On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about quilting and music with my guest, Ricky Tims.

Ricky Tims has successfully blended two diverse passions into one very unique and interesting career. His skills as a pianist, composer and producer have been evident by the thousands who have heard his music.

Ricky on stage.

He is known in the international world of quilting as a best-selling author, enthusiastic and encouraging teacher, an award-winning quilter, fabric designer, and a talented and spellbinding speaker. His innovative and entertaining presentations feature live music and humor combined with scholarly insights and wisdom. His quilts have been displayed worldwide and are highly regarded as excellent examples of contemporary quilts with traditional appeal.

Ricky on stage. Photo by Gladys.

Ricky maintains an extensive international schedule of teaching and speaking engagements, and is co-founder and co-host of The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims.

Ricky and Alex on set at The Quilt Show.

Ricky is challenged by creativity in all forms, and encourages individuals to cultivate self-expression, reach for the unreachable, and believe in the impossible.

Ricky begins by talking about the town where he lives in Colorado with his partner, Justin. He then goes back to his childhood growing up in Texas with a musical mother and a father who drove an oil truck for a living. Ricky went to college to study music and had a career as a musician before discovering quilting by accident after being given his grandmother’s old Kenmore sewing machine. He stumbled upon a local quilt guild where he was living in St. Louis and immediately saw connections between music and quilt making. Soon after he developed his first lecture, a unique hybrid of playing the piano, telling stories, and showing quilting techniques. Years later, he and Alex Anderson started The Quilt Show, a highly produced online television show.

I ask Ricky some deeper questions about how he sees spirituality. We also have some fun talking about his hats.

During the conversation we reference:

• Thimble and Thread Quilt Guild in St. Louis
• Faye Anderson
• Alex Anderson
• Martha Pullen
• Simply Quilts television showhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/
• Libby Lehman
• Katie Pasquini

And, of course, I ask Ricky to recommend some great stuff he’s enjoying right now. Ricky recommends:

• Lady Gaga Five Foot Two documentary
• Breaking Bad
• Game of Thrones
• The Vikings
• Outlander
• Hamilton

Keep up with Ricky on Facebook and follow along on Instagram.

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This episode is sponsored by Chronicle Books. Turn your creative passion into a fulfilling career! How to Make It, published by Chronicle Books and written by photographer and small business owner Erin Austen Abbott, is the ultimate guide to making a living by making things. Featuring 25 profiles of illustrators, jewelry designers, ceramicists, painters, clothing designers, and printmakers, How to Make It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the daily rituals and best practices that keep these creative entrepreneurs on track.

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