*FREE shipping on orders of $99+

Civil War Quilt Cruise

Join Stitchin' Heaven and friends on a 7-night Western Caribbean Cruise! Cruise and learn from quilting experts: Connie Tesene, Betsy Chutchian, & Lynn Roddy Brown!Sponsored by Marcus Brothers Fabrics and Windham Fabrics!  

April 26 - May 3, 2015

Overview

plus minus

Overview


Overview

Dear Friends,

Where to begin? It can be very hard to relax on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas, even on sea days, because of the head-spinning array of activities that run from dawn to dusk and beyond! The ship's entertainment staff offers an intriguing blend of options, and everyone, from the most traditional passenger to the completely contemporary traveler, will enjoy something.

During the day, if you don't want to sew, you'll find plenty of activities, such as bingo, dance lessons, horse racing, art auctions, rock-climbing wall competitions, bridge play, art and craft workshops and films on the outdoor theatre screen.

Nighttime sees a similar variety of entertainment options. The gorgeous main theatre features Broadway-style entertainment or you can try your luck in the 6,459 sq ft, Las Vegas-style casino, with slot machines, dice games, and card tables.

Consider bringing a friend, your spouse or your family – non-quilters are always welcome to join us and will have many activities to pursue while you are in class.

As usual, we bring you several quilt projects to work on, taught by amazing and talented instructors and designers in the world of quilting: Connie Tesene, Betsy Chutchian, & Lynn Roddy Brown!

How can all this get any better? Here's how!

  • Stitchin‘ Heaven Travel communication updates
  • A Welcome Aboard Party
  • A Stitchin’ Heaven Travel souvenir tote bag
  • T-Shirt for each quilter specific to our cruise
  • Optional pre-cut Sail ‘n Sew fabric kits
  • Every quilting guest takes all the classes offered – no choosing classes and being disappointed you did not get the class you wanted
  • Classes are taken on days "at sea" so no port time is missed
  • Classroom is open 24/7 for plenty of free time sewing!
  • Bernina 330 sewing machines for each student
  • Free spool of Aurifil thread
  • One free charm per trip, charm holder sold separately
  • Demonstrations of the latest quilting and sewing products
  • Plenty of classroom support
  • Osilo Pro Smart Irons™
  • Emailed Group Photo and Contact List
  • Lots and lots of door prizes and other great surprises on every trip!

Plus ... You'll be sewing on a Bernina 3 Series sewing machine!

That's right!  Each quilter will be provided a state-of-the-art 330 Bernina machine equipped with the extended table, a quarter inch foot, and an open toe foot.  There's no need to bring your sewing machine all the way from home. Visit the Bernina website to see the amazing features of this great machine!

During our sewing classes, we will be using spools of Aurifil™ thread. Each cruiser will be provided a free spool of 50wt. thread. Aurifil™ thread is perfectly suited for every quilt project. Learn more about this wonderful thread at www.aurifil.com.

Also during our sewing classes, we will only be using Oliso® Pro Steam Irons. This ain’t your momma’s steam iron! This professional-grade steam iron features award-winning technology and was designed with quilters in mind. Some of the features included are a pointed detailer tip and flat pressing area, three-way steam, the ability to perform as a dry iron, and an extended auto shut-off. We love this iron and you will too! You can view the full line of Oliso Smart Irons online at www.oliso.com

We look forward to our next adventure together with you!

Overview Image

Instructors

plus minus

Instructors

Connie Tesene • CountryThreads.com

Connie Tesene • CountryThreads.com

In 1983 Connie and her friend Mary started Country Threads, Inc. located in Garner, Iowa. Although it began as a small quilt-pattern company, it soon expanded into a retail quilt shop on Mary's farm. Connie and Mary have published over 800 patterns and more than 20 books. Eventhough the business has expanded over the past 30 years, the farm is still home to fancy chickens, geese, goats, dogs, and cats. Visitors enjoy the interaction with the animals and come to know them on a personal basis through the Goat Gazette newsletter. Find out more online at CountryThreads.com.

Connie lives three miles from Mary's farm in Garner with her husband, Roy, two cats, and Lucy, her yellow lab. She raised her three boys in Garner which has 3,000 people in it. Now, her kids and grandkids come to visit and are amazed at the freedoms small-town life can bring. Connie has always loved to garden and several years ago she participated in the Master Gardener program. Her 100 year old home is surrounded by huge shade trees, so she has planted dozens and dozens of hosta varieties. Connie still sews every day and loves it! Her sewing room is located above her three-stall garage and is full of fabric in old cuboards. Connie says, "We are blessed at Country Threads not only with wonderful fabric, but with great friends, customers, employees, animals, and plants!" 

Betsy Chutchian

Betsy Chutchian

Betsy fell in love with fabric and quilts as a child learning to sew on both her grandmother's treadle machines. The beds at her grandmother's house in Frisco, Texas, were covered with Depression-era scrap quilts. Her mother would point to each piece fabric and say, "that was my dress, and this was Mother's apron, this was Daddy's shirt, and so forth. In 1969, Betsy received her first sewing machine from her aunt Sissy, a 1940s Singer.

In 1980, Betsy received a B.A. in History from the University of Texas at Arlington. That same year she taught herself to quilt after receiving a quilt top made by a great aunt and great grandmother. This began a passionate journey that would combine the love of fabric, quiltmaking and history. From the time she started to quilt, she wanted her quilts to look like old, 19th Century-era quilts.

Betsy has taught quiltmaking since 1990 for a number of quilt shops in Texas and is a former quilt shop owner. Since 2004, Betsy has traveled across Texas sharing her love of 19th Century reproduction quilts in lectures, trunk shows and workshops. She is a co-founder of the 19th Century Patchwork Divas, a close-knit group of quilters bound by their love of old quilts. Betsy is also the author of "Gone to Texas: Quilts from a Pioneer Woman's Journal".

Lynn Roddy Brown

Lynn Roddy Brown

Lynn Roddy Brown is a sixth generation Texan who has always loved to sew. She took her first sewing lessons at the age of eight at the local Singer sewing-machine shop.  When she was 10, she won the Singer regional dressmaking contest and received a sewing machine as her prize.

There was one beautiful quilt in her home as Lynn was growing up, made by Lynn's great-grandmother as a wedding gift for her parents. This quilt, which now belongs to Lynn, kindled a lifelong interest in quilting.  In the early 1970's she began tearing pictures of quilts from magazines and did some patchwork with templates, but it was not until 1989 when she lived in Rochester, New York, that she began to quilt seriously.

For the past fifteen years, Lynn has been a member of a bee that trades blocks for scrap quilts.  She loves scrap quilts because they give her the opportunity to use many different fabrics.  She has had three of her quilts hung in the IQA juried show in Houston, two of which were scrap quilts.

Lynn currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, an economics professor at Rice University.  She and her husband have also lived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.  They have three mostly grown children (Kim, Wes, and Nancy) and two cherished grandchildren (Lillian and Eli).  Lynn has been a seventh-grade science teacher and computer programmer.  She received a kidney transplant in January of 2002, for which she is truly grateful.

Projects

plus minus

Projects

Connie Tesene's Civil War Journal

Connie Tesene's Civil War Journal

Country Threads has been an icon in the quilting industry for over 30 years producing amazing quilt designs from a chicken coop! Our cruise project is from the current book published by Martingale "The Blue and The Gray: Quilt Patterns using Civil War Fabrics". In the book, Civil War Journals is shown at 36 1/2 x 36 1/2 but we will make more blocks for our cruise project to increase the size to about 60" x 72".

During your class Connie will be showing you more of the quilts from the book and entertain you with stories from the chicken coop. You won't want to miss it!

Betsy Chutchian's Picking Geese

Betsy Chutchian's Picking Geese

Picking Geese is a direction reproduction of an antique quilt owned by a dear friend. The Brown Goose block pattern correlates perfectly with the journal entries made by my great great grandmother Lizzie Carpenter during the years 1857-1882 about the disagreeable task of picking the geese of their down and feathers. Lizzie wrote, "Bobbie and I have just finished picking the geese always a dreaded chore though not much work after one gets at it." As dreaded as the chore was, it was necessary for the filling of her family's bedding and pillows. The blocks will go together quickly and Betsy will have plenty of tips for easy sewing! The zigzag setting completes the graphic design of this fun, utilitarian quilt. Picking Geese measures 63"x76".

Lynn Roddy Brown's Texas Windmills

Lynn Roddy Brown's Texas Windmills

Windmill blocks create strong, distinct patterns when they're made using three contrasting values. Lynn likes to choose different values of fabrics. When you look at the blocks in this quilt, you will see the values placed in different positions creating a dramatic impact on the look of the block! To the untrained eye, they may even appear to be different blocks. Fabrics in our Sail 'n Sew kit will be different but similar than those shown in the image. Finished size will be 63" x 73".

Optional Sail 'n Sew Fabric Pack

This kit will have all the fabrics you will need for each of the three projectsOur incredible Sail 'n Sew fabric packs include all of the fabrics for your projects and they are pre-cut so all you need to do is sit down and sew! 

If you do not wish to purchase a Sail 'n Sew Fabric Pack, remember to pack your own fabrics. We will not have fabrics available for purchase aboard the ship.  A complete supply list will be sent to you 90 days prior to departure. Sail ’n Sew Fabric Packs will be billed approximately 90 days prior to sailing.

Itinerary

plus minus

Itinerary

The Ship

plus minus

The Ship

Guests of Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas® will enjoy a revolutionary marvel of naval engineering. This ship is filled with a rock-climbing wall, a miniature golf course, golf simulators, two Centrums, an ice-skating rink, a basketball court, theme bars and restaurants.

The Navigator of the Seas also features a Boleros latin-themed bar, Casino Royale, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, British-style pub, 4 swimming pools, 6 whirlpools, and of course a day spa and fitness center!

Also onboard, The Royal Promenade, a bustling boulevard four decks high and the length of two football fields, where you'll find charming shops, cafes, colorful street performers, and lively street fairs!

On Board Activities, Entertainment, and Dining

Where to begin? It can be very hard to relax on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas®, even on sea days, because of the head-spinning array of activities that run from dawn to dusk and beyond! The ship's entertainment staff offers an intriguing blend of options, and everyone, from the most traditional passenger to the completely contemporary traveler, will enjoy something.

During the day, if you don't want to sew, you'll find plenty of activities, such as bingo, dance lessons, horse racing, art auctions, Mr. Sexy Legs contests, rock-climbing wall competitions, bridge play, art and craft workshops and films in the cinema. Poolside, throughout the day, a live band plays a blend of Caribbean and American songs, and parades take over the Promenade's main thoroughfare.

Nighttime sees a similar variety of entertainment options. The gorgeous La Scala Theater is a state-of-the-art show lounge inspired by the legendary one in Milan, Italy. There is an excellent Broadway-style production show with a cast of 16 singers and dancers, and the ice skating show is not to be missed! Why not try your luck in the Las Vegas-style casino, with slot machines, dice games, and card tables. 

Spa and Fitness:
There is everything under the sun here. You can practice your figure eights in the ice skating rink; go in-line skating on the roller blade track; play basketball, volleyball or paddle ball in the full-length sports court; climb to 200 feet over the sea in the rock-climbing wall (if you've never tried it, no worries -- they give you a lesson before you set off); and practice your golf swings at miniature golf and a golf simulator. The ship also has three pools, six whirlpools and a jogging track (five times around equals a mile). One interesting note: One of the pools and a whirlpool have hydraulic lifts for the disabled. 

The 15,000-plus-square-foot, Steiner-operated Ship Shape Center and Day Spa has 14 massage and treatment rooms; a relaxation area with sea views; full-service beauty salon; oceanview workout area with stereo and TV monitors; 66 Reebok machines including 20 treadmills; free weights; and an aerobics area with wood-suspended floor, mirrored wall, two large-screen TV monitors and wrap-around windows. One of the spa's nicest features is its round hydrotherapy pool.

Dining: 
The onboard dining venues cater to any craving. Going hungry is not an option. To make your mouth water, here are just a small few of the options available onboard Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas®!

The elegant main dining room offers fantastic food and a supremely attentive wait staff. With world-class décor, heavenly entrees, delectable desserts and dining options to suit a range of vacationing needs, this is fine dining that everyone can enjoy.

Craving good old-fashioned burgers and fries?  Not a problem.  At Johnny Rockets® '50s-style restaurantyou'll find onboard everything you'd expect from the shoreside restaurant - authentic 1950s décor, a menu filled with all-American favorites and, of course, friendly service.  Johnny Rockets is great casual dining that all will enjoy.

 

Need a quick bite or a late-night snack? The Café Promenade, a casual sidewalk café on the Royal Promenade, features sandwiches, pizza, pastries and popular brands like Seattle's Best Coffee®! Open day and night, it's a great dining option for everything from a quick breakfast to a late-night snack. 

The Windjammer Café is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat before hitting the pool or enjoy a casual dinner to top off a day of adventure. Open almost around the clock, it offers great food, spectacular views and an attentive wait staff, all in a casual atmosphere. Choose from a wide variety of food and a seemingly never-ending buffet for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks throughout the day. Serving stations offer salads, soups, sandwiches and burgers, meat-carving and hot entrées. And for your sweet tooth, choose from a multitude of cookies, cakes and frozen yogurt.


Pricing

plus minus

Pricing

Cruise prices includes the Royal Caribbean Cruise, stateroom, fine dining, exciting on-board entertainment, all quilting classes, group activities and parties.


Staterooms are as follows:

Interior Stateroom$995*
Unobstructed Ocean View Stateroom$1,095*
Unobstructed Oceanview w/ Balcony Stateroom$1,295*
*Please note that non-sewing guests
will receive a $250 discount.

This Adventure is completely full! Click here to sign up on our waiting list!

*Port charges, taxes & fees of $270.70 are not included.
*Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Please call for other occupancy pricing.
*There is a $350 per person deposit due at registration. which
will secure your price and availability.

Travel Information

plus minus

Travel Information

Cabins

With so much to do onboard, chances are really good that you will just use your cabin for changing and sleeping, but it's nice to know that if you want to spend more time there, you will indeed be comfortable. All standard staterooms are attractively decorated in soft tones with fine light woods and two pieces of artwork on the walls. Each stateroom has two beds that convert to queen-size, a private bath, phone, interactive flat-screen TV, mini-bar, hair dryers and air conditioning/heat controls. Bathrooms are on the small side, but functional, and showers have those wonderful, half-round sliding doors as opposed to clingy curtains. Soap and shampoo are also provided.

Travel to and from Destination

You will be responsible for getting to and from the ship in Galveston, TX.

Dress

During the day, dress is casual. Evenings are either casual, smart casual or formal. On casual nights, suggested attire is sports shirts and slacks for men and sundresses or pants for women. On smart casual evenings, men should don jackets and tie, with women wearing dresses or pantsuits. On the one or two formal nights per cruise, men can choose from tuxedos or suits and ties, while woman usually wear cocktail dresses.

Gratuities

Gratuities are not included in your reservation costs. Royal Caribbean recommends $3.75 per person, per day to the dining room waiter; $5.00 per person, per day to the cabin steward (or $7.25 if you're in a suite); and $2.15 per person, per day to the assistant waiter. Also recommended is $0.75 per person, per day to the headwaiter. Since we are classified as a group on the ship, Stitchin' Heaven Travel is required to pre-pay these gratuities for our entire group.  This is equal to $12 per person per day and will be added to your cruise costs. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar tabs.

×

Call for Price

x