Daily Blog

  0

fShare

Tweet

I'm enjoying my time in St. Louis. Friday night I presented my "Homecoming Concert" to a near sellout crowd of about 550 enthusiastic quilters and friends. The concert was promoted and presented by my first quilt guild - the Thimble and Thread Quilt Guild of Greater St. Louis with a membership of around 200. They meet the 2nd Friday of each month at the Webster Groves Presbyterian Church. This performance, however, was offered to quilters region wide so the meeting was moved to the Lindbergh High School auditorium.

A group of volunteers set up a table with loads of hand-dyed fabric and other goodies while another group helped set the guild's new raffle quilt. The crowd arrived early, all wanting the best seat, so when the doors opened at 7pm, the lobby was already swarming with concertgoers. 

I was honored that so many people came out and I enjoyed recanting my stories, playing my music, and I assembled a visual montage of just about every quilt I ever made.

A huge thank you goes out to Thimble and Thread for being their from the start. Thanks to my other St. Louis guilds (Circle in the Square and St. Louis Art Quilt Alliance) for also guiding me along. Thanks to all the guilds in the region for having hosted me when I was getting my feet wet doing presentations. Thanks to everyone who came out in support for this homecoming concert.

The encouragement and support of those members during the formative years of my quilting experience is a significant reason why I'm where I am today. They could have ignored me, shunned me, misunderstood me, but they did anything but that. They embraced me, taught me, and kept me under their wing while I was learning to fly. They didn't shake their heads at my unorthodox methods. Instead they knew and celebrated the fact that quilting generates a wide range of styles and methods. 

I was once a newbie. I was embraced and encouraged. The quilt police stayed away and a group of quilting cheerleaders cheered me on. Are you an encourager? Do you seek out the newbies and cheer for them? Who will be the next generation of quilters - teachers - award-winners? Will you play a part in their success? The quilters in St. Louis certainly played a huge part in my life.

  0

fShare

Tweet

Turn your radio on - we'll, not really. If you missed the interview live online you'll be glad to know KWMU has posted it online to hear anytime you wish. Click here and listen to the entire discussion that I had with Don Marsh on St. Louis Public Radio, KWMU's Cityscape program. It's always great when opportunities arise to remind/educate the general public about quilting. 

No doubt you will enjoy listening while you are putting together a quilting project or just working around the house. Thanks KWMU for the opportunity to share the love. If you know someone who is on the fringe of really understanding YOUR quilt world, send them the link. - Ricky

  0

fShare

Tweet

Create your own folded Hexagon Chopkey using Rami Kim's easy to follow directions based on Korean paper folding (as seen in Episode 607).  We have also included a lesson for drafting your own hexagon template.  Click on our Projects page here.

  0

fShare

Tweet

Who else but Pam Holland could create such an inspiring video about color?  But that's not all Pam puts into this video.  Where else can you see a blind potter--watch how he "irons," a donkey with a pedicure, weaving, classes, and museums.  Of course, let's not forget Frida Kahlo and a couple of quilts too.  Take a trip down Mexico way and enjoy Color and Inspirations of Mexico.

  0

fShare

Tweet

Who else but Pam Holland could create such an inspiring video about color?  But that's not all Pam puts into this video.  Where else can you see a blind potter--watch how he "irons," a donkey with a pedicure, weaving, classes, and museums.  Of course, let's not forget Frida Kahlo and a couple of quilts too.  Take a trip down Mexico way and enjoy Color and Inspirations of Mexico.

  0

fShare

Tweet

Ricky was the featured guest on St. Louis Public Radio's arts and culture prgram "Cityscape" on Friday, April 9, 2010.  Ricky tells: about how he got started is quilting and the arts; what his stage performances entail; his approach to teaching; and how he has time to do it all.   Ricky also shares his thanks to a sewing machine salesman who has touched so many lives, without knowing it.  "Your life matters".

To listen to the entire discussion that Ricky had with host Don Marsh on KWMU, click here: 040910aweb_small

To visit St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 KWMU, click here: http://www.stlpublicradio.org/programs/cityscape/archivedetail.php?date='2010-04-09'

  0

fShare

Tweet

Friday morning, between 11am and noon U.S. Central time, I'm going to be the lucky guest on St. Louis Public Radio on an arts and culture program called Cityscape. Whoo hoo, somebody thinks I got culture!

You can listen live on the internet - so join me if you can. The show repeats in the evening from 10pm - 11pm. So, if you miss it the first time around - you have a second chance.

I'm very excited about this homecoming event/concert. Today was magical just flying in to St. Louis, seeing the arch from the air, driving by my old house, and remembering all the great friends I have here. Looking forward to the big concert Friday evening, 7:30pm, Lindburgh High School.

To listen live - click here. Look in the upper right corner of the page for Listen Live.

  0

fShare

Tweet

Today, let's have a little fun.  Let's hear how you finish this sentence, "You know you're a quilter when..."

For example, last night I went to take a bath and guess what I found in the tub? No, not a spider, not a dust bunny, not even a bubble; I found little snips of fabric. You know, the little dog ears you snip off the corners when you trim up your blocks. They escaped and made a run for it from my sewing room.

So, submit a comment and tell us, "You know you're a quilter when..."

(Photo:  Inside of a quilter's garbage can.)