quiltersmuse.com Blog

Musician and quilter, Ricky Tims, is a man who is blessed with many talents! Well, known for his “Caveman Style Quilting” and “Rhapsody Quilts,” Ricky has just written, produced and recorded a Christmas CD, in Nashville, with other musicians. If you want to feel happy, view his YouTube video that shows beautiful and peaceful scenes of his adopted small town, La Veta, Colorado. The title of the CD is “Christmas in a Small Town.”

Some of the songs will sound familiar to you, but they have been arranged in a new way by Ricky, who also served as conductor for recording sessions. He has been playing piano since he was very young, and majored in music. According to what I read, when his home town in TX was hit by a tornado, his parent’s home was flattened and all of the songs he had written during high school were blown away by the wind.

We are happy that his musical career did not end there. We are equally cheered by Ricky’s enthusiasm for the process of quilting and for all of his teaching, not to mention his co-ownership of the online entity known as The Quilt Show. We wish him every success with this exciting new album. The song, “Christmas in a Small Town,” is a treasure! Enjoy the video, and then, please think about ordering the CD. (No affiliation).

Patricia & James Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Dear members and other friends of the Manchester Historic Association,

I am pleased to announce a new event presented by the Manchester Historic Association. On Thursday, November 19 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. the Millyard Museum will be the scene of the “Night at the Millyard Museum – Where History Comes to Life,” an event that is sure to please anyone who would like to mix a little history in with an evening of entertainment and holiday shopping. The evening will feature dancing, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, holiday shopping in the Museum Shop, and a silent auction with many affordable items. The museum’s historical exhibits will be open for viewing, and to help history come to life, the event is “costume optional.” Everyone is invited to come dressed in historically-themed costume, and prizes will be given out for the most outstanding examples. Entertainment will be provided by the popular local band, Soulhouse 7, performing a variety of soul, blues, R&B and rock favorites. Highlighting the evening will be a special stage show by Soulhouse 7 with their partners “The Blues Brothers – The Next Generation.”

Ticket prices are $35 ($25 for members of the Manchester Historic Association). Tickets must be purchased or reserved prior to the event. For tickets, stop by the Millyard Museum at 200 Bedford Street, any time from Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or the Research Center at 129 Amherst Street on Wednesdays or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Or, you may order or reserve tickets by calling (603) 622-7531.

Would you like to help out by donating a silent auction gift?

We are looking for gift baskets, gift certificates, jewelry, decorative items for the household, holiday centerpieces, artwork, and craft items. All items must be new (unless you would like to donate an antique of some sort – we’re open to suggestions!). Your generosity as a donor will be noted on our website, at the event and in our Annual Report. Donors also receive two free tickets to the event (up to a $70 value). To donate, please contact me by e-mail, or call (603) 622-7531.

For complete details about this event, including an updated list of the silent auction gifts, visit the website www.manchesterhistoric.org.

We will hope to see you at “Night at the Millyard Museum – Where History Comes to Life” event!

Yours,

Aurore

Aurore Eaton
Executive Director
Manchester Historic Association
Millyard Museum – 200 Bedford Street – Manchester, NH – 03101
Research Center – 129 Amherst Street – Manchester, NH – 03101
(603) 622-7531 ext. 223
aeaton@manchesterhistoric.org
www.manchesterhistoric.org
www.meetup.com/Manchester-History-Network

This announcement is brought to you courtesy of Quilter’s Muse Publications, an educational website for textiles and history

Press Release sent by CCC Legacy:

PBS: The American Experience

“The 1930s: Civilian Conservation Corps”

Put it on your calendar and tune your TV to your local educational channel.

Monday, November 2, 2009 – 9/8 p.m. Central

The Civilian Conservation Corps is once again in the spotlight on PBS. Robert Stone Film has developed a five part series for PBS under the popular programming of WGBH “American Experience.” This series captures significant events of the 1930s and brings them to us in a presentation that offers us a comprehensive view for our education and entertainment.

Special interest to our readers is the second segment, “The 1930s: The Civilian Conservation Corps.”

CCC Legacy was proud to work with Robert Stone Productions on recommending and locating interviewees. Thanks goes to Robert Stone and staff and WGBH, for arranging for us to present a special pre-screening to our members who attended the Annual Gathering and Reunion in Colorado. It was nice to see that all four people interviewed have been our members at some time: Harley Jolley, NC; Vicente Ximenes, NM; Clifford Hammond, AZ; and Houston Pritchett, MI.

The segments are aired each Monday night through November 23. Please tell your family, friends, historians, students, teachers and others about this series. As a reminder, forward this email to people who you think would be interested so they too can enjoy learning from this “American Experience.”

Previews can be viewed online. Learn more by exploring the WGBH/American Experience website.

Service Announcement Provided by Quilter’s Muse Publications

Gold Party at the New England Quilt Museum

November 13, 4:30-7 p.m.

Do you need extra cash for the holidays? Do have odds and ends of jewelry around the house that you’ll never wear–a single earring, a broken bracelet, a tangled chain? Do have jewelry from a former relationship you really don’t want to wear? Or a piece given to you as a gift or legacy that is not your style, but you can’t bear to re-gift it? You can turn those pieces into cash for the holidays and benefit the museum as well.

Party of Gold, a local woman-owned host of “girls’ night out” gold parties that benefit numerous local non-profits, is hosting a gold party on Friday, November 13th–which might be your lucky day! Our last Gold Party netted hundreds of dollars for participants, who brought in their broken or unwanted gold and silver jewelry and received payment for each recyclable piece. As a benefit for the museum, Party of Gold donated an amount equal to 15% of the purchases to the museum. So popular was the event that we are hosting one again–just in time to help you find some extra cash for the holidays in those odd pieces in your jewelry box!

If you cannot attend, but want to donate unwanted jewelry to the museum, just mail the jewelry as your donation in a padded envelope to the Museum at 18 Shattuck Street, Lowell, MA 01852, Attn: Party of Gold, and we will send you a receipt.

So join us on November 13, from 4:30-7pm to enjoy some refreshments, get cash for your holiday shopping, and benefit the museum. Please bring a photo ID.

The New England Quilt Museum
18 Shattuck Street
Lowell, MA 01852
978-452-4207
www.nequiltmuseum.org

Just so you will not get the impression that I prefer to crab about those who are doing a slipshod job of things when it comes to quilt history, the study of old fabrics, etc., I’d like to mention that just now, I discovered a new blog that has been set up by Margo Kramer. She is a long time fabric enthusiast and vendor of reproduction fabrics. Her online listings of her “findings” and latest reproduction fabrics that have just been printed and which she has added to her collection for sale are a real treat to see, even if only small, enticing swatches are available.

One can go to her Reproduction Fabrics website and sign up for her newsletter. She always includes tasty tidbits of information that are enjoyable to quilters, from beginners to more skilled aficionados of the art. I am always delighted to find her latest newsletter in my mailbox.

Tonight, I learned something new: she states that “Cottonopolis” is the 19th century name that was given to the Manchester, England cotton processing and printing mills. That is a fascinating fact, in light of a lecture I heard in New Hampshire, a short time ago, in which the presenter compared the Manchester, England mills to the Manchester, NH mills. The Manchester, NH mills are still standing and have been designated for innovative uses while the Manchester, England mills were bombed out during World War II, and have been completely demolished since then.

Check out Margo’s site and have your credit card ready, if you are planning any projects that require reproduction fabrics. I can vouch for the fact that she prides herself on great customer service and quick shipping. She is one of the “good guys” upon whom one can always count to “get it right.” She was a fellow student of mine in 2001, when we both enrolled in the “History of Quilts” class, at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Keep up the good work, Margo!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications