Ricky Tims - Ricky Tims Kool Kaleidoscope Quilts: Simple Strip-Piecing Technique for Stunning Results

Text copyright 2010 by Ricky Tims

Artwork copyright 2010 by Ricky Tims and C&T Publishing, Inc.

Publisher: Amy Marson

Creative Director: Gailen Runge

Acquisitions Editor: Susanne Woods

Editor: Liz Aneloski

Technical Editors: Carolyn Aune and Gailen Runge

Copyeditor/Proofreader: Wordfirm Inc.

Cover/Book Designer: Kristen Yenche

Production Coordinator: Zinnia Heinzmann

Production Editor: Julia Cianci

Illustrator: Tim Manibusan

Quilt photography by Gregory Case

How-to photography by Ricky Tims

Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be used in any form or reproduced by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher. The copyrights on individual artworks are retained by the artists as noted in Ricky Tims Kool Kaleidoscope Quilts. These designs may be used to make items only for personal use or donation to nonprofit groups for sale. Each piece of finished merchandise for sale must carry a conspicuous label with the following information: Designs copyright 2010 by Ricky Tims from the book Ricky Tims' Kool Kaleidoscope Quilts from C&T Publishing, Inc.

Attention Teachers: C&T Publishing, Inc., encourages you to use this book as a text for teaching. Contact us at 800-284-1114 or www.ctpub.com for lesson plans and information about the C&T Creative Troupe.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tims, Ricky.

Ricky Tims' kool kaleidoscope quilts : simple strip-piecing technique for stunning results.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-60705-080-3 (softcover)

1. Patchwork-Patterns. 2. Strip quilting--Patterns. 3. Quilting. I. Title.

TT835.T5245 2010 746.46'041--dc22

2010007573

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to the beauty and majesty of Planet Earth, which never fails to inspire me spiritually, mentally, and creatively. Over time, I've come to realize that life unfolds and evolves; the subtle changes in nature never repeat themselves. The colors shift, the clouds transform, and the light and shadows create a unique dance. The unexpected tapestry woven by Mother Nature provides a constant visual surprise. Hmmm...reminds me of a kaleidoscope: never predictable, ever changing, always beautiful.

This book is dedicated to members of quilt guilds in the St. Louis area that, between the years of 1991 and 2000, fostered my growth as a quilter and taught me most of what I know as a quilter, and whose encouragement eventually led to my career. To the Thimble and Thread Quilt Guild, Circle In The Square Quilters, and St. Louis Art Quilt AllianceI am forever thankful.

I wish to thank my mom and dad for their continued support of my rather unusual career. It took a while to find my way. Thanks for being there when it seemed I was lost.

To Justinthanks for picking up the pieces when they are scattered everywhere. Your support is invaluable.

I'd like to acknowledge Darra Williamson, who is brilliant at taking my concepts, thoughts, and ideas and formulating them into a text that is logical and well organized.

To Liz Aneloski, thank you for understanding my insane schedule and for being flexible and forgiving each time I missed a deadline. You are a creative genius. Thank you for leading the team to create this beautiful book.

Thank you to the entire creative and technical staff at C&T Publishing for taking my vision and making it a reality.

The efforts of all these people on my behalf have enabled this book to be an amazing reality. Thank you all.

We've always been taught that what goes around comes around. This certainly has been true for me in my quilting experience. During my first year of quilting, I experimented with many different techniques and methods. Each one seemed to lead me to other explorations.

One day I made a strip set, or strata, and thought I'd experiment by folding it lengthwise, right sides together. I happened to have a template in the shape of a blade or necktie, which I placed on the folded strata. When I marked the shape and cut it out, I instantly had two units: the original shape and its reverse. Excited now, I repeated the process, this time choosing to cut from different areas of my strata, so that each piece had a mirrored mate, but each pair was different from the previous pair.

These units eventually found their way into one of my earliest quilts, Fandance (at right). If you look at the fan shapes above the dancers, you'll see that the two blades closest to each other are mirror mates, and then the next two working outward are mirror mates, and so forth. I finished the quilt, and that was the end of my experiment.

However, that was not the end of the story. In 2001, not long after my quadruple heart bypass surgery, I moved to Colorado. During this time, I began thinking about a friend who had a very large kaleidoscope made from three dressing mirrors placed in a triangle. As crazy as it may sound, when you look through this mirror contraption at the TV, the imagery is absolutely mesmerizing. Not surprisingly, this got me thinking about how I might re-create that visual sensation in a quilt.

It wasn't long before all the circuits in my brain started firing. I started thinking about Fandance and how easy it had been to create those mirror images. I began to experiment and suddenlythe concept for Kool Kaleidoscope was born.

This is the quilt that inspired the Kool Kaleidoscope technique.

I made this quilt for my Kool Kaleidoscope DVD in colors and fabrics that would go well with the petroglyphic/Southwestern theme in my office. However, none of the fabrics in the kaleidoscope utilized that theme. I created the border fabric using a dyeresist process.