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Go Deacs: Custom WFU quilts catch on
Photo by Monica Young
Gloria Stickney has received collegiate-licensing rights for her handmade Wake Forest University quilts.
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Published: September 27, 2008
KERNERSVILLE - Soon after Provost Jill Tiefenthaler started her position at Wake Forest University, she spotted a quilt made by Gloria Stickney.
"It was so beautiful and such a great representation of Wake Forest University that I bought one for my new office," said Tiefenthaler, who came to WFU from Colgate University in spring 2007.
Stickney, a research coordinator, has worked for Wake Forest for nine years. She started making Wake Forest quilts in 2004 to take part in a faculty/staff/student artisan fair on campus that was designed to encourage involvement within the Wake family.
By the time that Stickney had created her first quilt, she was hooked.
"I've been sewing for a long time. I made clothes for my Barbie doll when I was just 6. My mom was a seamstress who made all of my clothes. I've been quilting for 20 years, and my aunt is a quilter," Stickney said.
Stickney, a Tennessee native, and her husband, Bob, live in Kernersville. They began researching copyright laws and licensing rules, and received collegiate-licensing product rights for the black, gold and white quilts. Bob Stickney incorporated the research and what they learned into his eighth-grade social-studies classes at Walkertown Middle School.
"It was neat to use in teaching how the economy works and the process of it," Bob Stickney said.
In 2006, Gloria Stickney created a quilting design that can be customized according to each buyer's interests. Soccer balls, footballs and other sports interests can be incorporated into the unique wall coverings and bed coverings. "Go Deacons," in looping script, is stitched around the edges. The Deacon is embroidered into the quilt.
"Each quilt has fine little treasures you have to hunt to see," Tiefenthaler said.
So far, Stickney has sold 30 quilts. Each takes 40 hours to make and must be custom ordered. The Wake Forest logo takes 28,000 stitches and 1½ hours to stitch into a design. Stickney created the design with shading in mind. The appearance of the school logo changes with the light.
Stickney has created Wake Forest purses, autograph pillows, scrub tops, napkins, dish towels and other items. The gift shop at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center carries some of her items. Others are sold at activities such as the coming Wake Forest parent weekend and homecoming. Some items have been ordered on her Web site (www.sewfabulousquilts.com). The Dreamin' Deacon quilt costs $350, and the Deacon Pride wall hanging sells for $275.
The Stickneys have two sons. One is in college and one is serving in Iraq. Stickney has transformed a creative endeavor into a fulfilling business.
■ Monica Young can be reached at cyoung9@triad.rr.com.
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