I'm Just Sayin

Once in a blue moon I'm able to create a small project to be auctioned off. I have a great affection for the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum located in Golden, Colorado. Next month they will be holding an annual fund raiser that includes auction items. I made Wahatoya and Fence specifically for that auction. The museum will be taking remote, call-in bids prior to the live auction. This means YOU have a chance to add this quilt to your collection even if you can't attend the museum event.

Wahatoya, the name of our two mountains (also called The Spanish Peaks) means "breasts of the earth". These are the two mountains that greet me each morning from my front door. I made this quilt from hand-dyed fabrics and machine quilted it. 

How to Bid 

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum will be taking call-in bids on Ricky’s Wahotoya and Fence quilt (12” x 15.5”) valued at $1100.

Call-in bidding begins on Monday, March 7 and will continue thru March 10, 2011 during the hours of 10:00 am to 4:00 pm MST. Call-in number is 303-215-9001, please have your credit card information ready for your call-in bid. Please note, having the highest bid at the end of day on Thursday does not guarantee you are the winner.

The auction will continue on Saturday at the RMQM Fabric and Friends event giving attendees a chance to bid on the quilt. 

The ending bid on Thursday is the starting bid on Saturday for the live auction.  We strongly urge call-in bidders to place their maximum bid when calling in.  If you are the highest bidder on Thursday evening and have given RMQM a maximum bid, we will designate an individual to bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid amount at the Fabric and Friends Live Auction.  (Maximum bid information will not be shared with other callers.)

Call-in bidders will be asked to provide the following information:  Name, address, phone and email address and credit card information.  If the winner of Ricky’s quilt was a call-in bidder their credit card will be charged the final bid amount.  Following payment, quilt may be picked up at RMQM office located at 910 13th Street, Suite 300, Golden, CO  80401 or RMQM will happily ship to any winner (shipping charges apply).

RMQM is thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to anyone wishing to OWN one of Ricky’s wonderful quilts!

The image above was recently sent to me by Jan Magee, editor of The Quilt Life magazine. Jan lives in Denver and has easy access to neighboring historic Golden, Colorado which is home to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. Do you notice anything interesting about the image? 

The quilt containing this embroidered signature is currently on display at the museum in an exhibit calledOver Here: Quilts that Got Us Through World War II from the collection of Sue Reich. The exhibit runs through April 30, 2011. It was made in June of 1944 from Clay and Montague counties in Texas, & Newport Texas. The quilt includes embroidered names of soldiers from these counties serving in the military.

My family name is Tims (not Timms) though both are a derivative of Thames (prounouced Tims) which is also the famous river that runs through London. Tims with only on 'm' is much less common that Timms with two 'm's. My father, Richard Lee Tims, grandfather Lee Otis Tims (Boots), and my great grandfather, Lee Roy Tims, all lived in Clay County, TX so it seemed there would be a likely connection to the name Loyd Tims of Newport, TX.

After a bit of tracking (with the help of my wonderful mom and my brilliant niece, Toi) we now have the connection. Here it is:

My great great grandfather Wesley Tims was raised on (or very near) the famous Civil War battlefield in Shiloh, Tennessee. He was about 13 years old during the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. After the battle they the family relocated to Texas. 

Eventually Wesley married and lived in Mansfield, TX near Ft. Worth, TX. Wesley had at least two sons, one was my great grandfather, Lee Roy Tims, the other was Troy Hubert Tims. Troy is the father of Loyd V. Tims (named and stitched on the signature block) who is a first cousin to my own grandfather Lee Otis (Boots) Tims (son of Lee Roy Tims). Loyd (yes, that is the correct spelling) died in 1977 in Wichita Falls, TX.

Naturally it is exciting to see a relative's name embroidered on a historic quilt hanging in the museum.

Don't worry if you got confused, just know it was a cool quilting connection.

Now, can you guess my middle name?

It's been over two years in the making but the African Expedition is finally here. We leave on Monday, January 17th. I have packed more cameras than clothes. Here are some of the highlights included on the tour.

• In Nairobe, the Karen Blixen Museum, home of famous novelist Karen von Blixen and dinner at the world famous Carnivore Restaurant, renowned for is variety of delicious exotic meats.
• We will go to the Mount Kenya region and stay at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club, founded in 1959 by the late film star William Holden.

 • There will be numerous safaris.
• We visit the Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers
• One major highlight will be a special hot air balloon safari over the plains of the Massai Mara.
 

If you've been - tell me what to expect. If you have never been, tell me what you would most want to see.