Meet
Ricky Tims
by Elsie Campbell
Texan, Musician and Quilter Extraordinaire!
Music, laughter and quilts merge in one fascinating
story.
What do Texans, concerts and quilting have in common? Ricky Tims!
Formally trained as a concert pianist, composer and conductor, he is a native Texan who
unleashed his artistic energies on quilting just nine short years ago.
I first met Ricky at a church world conference in St. Louis, Missouri,
in July of 1993. (Today, Ricky refers to himself at that time as a "baby
quilter.") As usual when traveling, I brought a quilt to work on. One evening as I
was seated in a hallway with my needle in hand, a slender man all decked out in cowboy
garb - hat, boots, string tie and silver belt buckle - looked over my shoulder studying
every stitch that I was making. Not saying a word at first, he made me feel a little
uneasy. When he asked, "Is that reverse appliqué?" I was so surprised I nearly
stabbed myself with the needle. "This cowboy knows quilting!" I thought to
myself. That opened our conversation and was the beginning of our friendship.
His grandmother's legacy
At the time of our first meeting, Ricky was a full-time music
coordinator for a large Presbyterian congregation and ran a part-time recording studio
from his home in St. Louis. He had studied piano performance and music composition at
Midwestern State University in his home town of Wichita Falls, Texas, prior to taking his
job. His love for the piano began even before he started taking lessons at the age of
three. Ricky's determination to master the piano evolved from self-discipline and pep
talks from his grandmother Bertie Marie Newsom: "Do the best you can" and
"Cain't never did nothin'!"
The bond between grandmother and grandson was especially strong. Shortly
before Ricky was born in 1956, his Grandma lost her youngest child in a tragic car
accident. The year of Ricky's birth also marked the time when his grandfather bought her a
brand new Kenmore electric sewing machine to help her channel the grief in a constructive
way. While he was growing up, Ricky spent the summers helping his grandmother with her
garden in the morning, swimming or fishing in the nearby lake in the afternoon and
watching her sew in the evening. Ricky remembers helping her tie a quilt when he was
10-years old.
When his widowed grandmother remarried at the age of 83, she gave Ricky
her Kenmore because her new husband already owned a sewing machine. As the proud owner of
the vintage machine, he was determined to learn to sew. Intending to make a Western-style
shirt, he drove to the nearest fabric store. The designs and colors of the fabric amazed
him. He then recalled his grandmother saying she wouldn't make a shirt for him because it
would be too difficult. Noticing a rack of quilt books in the store, Ricky thought of
making a quilt instead of the shirt. He felt certain that making a quilt would be easier
than a shirt because they were flat - or supposed to be flat! He left the store with
fabric and supplies, filled with all the enthusiasm of a beginning quilter. He went home
and proceeded to make his first quilt. That was June of 1991.
Sprouting wings and learning to fly
Like the title of one of his popular workshops, Ricky's quilting career
took flight. Attending his first quilt guild meeting the following fall, Ricky was taken
under the wings of several seasoned quilters, including award-winning appliqué artist
Suzanne Marshall. Ricky estimates he started nearly 40 quilts that first year! He made
many small quilts, experimenting with every method he read about or thought up. When asked
where he found time, he explained that in 1991 he was working as a free-lance music
producer with a lot of extra time on his hands. Later, he began a job as a church pianist
which required working on Sunday mornings, Wednesday evenings for choir rehearsals and for
the occasional funeral or wedding. In between those engagements, he spent most of his time
eating, sleeping, sewing and playing the piano. He'd even quilt before breakfast.
In the spring of 1992, he attended his first international quilt show in
Paducah, Kentucky. Describing his experience, Ricky says, "I was blown away! When I
saw Anne Oliver's 'Mama's Garden,' my jaw dropped to the ground!" His creative spirit
had been set afire, and he could hardly wait to get back to his basement studio to begin
developing new quilt designs and perfecting his workmanship. Ricky started entering local
competitions and got his first commission. In 1994, two of his quilts were juried into the
American International Quilt Festival in Houston, with one of them receiving a merit award
in the Innovative Pieced category.
 His music career continued to flourish. In 1993 he
went from part-time church pianist to full-time conductor and music coordinator. On
November 1, 1995, the St. Norbert College Chorale and Orchestra in Wisconsin, performed a
program that included pieces by Vivaldi, Vaughan-Williams, Rutter - and Tims! His original
composition "Song of Deliverance" made its debut in this premier performance.
While driving back to St. Louis after the concert, Ricky felt very grateful for his
talents. He decided to make a quilt that would express his gratitude to the generations of
quilters - long gone - who had passed their legacy on to him. From that musing, his quilt "Simple
Gifts" (90" x 90" square) was born. After sketching the design on
November 6, he worked night and day to complete it by January 6, 1996, just in time for
entry in the American Quilter's Society show. Just four short years after his first trip
to Paducah, "Simple Gifts" won second place in the Innovative Pieced category.
When asked what he likes about entering his quilts in shows, Ricky says, "I enjoy the
competition because I want to share my quilts. The judges' critique helps me improve my
work. I try not to gloat over a win or knock myself out because of a loss. The judging
process is subjective but it is a great learning experience.
Just as the title "Simple Gifts" comes from an old Shaker hymn
by the same name, Ricky feels there is a strong correlation between music and quilting.
"The creative process is the same. I sit at the piano and compose on the spot. I can
do the same thing at my Granny's sewing machine, especially when I'm improvising little
pieces. My music and my quilts are my legacy." More of Ricky's quilts can be
viewed in our Gallery.
In one of Ricky's popular programs, he plays the piano while showing
slides of award-winning quilts, presenting a vivid comparison between the elements of
music and art. Both make use of motif, pattern, rhythm, repetition, embellishment, line,
shape, form, balance and movement.
Ricky Tims has wholeheartedly embarked on a quilt journey. In 1998, he
left his job as a church musician to become a full-time professional quilter. His quilting
career continues to soar.
Like father, like son
Ricky's close relationship with his father was revealed in a serendipitous event. A few
days after Ricky started his first quilt, Richard, a retired truck driver, told his son
Ricky that he had just begun his first quilt too. Quite remarkably, they both were drawn
to quilting at the same time. Richard said, "If my mother could make a quilt at 85, I
knew I could surely do it at 65!" Richard quickly learned to use a rotary cutter and
used strip-piecing methods to make all of the diamonds for his first quilt. To date, he
has made 10 scrap quilts though he doesn't do the quilting himself. He leaves that to
Ricky's mom and her friends in their church's quilting bee!
Today, there is a third generation of quilters in the Tims family. Ricky made a quilt
as a wedding gift for his nephew Tye Davis and his new bride. Later, when they found that
they were expecting a child, Tye, a former prison guard, asked his Uncle Ricky to teach
him to make a quilt for the new baby. Ricky obliged and the art of quilting was passed on
to another family member. Tye has made several quilts since then. When asked about the
unusual fact that all three quilters are men, Ricky says, "I don't want to be a
separatist. It doesn't make any difference if a quilter is male or female. It is art all
the same."
The teacher
Ricky continues to inspire other quilters through his teaching and lectures. Teaching
is his way of "doing something that matters." As his list of award-winning
quilts gets longer each year, his classes at national and international shows quickly
fill. His lectures and programs are also in high demand all over the world, partly because
his teaching style is informal and personal. This is reflected in the titles of his
workshops, which have names like "Sprouting Wings and Learning to Fly" and
"Caveman Quilting." Ricky's techniques encourage a spontaneous approach to
quiltmaking. Freedom in design awaits anyone who tries his methods. See for yourself as
you make your own version of "Belle Chantelle" featured in the Quilting "How-To" Class.
For information about classes or to schedule a program, contact Ricky Tims at Tims Art
Quilt Studio, 6043 Newcombe Ct.,
Arvada, CO 80004. Or visit his website:
www.rickytims.com.
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