Ricky Tims Newsletter
Volume II, Issue 6

Saturday – June 7, 2003

Janet Finley:  Administrative Assistant Resigns
Tims Art Quilt Studio will be saying farewell to Janet Finley on June 13.  Janet has been Ricky’s Administrative Assistant since Ricky moved to Colorado in August of 2000.  Both Ricky and Justin will greatly miss Janet’s help with all the booking and travel arrangements and wish her the very best. 

With Janet’s departure, her position will need to be filled locally.  If anyone is interested in interviewing for the job, please contact Justin and he will setup an interview with Ricky.  Please click on the link below to see the job description.
TAQS Assistant 

Until the Administrative Assistant’s position is filled, Justin will take on these duties as well.  Please be easy on him while he adds these duties to his already overflowing plate. If Ricky is coming to your local guild/shop in the near future, please drop Justin  a line and introduce yourself and just brief him on upcoming events.  It will be very helpful in this transitional period. He will be answering the mail on TAQStudio@aol.com  as well.

 Travels:  Sioux City, iA; New Jersey; Golden, CO; Albuquerque, Santa Fe, & Los Alamos, NM;
Peoria, IL
Out with May and in with June.  This past May, Ricky and Justin made their first trip ever to the Emerald Isle of Ireland.  Their  trip was a smashing success thanks to the flawless coordination of Margaret McCrory.  The guys say “thank you” Margaret for a job well done.  Other thanks go out to Francis Sawaya and her husband Tim, and to Rachel Corkery and her husband John for opening up their homes for Ricky and Justin. 

While in Northern Ireland and not teaching and lecturing, Ricky and Justin traveled the countryside chasing numerous rainbows and searching for the fabled and elusive Leprechauns.  In addition, they were treated to a concert in the St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast of the Celtic Lyre Orchestra and also, to a comic show of author Peter McCarthy. 

After their time in Belfast, Ricky and Justin were taken to Cavan, in the Republic of Ireland.  While on the way, they went by Castle Leslie where Paul McCartney was married to his new bride.  They also learned of nearby ancient tombs of which they hope to visit on their next tour.    

Maeve Meaney, then took the guys on an eventful trip from Cavan to Limerick,  where, they were given a brisk tour of a nearby Castle and a city tour of Limerick, most especially the area where author Frank McCort wrote about in his book, Angela’s Ashes.  For those of you who didn’t know, Angela’s Ashes is one of Ricky’s favorite books. 

Mary Palmer took over for Maeve and then shuttled the guys the rest of the way to Cork, also in the Repubic of Ireland.   There, they stayed with Rachel Corkery and her Husband John.    Between the lecture and workshops in Cork, they were able to do some shopping and kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle.  

Work finished, the guys then traveled by ferry on the Stenna Line, a high-speed ferry,  across the Irish Sea to North Wales, where they stayed with friends Rebecca and Barrie Collins.   

Many, many thanks go out to all who assisted Ricky and Justin in their travels to Ireland and North Wales. 

June finds Ricky traveling to Sioux City, IA for the Siouxland Samplers Quilt Guild June 5-8.  He will be at the New Jersey Quilt Convention June 12-15 followed by McCalls Quilting Symposium in Golden Colorado on June 20.  Ricky and Justin will then travel to New Mexico, where they’ll visit the New Mexico Quilter’s Association in Albuquerque on June 22 and the night of 23.  They will also be at the Northern New Mexico Quilt Guild in Santa Fe on the 23 followed by the Los Alamos Piecemaker’s Quilt Guild in Los Alamos on the 24 and 25.  Their New Mexico trip will then end back in Albuquerque with Ann Silva’s Bernina Sewing Center on the 26.  June’s travel schedule will then end in Peoria, Il,  with Peoria Gems of the Prairie Quilt Guild.  

Convergence Fabric:  Ricky’s new fabric line
Ricky’s new Convergence Fabric has hit the shops.  Stop by your local quilt shop and checkout this great new line of hand-dyed fabrics produced commercially.  If your shop doesn’t have it yet, ask them to call Free Spirit and place their order soon. 

Autumn Rock:  Spring has Sprung!
Spring has finally found it’s way to Autumn Rock.  Check out these latest pictures taken this past week on the property:  Spring Flowers, Spring Fog, Progress, Progress 2   

In addition, the driveway has been cut and the pond deepened.  Final preparation of the driveway is to be completed this week; however, with 6” of snow in the forecast for this weekend, (yes, we said 6” of snow and yes, we know it’s already June!), this phase may be postponed.  The good news about the snow however, is that perhaps it will help to fill the new and improved pond.

That’s about it for this month.  Till next month, stay focused on your projects and happy quilting.
Ricky