and recently moving it to the pretty little town of Elk Rapids in Northen Michigan. In 2013, after 30 years Gwen will retire from hosting the retreats. Gwen will still teach around the country and write books and articles. Pat and I are excited to announce that we will take over as teachers in 2014. I attended my first retreat with Gwen in 1986 and Pat followed a few years later. We love the relaxed learning envirenment that Gwen has created. We know that Gwen can never be replaced and she will be greatly missed. Pat and I will keep the format and the spirit of the retreats, adding our own touches based on our experience and expertise. We will be working on the details for the 2014 Fall Reteat, so watch my website later this year for more information under the 2014 Fall Retreat tab.
It was a very busy and productive 2012 for me! I taught for many different groups, conferences ad shops around the country. I have a full schedule in 2013 and I am now scheduling for 2014 and 2015. Please look at my schedule if you are interested in booking a specific date. If you have already booked a teaching date with me and you don't see it on the schedule- please contact me immediatiely!
I want to let you know about some wonderful oppurtunites to take classes from me in 2013:
I had a great time teaching on the Quilt Seminars at Sea Asia Cruise- we visited Japan, China and South Korea! It was a memerable experience and I had a great time teaching with fellow quilt teachers Paula Nadelstern and Karen Kay Buckley. I will post photos soon! I will be teaching on an Eastern Carribean cruise in January 2014 and would love to see you there! To learn more about the cruises go to: www.quiltcruises.com I hope to see you there!!!
My blog is on a hiatus- I am hoping later this year to have time to revive it!
My workshops page is current. I hope to add a few new workshops later this year and reitre a few old ones. Please check these out and if you have any questions let me know. My supply lists are also up to date. I have included information on the workshops page for students and groups to help make your workshop experience the best. Please read this helpful information section with my workshops! My biography and fees and requirements have minor updates.
I continue to use a camera and projector in the classroom for demos and it is a fabulous teaching aid. Because of this I have a few extra requirements in the classroom, please be sure to read this under classroom requirements. I have achieved my goal of having my lectures in power point. So for all my lectures, I will bring my own projector and computer and present my images using power point!
My Store has my two books (including “Stitched Raw Edge Appliqué” co-authored with my sister, Pat Holly). My patterns are also available and remain very popular items. I also carry some of the quilting items I use and sell when I am on the road teaching. My thread line- King Tut “Tone on Tones” from Superior Threads is available from- www.SuperiorThreads.com. I am not currently selling these threads on my website.
I am still using a paper backed fusible web product called Soft Fuse from Shades Textiles for my technique of machine appliqué and I am selling this at my website store. I love this product- it is easy to use and never separates from the paper!!! My favorite marking pencil- Quilter Choice by Roxanne’s is for sale with the pencil sharpener that works best with it. I have also added to the store my favorite small scissors that I use for appliqué.
Please visit my Gallery of Quilts page which features a sampling of my quilts. I have the quilt my sister, Pat Holly and I collaborated on called “Tea at Tenby”. It won many awards - the most exciting was “Best of Show” at the 2009 Festival of Quilts in Birmingham England! I have included information about some of our other award winning quilts- “The Beatles Quilt” and “The Space Quilt” as I am often asked to explain the details of these collaborative quilts. My sister, Pat has been creating beautiful miniature quilts- look for her page in the “Gallery of Quilts” that showcases some of her work.
I am working on my next goal of creating new quilts in the next year, so look for these soon!
I am enjoying being a Grandma! My granddaughter, Stella is 2 1/2 years old and we will have a new granddaughter in May! I will soon have new classroom and travel photos in my travel photos. .jpg)
Our yellow lab, Rubi, is still the best dog ever and her bestfriend- Bailey the yellow lab, my daughter, Jessi and son-in-law Ryan’s dog visits often!
I hope to see you on the road this year, doing what I love to do- teaching machine quilting and machine appliqué. Thank you for visiting my website and please come back soon…
Fondly,
Sue Nickels
I am proud to be participating in the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, a program raising awareness and funding research for Alzheimer's disease. It has two parts: a traveling art quilt exhibit interpreting Alzheimer's in fiber art that will tour the U.S. for three years, and an on-going sale of small art quilts. All proceeds will go to Alzheimer's research. www.AlzQuilts.org