Craft Focus - Aug/Sep (Issue 68)

STAR QUALITY Quilting superstar Ricky Tims will host an evening of quilting stories, live music and humour as part of this year’s festival. Here, he talks about his show highlights. What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival? Besides the quilts, I’ll be looking forward to reunions with people I’ve crossed paths with in the past, as well as making new connections. My quilting friends have enriched my life so much that I would be lost without them. You’ll be giving lectures as part of the popular workshop programme – what can visitors expect? My lecture classes are just that – classes! While I always try to make it entertaining, these masterclasses are designed to share a wealth of information in a short amount of time. These are the presentations where quilters will learn more than they would in a ‘sit and sew’ environment. I encourage everyone to sign up for at least one – they won’t be disappointed. What are you currently working on? I have a short term BOM project called Hungarian Rhapsody. This has been a summer endeavour, featuring the work of more than 300 quilters. I’m also making a pattern of one of my most beloved quilts, Dad’s Lone Star. What’s the best piece of quilting advice anyone has ever given you? Quilt because you love it. Quilt because you have to. The most memorable quote I was given was in reference to patience – it doesn’t take patience to do something you love. I believe that. I can spend hours on end just pushing through a quilt. Life’s ups and downs are embedded with each stitch and the memories stay with the quilt. Perhaps that is why these works become such treasures for future generations. An Evening with Ricky Tims takes place at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Friday 10 th August. For details, call 0844 581 1289 or visit thefestivalofquilts.co.uk stitching the future 96 craft focus