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photo by AuntSewsie - does this bring back memories?

Hey everybody!

Since establishing the Christmas In a Small Town website last year, hundreds of holiday stories have been posted. I would encourage you to take a few minutes just to read some of the heartwarming stories posted on the site. While you are there, you might be inspired to share your own story too.

The holidays can be a bittersweet mixture. Some people revel in the joy of the season while others seek to find encouragement and meaning. Some stories are fun, others poignant. Regardless, they might be the ticket to bringing light to someone struggling to find their way.

Christmas In a Small Town is my own personal website. Take time to read a few other stories today. It might just get you into the holiday spirit.

Here is one story that will surely touch your heart. Click here.

Should you be interested in giving my Christmas In A Small Town CD as gifts, I'm offering a 3-pak at 25% off at the Ricky Tims Online Store. If you are an iTunes fan, search iTunes for Ricky Tims, you'll find my music there too!

Ricky

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Last call!

Applications for the Ponnie Brinkman Retreat Scholarship enabling an emerging quilter to attend one of my La Veta Quilt Retreats are due on November 1, 2010. The scholarship has been established as a way to foster new quilters on their creative journey. One scholarship is awarded each year. The following list outlines the basic information for the scholarship which includes free tuition and $500 towards expenses (lodging, travel, etc).  For the complete details about this scholarship click here.

1. Nominations must be submitted to Ricky Tims Inc. by the board of directors of an established quilt guild with a membership of fifty or greater. 

2. On November 1, 2010, a nominee should not have been quilting more than three years.

3. Nominees should have completed a minimum of six quilts and should exhibit confidence, enthusiasm, and originality.

4. It does not matter whether or not the nominee leans toward traditional, contemporary, or art quilting.

I look forward to the selection process. The scholarship recipient will be announced on December 1, 2010 at www.rickytims.com

The nomination forms can be downloaded here and must be postmarked on or before November 1, 2010.

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Finished! I love that word.

I finished this small quilt today. It is bound, signed, sleeved, and photographed! Whoo-hoo! I named it Little Flower and it measures only 16" x 19". This was one of those 'just for fun' pieces. It wasn't made for an article, a pattern, a show, or for any other reason than I wanted to make it. There was a time when I had more time to quilt than I knew what to do with. Now, my responsibilities keep me from quilting "for myself" as much as I like. Today was a fun day for me. 

Here are answers to a few questions I got on Facebook. It is made from my hand-dyed fabric. It is stitched with 40 polyester threads from Superior (Rainbows and Art Studio). It was quilted on my Bernina 730. None of the quilting was marked in advance. I used wool batting.

Do you fit your quilting time in? - or do you schedule it?

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Me, back then - 1983

I suspect it is rare that anyone quilts in totally quiet solitude, but I'd like to know if you do. For most of us we quilt with our TV or DVDs playing - or our iPods jammin'. The variety of music that moves us along through our projects is diverse for sure. I'm really thankful for my musical life and well as my quilt life so I thought I'd bring the subject of music up for discussion.

Do you listen to music when you quilt? If not, what keeps you company while you stitch? If yes, then what sorts of music/artists do you listen to?

My talented friend Jaquie Gipson (from Trinidad, CO) played guitar on my Sacred Age and Christmas in a Small Town CDs (also on iTunes). She's an amazing guitarist. Take a moment to watch her new video - and if you like her music consider adding it to your collection. Find her music on iTunes and her website.

In upcoming posts I'll share some of my favorite artists and musical styles. For now, it's time for you to raise your hand and and tell me what floats your musical boat.

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Here is a little quilt that I made last night. It measures 12.5" x 15.5". It is made from my hand-dyed fabrics. The applique is stitched with the double-blanket stitch (which I love) and the rest is "caveman" pieced - which means it is improvisational. The "fringe" around the petals is free-motion bobbin embroidery done with Razzle Dazzle thread.

This quilt is headed to Houston for the IQA mini-quilt silent auction. So, if you are going and are interested, this quilt could be yours!

Originally I was working on a different project, but this one just called my name. I guess that's my prerogative. Do you ever change your mind mid-stream?

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It happened on Tuesday. We almost had our first drive-by quilting from a quilt shop!

It was a shop from my old stomping grounds in Collinsville, Illinois. The shop, Cross Patches, owned by Mary Solomon, has been an icon for quilters in the St. Louis area for a long time - and she's a Bernina dealer too! Mary tried VERY hard to make a drive-by quilting. However, she was duped by an impostor. That's right, we were sabotaged! She saw someone in a vehicle similar to ours wave to her as they zoomed by and she thought it was us - but it wasn't! She left her post just seconds before we got there. We actually saw Mary and Sharon (her store employee) trotting back to the car, but not until it was too late to get an official Drive-by quilting photo!!! BUMMER!!! 

Nonetheless I asked Mary to show me the quilt she had taken. It was the quilt shown above called Tis the Season. If it strikes your fancy you might be happy to know that she has kits made up and ready for you. I think it looks easy and it is certainly a fun holiday quilt. If you are interested in the kit contact Mary's shop. If you are in that neck of the woods, Cross Patches is located one mile south on exit 15a off I-55-I70.

Hats off to Mary for her heroic attempt to make the drive-by quilting happen. Thumbs down to the impostor who spoiled it for us!

Mary said, "One old man tried to pick us up, but fortunately no Illinois State Troopers...it was definitly not in Sharon's job description!" Thanks Mary for helping make my day! It was still fun!

Hey everybody, Justin and I will be driving to Houston for Market and Festival. Those of you in Texas, be on the lookout - we're coming your way in mid-October!

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It happened quite innocently as Justin and I drove through Iowa. I gave a shout out on Facebook. Kathyl in Iowa replied that she would wave to me as we drove by. I then suggested that she hurry to the interstate and wave a quilt as we went by. She did just that and "drive-by quilting" was born. She was the first member of the Drive-by Quilting Club and more have joined us since then. You can join the club too!

All you have to do is pay attention to days when Justin and I are traveling from hither to yon. This week we are finishing up our trip to Cape Cod and Tuesday and Wednesday we'll be looking for anyone who wants to play. We'll be driving on I70 from Terre Haute, IN to somewhere near Topeka, KS on Tuesday. Wednesday we'll continue on I70 though Kansas and then turn toward La Veta. If you want to make an attempt to join the Drive-by Quilting Club, and you are in our travel path, follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter. See pictures and read more about it here.

We're driving - but what's missing?

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I hear a lot of "you should come do a seminar in our state" types of comments. That would be great but here's what you need to know. We do about four of them each year. So although Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminars can't go everywhere, but one thing's for sure - we don't go anywhere without an official invitation from the board of directors of quilt guild. The process from invitation to actual seminar takes between two to three years. Information about the seminars and the contact link to get hosting information is here.

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First, WHEW! ... and the above headline says it all!

It takes about two years to pull off a super quilt seminar. The fact that Earl was threatening to spoil it all was not pleasant on sooooo many levels! However, even with that threat breathing down our necks, the seminar started and only about 10 of our 360 or so failed to show up. Quilters will not be deterred. 

Friday night I usually do my concert, but I was able to absorb my stories and music into the daytime sessions and we all left at 5:00 on Friday so we could batten down the hatches and hunker down for the hurricane. Alex, John, Libby, Pat, Justin and I still managed to go to the docks on the harbor for a fine seafood dinner and by the time we were leaving there was a breeze and a few drops of rain.

Once back at the hotel the rain started and we witnessed some gusty winds through the night, but NOTHING like what it could have been. The news crews had to really struggle to find a place that would look dramatic enough to keep viewers paying attention to their reports. We never lost power and honestly, we have way worse winds in La Veta on a regular basis. So Earl was simply more of an annoyance before he got to the Cape than he was when he arrived. Earl became a Pearl. 

One visitor saw T-shirts already, "I survived Earl, but then again, my hair dryer blows harder!"

We are now doing the four day drive home to Colorado. If you are on I78 and I70 as we head west - contact me for a drive-by quilting!

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Hurricane Earl will arrive during the evening hours tonight near Cape Cod. However, the quilters have not been deterred, they are still here showing their enthusiasm and passion. We are not in danger, but tonight we will all leave and hunker down while the main thrust of the storm passes by. Then, tomorrow, we'll wake up to see what transpired during the night and convene again to enjoy our last day of the Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminar in Hyannis, MA on the Cape.

Look at these HARDY NEW ENGLAND QUILTERS strutting their stuff - (and one from Scotland, and one from Alaska, and 25 from Canada and more)!!!