Of particular interest to Suzanne are patriotic themes, which she says increase in popularity in conjunction with events of national significance, such as centennial celebrations. Love of country is rooted deeply in her own lineage. Her ancestors immigrated to the United States ten years after the Mayflower landed. She was a World War II baby, whose father fl ew thirty-five missions with the Eighth Army Air Corps. His forebears served in American military efforts as far back as the French and Indian War.
Today, at least twenty designs in Suzanne’s collection feature an eagle motif, and scores of patterns were completed in the classic triad of red, white, and blue. Combining passions for both genealogical research and linens, her latest quest is to find a World War I–era fund-raising quilt inscribed with the signature of one of her relatives. Condition, rarity, and graphic appeal all determine a piece’s market value, the collector explains, but often her decision to buy is instinctual. “Basically, the quilt calls out to me as I walk by,” she says. She has amassed hundreds, yet the keepsake that originally captivated her remains Suzanne’s most precious heirloom and a tactile connection to her family tree.
Photography Marcy Black Simpson
To learn more about Suzanne Hardebeck’s quilts, see “Patriotism in Patchwork” on page 69 of the July/August 2015 issue of Victoria.
