ON THE LILY POND IN NEW ENGLAND AND CANADA

Recently, I spent 15 days teaching on Royal Caribbean's ship LIBERTY OF THE SEAS. With about 4000 passengers and 1360 crew, it's one of the smaller ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. It's still plenty big and we found our balcony stateroom had lots of storage space once you found all the spots that open, like the mirrors in the bathroom and by the desk. 

The first 10 days was the Heritage Quilting Cruise, run by Stitchin Heaven. They do about 16 quilt cruises a year and really know how to do it right. 

My husband and I flew to Newark NJ the day before. Travel was easy and uneventful. The next morning we met up with the other 4 staff members for transportation to the pier at Cape Liberty. Embarkation on the ship was smooth and fast. 

First stop was the Conference Center on deck 2. A big empty space that we will transform into the classrooms in less than 4 hours:

We set up about 50 tables, more than 80 chairs, unboxed 80 Bernina sewing machines, put extension cords under each table, plugged in the machines, then took a quick break so the electricians could run power throughout the entire two big classrooms. Then we turned on all the machines, test sewed them, placed a name on each machine from the seating charts that had been carefully arranged in advance. Then we could place  each student's big tote bag, full of SWAG and a t-shirt, kits if they ordered them, lots of good stuff. 

An idea of the classroom set-up, one of two rooms

Finished just in time! 5 pm and it's time to meet 80 students in the dining room for dinner. At 7 pm students come to the conference center for the "Welcome Meeting", to find their space, admire their goodies and get the basic instructions for the 10 day cruise. Sewing begins at 9 am the next morning after instruction on the Bernina 475 machine each student has for the entire cruise. The room is open 24/7 from then on and many students sewed a lot!

On day 2 I was in one of the classrooms to teach my pattern On the Lily Pond. Tiffany Hayes, the other teacher was in the adjoining classroom with her class. Class goes from 9-4, with a lunch break on all Sea Days, day 2, 5, and 9 on this cruise. On day 5, the two teachers switch rooms, students stay at their assigned places and we teach our class to the other half of the group. It works great. 

For more information on my project see these links:

A New Old Quilt

On the Lily Pond in Progress

Those who made On the Lily Pond did very well. Here are some of the blocks made, some from the Kit that was an optional purchase and some from the students own fabrics--all pre-cut at home as space is at a premium on ship:

Student fabrics

What "not to do"

Great plan by this student--she brought embroidered blocks to use with her Lily Pond blocks for a great Christmas quilt and she got the top assembled onboard!

Kit blocks

I love having a friend onboard! Sandy Forrester pre-cut her fabrics at home and made excellent progress onboard:

Student fabrics

Fabulous BRIGHT student fabrics

Student fabrics

On Port days my husband and I did excursions. 

BOSTON:

Quincy Market

With Sandy as we waited for the bus back to the ship

PORTLAND, MAINE, our only rainy day:

My hubby and I at a lighthouse

Great house even in the rain, taken from the bus

Lobster roll smothered in Lobster Bisque--separate would have been better

SNYDEY NOVA SCOTIA:

The Big Fiddle

Sandy and I at the Big Fiddle at the pier

Highland Village where we learned about the Scottish settlers who came over in the late 1700's. Gaelic is still spoken here and there are two public schools that are "Gaelic Immersion" schools to keep the history alive

HALIFAX NOVA SCOTIA:

We did a Hop On/Hop Off bus tour to see as much of the city as possible. It's a good way to get a sense of a city and we could explore any of the places longer if we liked. It was a beautiful day.

Hubby on the boardwalk, a 2.5 mile path at the water 

The waterfront features lots of shopping, dining and very expensive residential areas

I was taken with the chairs on the waterfront, bolted in place, that invited you to sit and gaze at the harbor and surrounding areas

Old crazy quilt seen at a local gift shop, not for sale

Another quilt there, NFS, a utilitarian crazy quilt

Great unique stitches, unusual on most crazy quilts

January 4, 1911 Aunt Fannie

My third lobster roll on this trip

ST. JOHN, BAY OF FUNDY, NEW BRUNSWICK:

We did a Hop On/Hop Off bus tour to see as much of the city as possible. This is one of the rare places in the world where at high tide, two rivers merge and change direction. Very interesting to my engineer husband and we were there at high tide.

Overlooking the rivers as they danced around each other

The second "LOVE LOCKS" place we saw

Each night one of the staff stays in the classroom until 10 pm to assist students if needed. Each teacher takes a turn and can give demos or a trunk show. I decided to entertain the crowd with some of my stories when the demos for 10 students I expected to do turned into at least 35:

A leftover from My Lifetime Quilt

With Staffer Dawn 

I love to cruise and here are a few more photos of the ship:

One of the pools

The Statue of Liberty from our ship on embarkation day

Tile work in a ladies washroom

Putt Putt

I'm ahead 2-1, we played 3 games over the cruise, he wants a re-match

Sunset from my balcony

Healthy dessert: a cheese and fruit plate

Dress Your Best night means Lobster tail is on the menu

We clean up good and don't do this very often

More ship photos:

My usual breakfast

The Arcade

My grandkids would love this 

What I did not do 

It's someone's job to change all the "day" signs in ALL the elevators each night

Joe our stateroom attendant, was very talented with the towels 

Best of all are the PEOPLE. Some of the students know me from The Quilt Show and feel like old friends as soon as we meet:

Three Sisters: Joan, Jean and Jan. It's so much fun to travel with friends, especially if you are sisters who don’t live near each other .

Jan Aji and I. She loves the Block of the Month quilts from The Quilt Show. Her camera shows her Color My World, an important quilt in her life. She was on the cruise with her sisters Jean and Joan--brother Bill was not included.  I was so happy to meet her, a dedicated fan of The Quilt Show.

And then you make NEW friends. Our tablemates were 5 other couples. The women were all students and the men came along. We so enjoyed getting to know them all over 10 nights of dining together. Big Tip: in a large group like this, each night change your seat so you get to know who everyone is:

Our head waiter Charlene and her assistant Abdul were top notch! 

The Staff of Stitchin Heaven work very hard to be sure everyone has a great time. They do a super job! And we always get a group photo in our bright t-shirts:

Most everyone 

Those who were on a Galley Tour or at a Cupcake class or some other fun activity when the group photo was taken

All too soon the 10 days were up. We stayed onboard for the 5 day cruise to Bermuda. More about that next week!

I hope you'll come with me on the next cruise in the future! It is so much fun.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LAUREL RIDGE -- MONTH 10

Laurel Ridge is the 2025 Block of the Month quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show.  Star Members have FREE access to the patterns starting January 1, 2025. Made in two colorways, the complete patterns are excellent. You will love making this quilt. Lynn supports the pattern instructions with Videos too. 

Moving right along to Month 10. Now we make the Plaid Star blocks. There are only 8 of those and they are easy.  By now, you have made this star many times. Having only one square of fabric for the center makes this the fastest star yet:                                                                                     

                                                            

The only change I make to patterns that make "Four Flying Geese at Once" is to cut bigger squares, the equivalent of 4 smaller squares, to speed up the process of drawing the lines on the back of each square.

The Star Points are part of the Flying Geese units. Each block requires four Flying Geese units so making four at once is smart and efficient.

The pattern calls for 32 squares, each 2.25". Instead I cut 8 squares, 4.5". On the back of each of the 8 squares I draw diagonal lines in both directions. Now it is a simple matter to cut the 4.5" square in half, in both directions, think North/South and East/West. In less time than it takes me to describe this, you have the needed pencil lines drawn. I sew with a 1/4" presser foot so I only have to draw one line, sewing 1/4" away from the line.

(If you prefer to draw the sewing lines, it is still fast and easy to draw two lines on the larger square, 1/4" away from the center--that makes the lines 1/2" apart.)  

Then cut it into 4 smaller squares:

I used a Pigma pen so you can see it. My go-to is a mechanical pencil for fine lines

Cut apart from the center in both directions--now you have 4 squares, each 2.25" with the line drawn on each

See my post for making Flying Geese from way back in MONTH 1.  You will find my detailed instructions there. While I said back then I planned to enlarge the square to 4.75",  I found that was not necessary and stuck with 4.5" squares.

I also have a TUTORIAL on making Four Flying Geese at Once that has a chart for a variety of sizes. Find it HERE.

As always, I strongly recommend you watch Lynn's Video for Month 10. It is 7 minutes of good instruction and clear images of the process of making four flying geese at once. The measurements are oversized so you will "TRIM TO PERFECTION", making each unit 1.75" x 3", including seam allowances. They finish at 1.25" x 2.5" when sewn into the quilt. 

Good News! Next month, on November 1, BOTH Months 11 and 12 will be released so you can finish your quilt. My top is at the longarmer and I hope to have it to show you then.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

CRUISE QUILTS

While I am away teaching on two cruises with the staff from Stitchin' Heaven Quilt Cruises, back to back, I thought you might like to see the quilt projects the students are making.

First, we sail from Port Liberty in Bayonne, NJ on the 10 day New England/Canada cruise. There are about 80 students and two teachers. We split into two classrooms, I teach half the group one day while the other teacher has the other half. The next sea day, we teachers change places, the students stay at their assigned space all 10 days.  A Bernina sewing machine is provided for each student to use 24/7 if they like.

This quilt is my original pattern, based on an antique quilt I own. ON THE LILY POND:

Most students buy the pre-cut kit, as space in the classroom is limited. Students who want to use their own fabric buy the pattern in advance then pre-cut ALL their pieces at home before boarding the ship. 

Here is the lovely kit for ON THE LILY POND, each piece laser-cut and carefully sorted in bags for class time. The kits are shipped onboard so all students need to bring are basic sewing supplies:

Some students only make ONE of the offered quilts, some make both. Some sew from morning until late at night, rarely leaving the ship. I will be enjoying tours in Boston, Portland, Nova Scotia and St. John. 

After 10 days on that cruise our ship, LIBERTY OF THE SEAS , returns to New Jersey where most passengers will disembark. I stay onboard as later that afternoon the ship sails south to BERMUDA. I am the only teacher and we have about 70 students for this cruise. 

The pattern for this cruise is DAZZLED, and involves learning to sew curves. Here is my sample top, made from the Kit:

And the Kit. Believe me, having all those curved pieces laser-cut saves much time and ensures things FIT:

 

As usually happens, I have friends joining me on these cruises. Sandy and her husband will be with us on the New England/Canada trip and Jan and her husband will join us for Bermuda. 

I expect to teach again on a cruise in 2027. When that opens for registration I will tell you. These cruises fill in a matter of a couple weeks. Sandy was on the waitlist and we are both thrilled a spot opened up for her and her husband to join in the fun.

The only problem I foresee after being on a lovely cruise ship for more than two weeks? It will be really HARD to have to start COOKING DINNER AGAIN! I stick to my exercise routine on the ship every day but there will probably be a few pounds to get off when I get home.

You can expect a blog post about these great trips sometime after I get home. 

Let's quilt AND cruise!

Barbara

SIGHTSEEING IN COLORADO SPRINGS

 After two full days of teaching and lecturing for the Piecing Partners Quilt Guild of Colorado Springs, I stayed over an extra day to see something of the area as I had never been to Colorado Springs before.

It was amazing! First, we got an early start at GARDEN OF THE GODS. I cannot express how incredible this place is. Rock formations millions of years old. The story of how this land went from private ownership to a Colorado State Park, free for everyone forever, is a good story. My photos won't do it justice so take a look at the link above for more information.

Great signage everywhere in the Park

Don't have to tell me twice

The Dedication Plaque

Great opportunities to learn what I am seeing 

Pikes Peak 

The rocks are such different shapes and colors

Kind strangers took a photo of Jonnie and I 

I was struck with the excellent infrastructure of paths, fences, and signs

History Lessons

I did climb up BALANCED ROCK, where millions of people have had their picture taken. Nothing special about this other than how grateful I am to be able to climb up rocks like these with a smile on my face. It wasn't too long ago this would  have been impossible. Photo thanks to Jonnie:

After the morning hiking Jonnie and I went to nearby Manitou Springs for retail therapy and lunch. The town is so much fun to wander around:

Jonnie's favorite boutique was a "must stop" destination and I made two purchases:

Dragonflies are my "spirit insect", rayon batik, perfect for speaking engagements

The shop should you be in the area

The shopping "bag" they gave me with my purchases, a silk tote. Marketing is everything!

After lunch at a little local Mexican restaurant we made one more stop, to an art installation at Green Mountain Falls: 

This would make an awesome quilt!

Art installation over the little lake, my photo doesn't show much

Click to play this news story to see what makes this an "art installation":

Art Installation

It was a long day but now it was time to change hotels at the end of the day. My 6 am flight home meant I needed to be close to the airport. Another Home2Suites where that kitchen was put to use. Leftovers made a good dinner and it was early to bed.

Traveling mercies saw me safely home early afternoon the next day.

Next up? I am teaching on two cruises, back to back, New England/Canada for 10 days then a 5 day cruise to Bermuda. I will have friends from home on both cruises which makes it extra special.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

PIECING PARTNERS QUILT GUILD OF COLORADO SPRINGS

 I recently had a wonderful trip to Colorado Springs to work for the Piecing Partners Quilt Guild. Some years ago I taught for the Lakeview Quilters Guild in Houston and the woman who was my contact there became a friend. Jonnie moved to Colorado Springs a few years ago and--Voila!  Another job opportunity came my way.

My favorite hotel is Home2Suites, having stayed in several in recent years. This one had an awesome view:

Early morning sun shining on the mountain as I waited for my ride to class

It's best to sleep under a quilt, this was the largest one I carried with me this trip, The Village:

Rooms are comfortable, good lighting, clean and comfortable. Breakfast which is included is very good, easy to eat smart most days. No pictures of breakfast, I must have been hungry:

I love the full kitchen. Refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, sink with dishwashing liquid, real dishes and glasses. This almost always saves the guild money as I usually have enough leftovers to skip one dinner out. The room costs about the same as Hampton Inn: 

The view from my room:

Another view:

Packing light is required. With only two days with the guild only two outfits were needed:

Favorite speaking outfit

Favorite teaching outfit

The guild is very active, there were more than 120 people there for the morning meeting:

The FREE TO A GOOD HOME table was popular

Terry with the Block of the Month quilt they are doing this year, pattern by Angela Walters

Who doesn't love snacks? Wait, didn't we just have breakfast?

More snacks. Each month the "HOSTS" for the snacks are determined by your last name. Next month everyone whose last name starts with "S" is expected to provide the snacks. Brilliant!

I was first up with my Lecture "Time Management for Quilters". This is always well received and I often hear from people months later that they tried some of the suggestions and found "more" time. For a few of the tips offered in this lecture see this post: Top 3 Tips for Time Management for Quilters Your next opportunity to hear the entire lecture is at Houston, Friday October 10, 2025, 10:15 am, $15. Registration in advance is not required, you can pay at the door as long as there is room. About one third of the seats are already taken I am happy to report. 

The guild business meeting followed my presentation then there was Show and Tell. I love Show and Tell, so interesting to see what quilters everywhere are making. 

 

I loved this show and tell quilt. Unfortunately, I did not get this woman's name.

After lunch we had a 3 hour class on The Village--paper pieced houses, fast and easy stars. The 15 happy students learned and laughed a lot. As class neared the end I grabbed several from students to discuss different options for finishing:

My class sample:

Dinner was Panera, soup and berry salad with grilled chicken breast:

The next day 15 students gathered for Charming Sampler, several were with us the day before. They worked hard all day and we had quite a collection of small blocks by 4 pm:

My class sample:

The "Class photo" is something I always try to remember before people start to leave. Here is the group from day two, all lovely people:

Dinner that night was Bonefish Grill with my friend, Jonnie. We had a big day planned for the next day, hiking, sightseeing and shopping so it was important we fuel up.

More about that day next week.

Let's quilt.

Barbara