JACQUELINE HICKS RICHARDSON

MEMBER, AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILT CIRCLE OF DURHAM

Jacqueline Hicks Richardson is a long time Durham, NC, resident who enjoys quilting along with pursuing a healthy physical life style. Jacqueline learned to sew at a young age. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that a coworker, now fellow AAQC sister, sparked her interest in quilting. Shirley M. Bullock would bring in her “works in progress” to discuss backing or binding fabric choices or showcase a new technique she had mastered and Jacqueline was hooked. She and Shirley visited a local fabric shop and it was on! Jacqueline’s early work focused on learning traditional patterns and techniques.

Jacqueline preferred hand piecing and sewing as it was easy to find small pockets of time within her busy professional and personal life. She made several small pieces while perfecting her technique. During this time, she started on her greatest quilting accomplishment, a twin-size bed quilt she made for her daughter, Angelica. She chose black, red, and white fabrics for a classic tumbling block pattern. This project took an inordinate amount of time to complete as it was all handmade. The quilt began as a baby quilt for Angelica; however “Geli” grew faster than Jacqueline could stitch. The contrasting fabrics create a stunning 3-D effect. The quilt also showcases her tiny hand quilting stitches.

Attending monthly AAQC meetings always left her inspired to do more, stretch further, as she witnessed the creativity of some of the most artistic women in the world. Jacqueline joined AAQC very early in its existence, again with the encouragement of her mentor/friend, Shirley. Her time with the group has seen her grow from someone who hand pieced traditional quilts to someone who now recognizes herself as an artist that has something to say and she can say it with fabric in many various ways.