Befriend a Book

Pennsylvania-born Susan Ball Faeder is a quilt and fabric artist in her seventh decade of using a needle and thread. Originally from Williamsport and earning a B.A. in Japanese Studies from Bucknell University, Susan has spent most of her life immersed in Japanese culture, first living in Shiroishi City and later studying in Kyoto. The 100 cloth amulets featured on individual pages in this book reflect intentional, emotive choices of Japanese vintage textiles as the artist’s palette, each embellished by beads, shells, or other charms. They bring a joyful interplay of East and West, both cultures serving to unite her pieces. In the past, Susan pioneered and personally led 30 tour-groups to Japan via her Quilters Express to Japan business, always striving to broaden international awareness of Japanese quilts, stitching, culture, and artistry, and—particularly—encouraging Americans to draw closer to true indigo, sashiko, and inspirational elements from a unique culture beyond their own borders. 

Susan is a founding member of both the Empire Quilt Guild and the Manhattan Quilt Guild in New York City. Her Six of Diamonds quilt was included in a traveling Smithsonian exhibit called “The Art Quilt: A Full Deck.” Additionally, she has been (and is) a Juried Artist Member (JAM) of the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) for 30 years. Today, she lives in Lewisburg, PA, sewing and writing, meditating, and fulfilling her heart’s purpose.