Christmastime Wishes

To me, there is not a time more special than Christmas. What I like is that everyone seems joyful and happy, no matter their circumstance....what bothers me is that we cannot have this cheer all year long.

Thank you all for your support during my big 'expansion' year - moving into general quilt activities as well as holding on to those dear antique textile trips!! As a way of saying thanks for everyone who books a 2009 tour with me through the end of January and mentions the Christmas Eve Blog as their referral will receive $100 credit toward their tour.

May peace and blessings be yours now and into 2009.

Deb Roberts

Additional incentives added to Quiltsmiles program

Especially in the current economy, in addition to providing deluxe travel experiences at affordable prices, I have been striving for a additional ways to help those who travel with me continue to achieve their travel dreams. In April, 2008 I announced Quiltsmiles, the quilt travel industry's first "frequent traveler" program to reward loyal travelers. Similar to airline and hotel programs, travelers earn credits based on the length and cost of their trip which can accrue or be used to offset the price of any future tour. Members of this program also receive special amenities and gifts during their trips, and invitations to one of a kind travel experiences prior to general announcements.

On December 15, I announced additional features and incentives that will allow one to earn credits for future travel. The Friends and Family plan will allow one to earn cash credit toward a future tour when they or a friend/family member book any type of travel through me. This can be an individual trip, a cruise, a student hostel trip, golf trip, art lovers journey, European River Cruise - anything one's heart desires, I will plan the perfect journey for you - and I will guarantee the best possible price. In booking through me, you will earn 1/2 of the commission I earn as a credit that will be applied to your Quiltsmiles account for use on a future group tour. It cannot get better.

Please check my website for more information - and learn how to travel with me for free.

Votes of Confidence!

I wish to thank those who participated on the online poll for Best Quilt Cruise and Tour provider - I am honored that you believe my services to you have exceeded all others and I promise to do my best to continue to provide unprecidented travel experiences at prices that cannot be beat.

Bali Tour Almost Full

I have 2 places left on the tour to Bali - a terrific itinerary at an even better price; only $2998 including round trip air from LAX. Many meals are included on this incredible journey of the textile cultures in this part of Indonesia - where I am told one can buy Batiks for about $1.00 a yard. If anyone has been - I would love to know if this is true?? With deluxe accommodations awaiting us - I can hardly hold in the anticipation of this adventure. Pamela Mostek, internationally known quilt teacher will be joining us - this trip will be too fun to miss!!

Please do not be disappointed - register now before the 2 spots are gone.

Princess reduces Charity Cruise Rates!

Great news! For our AUGUST 2009 fundraising trip to the British Isles:

Princess Cruise line is running a special through February 28, 2009 that will allow one to attend the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England AND participate on the Quilt Cruise for less than $2,500 per person. This annual cruise sale will allow participants to join our cruise/tour beginning August 21, 2009 for 3 days at Europe's premier quilting event in Birmingham followed by our 12 day quilting cruise cruise (a total of 15 days) at an incredible rate which will include most meals.

The cruise - as mentioned in an earlier blog will circle the British Isles clockwise from London - returning to the Southampton port 13 days after departure. Ports will include Guernsey Island, Cork, Dublin, Liverpool, Belfast, Lochness/Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Paris/La Havre. We will be joined by a versatile group of incredible instructors including England's Sandie Lush, Pam Holland, Yvonne Porcella and Kathy Kansier.

Also note, one does not have to be a quilter to enjoy this trip! The Crown Princess is an incredible ship with 100s of activities for any traveler, bring family and friends and enjoy an incredible reunion at sea while enjoying the famous sites of the British Isles.

Best of all - proceeds from this program will be donated to the Quilter's Hall of Fame or to disaster relief - the choice will be yours.

Other tour operators are offering the Festival of Quilt & England tours for the same price and half the time!! Do not miss out on this incredible opportunity!

Inaugural Quilt Cruise for a Cause

After several months of consideration and discussions, it is finally my blessing to announce the first annual QUILT CRUISE FOR A CAUSE. The cruise will set sail on August 24, 2009 setting a course from London around British Isles. Our ship will be Princess Cruises' Crown Princess. This area and date were selected in order to provide a once-in-a-lifetime quilt travel event as participants may choose to also attend Europe's premiere quilt show, The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. All American Craft, publisher's of The Quilter and Fabric Trends Magazines have offered to sponsor this cruise as part of their 25th anniversary celebration of The Quilter.

The idea for a fundraising cruise of this nature first occurred to me early in the year as financial times began to impact non-profit organizations held dear in the quilt world. Initially my thought was that information and press releases about such a cruise or tour would provide a an additional source of information about the various institutions themselves and monies realized might help achieve a balanced fiscal budget.

Recently however, I have been considering the state of the world and the catastrophic events over the last eight years - since the Presidential Election of 2000. Beyond Wall Street, there is little wonder that the world is on the brink of economic chaos. In the US alone we have had 9/11, an eight year drought in the mid-west, hurricane and tornado damage beyond compare and multiple California wild-fires to mention just a few; world-wide the list is so long that it shudders me to consider it.

I am well aware of our severe economic situation, but I know that people who can will still travel and take vacations. Believe it or not, international vacation travel was up by record amounts in the first half of 2008 when the dollar was at its worst level against world economies. What better way to go than to go somewhere knowing that proceeds from your choice will go to organizations that benefit the arts and to help those in need.

For this reason, my goal through these cruises will be to support Quilt History, Art and Scholarship as well as US/World Disaster Relief through the American Red Cross and Samaritan's Purse.

Information is coming on this special quilt cruise event, please refer to the website at http://quiltcruiseforcause.com/ (available after October 1) or my web site at http://worldofquiltstravel.com.

I would love your comments!!

News from Italy

I cannot say enough by the services offered to my group by Princess Cruise Lines to my group on the Mediterranean Textile Study tour which began on August 28.

Because of the optional quilt related port tours I offered, one of the partners of Quilt Camp in the Desert asked if her group on the same ship might join mine; we shared 15 days of quilting memories which began in Barcelona where at the design and textile museum in Terassa we saw Spanish Toile (monochrome copperplate prints). There was a very nice selection of prints from the mid-17oo's when Spain tried to capitalize on the French cotton printing ban by importing French printers to expand their own printing industry. Many prints lacked the fine detail of designs printed in England or France, but there were also some with exceptional engravings. The marked difference was that these were all identified (in Spanish) somewhere on the design itself.

The next day we docked in Marseille, where we were enthusiastically greeted at the Museum of the Chateau Gombert, home to over 1000 quilted jupon (petticoats) and many broderie de Marseille (boutis) and pique. It was a treat to see the 'boutis' pieces of yesterday to compare with our project of the cruise - a boutis bag project taught by French teacher Marie-Christine Flocard. We ended the day with a surprise (to the participants) visit to a Marseille quilt shop, and needless to say the shopkeeper was thrilled by our time in his shop, offering wine and refreshment while the group enthusiastically counted out yards of Provencial fabrics.

During cruise time we enjoyed excellent cuisine of anything anyone could want: from custom grilled hamburgers, lobster, prime rib, salmon....there was no lack of food during our 12 day adventure. Not a night owl myself, the highlight for me on the cruise was Princess' own "Movies Under the Stars". Each evening on the top deck they showed a 1st run movie; cruisers could lounge on padded deck chairs with a blanket while stewards offered popcorn, chocolate ship cookies (WARM ONES) and milk.

Our 3rd port was at the port for Florence, Italy. From here we coached over to Prato for a visit to their textile museum. This is a very well designed museum detailing the production of all textile forms, but specializing in wool. From here it was to Florence and some window shopping, stops at a fabric store for some, and gelatto for others...myself included.

Stops off the textile path included Rome, Naples and Mykonos before we stopped in Istanbul for some custom touring to see what we thought would be textile markets and a textile museum. However, our guide convinced me there were no 'textile only markets' and "certainly not" a museum (I have yet to decide whether to believe him). We did enjoy the day at the Spice and Grand Bazaars, and many a penny were left in Istanbul. Linda Pumphrey found the deal of the day at a stall that had wood blocks used to print fabric - she says there were "1000's" of them. Sad more of us did not find it, but she lucked out with some lovely pieces. Others found beautiful cotton caftans, jewelry and ceramics from the local area - I do not think anyone truly left unhappy.

After a day in Athens, our last stop was Venice. It was difficult to imagine this city as awe inspiring, however as the ship sailed into the Venice port at noon, with Italian Opera playing over the speakers all 3100 passengers aboard the Emerald Princess were glued to the railings....and all silent. It was a breathtaking experience as we passed St. Marks square and the Grand Canal. I spent that afternoon on Burano Island where there are women who still hand make lace and sell it locally. The workmanship is beautiful - and as a dying art, I was thrilled to see the details of the way it is made. Additionally, the colors of the island were incredible. I never thought a red or orange house would be attractive, but next to bright yellow, green and ochre, they fit right in and only added to the charm of the Island neighborhoods. There is something to be said for those who appreciate color.

Ending our cruise - we have now made our way to Lake Como, IT, which is near the Swiss border. This is our final destination of the tour. Yesterday we visited the Silk Museum, which is very well planned and includes machinery and details of silk production from worm through spinning, weaving and printing. Many on the tour said they enjoyed this museum the most.

Now as I sit on the patio of our lakeside hotel, it hardly seems that we have covered so much territory in the last 13 days, but many memories have been made and friendships formed.

Tomorrow the group leaves for home - while I go to Mulhouse to visit my friend Jacqueline and volunteer at the Museum of Printed Textiles for one week as I wait for the Carefour European Patchwork Expo to open at St. Marie de Mines. There is always something in the world of quilts waiting to be seen.

Deadline approaching for Christmas Market tour

Absolute registration deadline for this tour is October 1, 2008. The deadline for anyone wishing to be included in the incredible group airfare is August 20, 2008. Do not hesitate to be included in the current airfare rate - space is limited register soon to avoid disappointment. For more information, please see the website http://worldofquiltstravel.com/Christmas.htm

July 08

Wow, what a summer it has been so far. My daughter was married 2 weeks ago and is back in DC thriving, and I am finalizing details on the 1st Mediterranean Cruise tour departing on August 26. I have 30 + people coming along and I hope all come home with a new appreciation for European quilt and textile history and culture. Some have asked if I will be taking the same trip next year - if there is enough interest, then definitely!!

The best way to assure any tour is go grab your own group of friends and let me know where you want to go!

Some tour news -

Just in from Mulhouse and the Museum of Printed Textiles: The exhibit in December that is scheduled on my Christmas Market tour is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone who loves old fabric. They are bringing out the most incredible pieces of Indian painted and block printed textiles for this showing which will also include pieces from the French East India Company. Now, how often does one imagine pieces from that collection come out of hiding?? In my humble opinion, this will be the best tour I have ever taken just from the scope fo the quilts and fabrics seen here and also for the Antique Quilt exhibit at the Fries Museum in the Netherlands. I cannot wait. The deadine is approaching (August 20) please sign up - I know you will return home so thankful that you came along. See the site: http://worldofquiltstravel.com/Christmas.htm

News from the V&A: Finally, dates have been announced for the quilt symposium coinciding with their 2010 quilt exhibit (to end all exhibits?) I am working on itinerary details for both the symposium and a UK quilt tour, please check back at the website for updates.

Details are now online (http://worldofquiltstravel.com/AmericanAdventure.htm) for my very 1st all American tour. Where else could it start but our nation's capitol, Washington DC. Please review the itinerary and let me know what you think.

BALI!! This trip is filling rapidly - please do not hesitate and miss out on this incredible quilt and fabric opportunity.

KNOW OF ANY OTHER QUILT CRUISES OR TOURS - I would love to post your comments here!!

Until next time!! Deb Roberts

Volunteer opportunity of a lifetime

I guess it pays to be a traveler - and have a particular interest at that. I am very excited that in September after the Mediterranean quilt cruise I will be spending time as a volunteer in my favorite museum of all time, the Museum of Printed Textiles (Musee d'Impression sur Etoffes) in Mulhouse, France. I have wanted to do this since the first time I stepped into their sample book room of over 3,000,000 fabric samples. None of this would have happened if not for having taken tours to the museum and established a great relationship with the curator and textile keeper there. This all comes just at the perfect time as Jacqueline Jacque, the curator will retire after the first of the year (2009) and I will miss her terribly. Now I have this opportunity to spend quality time in the museum and with the great keepers of the cloth!!

By the way - December 2008, Christmas Market tour will be going to Mulhouse....!!

Deb

First Blog

Here I am, blogging. My friends and colleagues thought it couldn't be done, but all things aside, here it is, my first blog about cruises and tours specifically for quilters and quilt enthusiasts (including those incredible spouses I see at shows who carry the shopping bags!!) Bless you all!!

So, how did I get here you ask? As a quilt maker, fabric admirer, designer, collector I have had a passion about quilts and related textiles for about as long as I can remember....since watching my grandmother and Auntie quilt when I was a child. This passion has ensnarled my obsession for travel and voila! Quilt and fabric passion + love of travel =quilt tours. My first tour was to France - and had the wonderful 38 who traveled with me asking for more. I learned a lot from that first trip - one, that it is so nice to see something incredible with people who love it just as much as you do, whether it be a costume, a quilt, a piece of fabric....the collective sighs make it all worthwhile. The other, as nice as everyone is, 38 is just too big of a group for such a tour so now I keep my groups small and leave plenty of room on the coach!

I hope to be able to soon figure out just how all of these blog features work and upload some images from some of my tours....such fun!

Until Next Time!

Deb