Quilting Cruise Getting Closer

Been a busy week here at Russellee.  Finally have all the my workshop kits organised and packed .  Have spent the day checking, oiling and packing the machines.  Most of the machines are basic models but they serve us well.

Laraine has finished two examples for the ‘Freezer Paper Workshop’.  Has written her notes for the ‘Mystery Workshop’ and has been a wonderful help to me.

Chris has had some great news this week.  Her submission for the ‘Living Colour’ exhibition has been chosen.  Her quilt is titled ‘Consider the Flowers of the Field’.  Chris also had a quilt in the previous ‘Beneath the Southern Skies’ exhibition.  Congratulations Chris.

Her kits for the cruise are well on the way.  Chris not only has designed two great projects for the cruise she had hand dyed the fabric to go into the kits.  I purchased the plain fabric for her on our Bali Quilting Retreat last year and she has had a wonderful time dying it.  I am looking forward to seeing the end results.

The flyers for our 2015 Australian Quilting Cruise and Embroidery Cruise should arrive from the printers this week.  I will be sending some out very soon.

 

Until next time

 

Dorothy

 

 

Australian Quilting Cruise Update

We are now on the countdown to the 3^rd Australian Quilting Cruise leaving Sydney on the 27^th February.  This 'Retreat at Sea' is fully booked and I am looking forward to catching up with the ladies that have attended previous cruises.  Also to meeting all those 'first timers' including five lovely ladies who are coming from New Zealand this Retreat.  Plus we have some ladies from WA that will be travelling the furthest to join our ship in Sydney.

It has been very busy here packing kits and organising sewing machines.  I am taking 14 sewing machines with me.  Machines, kits and everything else we have to take with us are going in the station wagon and trailer. Tony has painted the trailer and revamped the sheep crate on the back.  He felt a bit out of place the last time  as he drove to Circular Quay with the sheep crate.  Not so this time. We won't be missed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was overwhelmed by the number of kits ordered for the Freezer Paper Workshop.  In all there are 15 Beach scenes and 14 Lavender scenes which have been embroidered on fabric.  It has been my first task each day to do one of the embroideries.  So it has taken me over a month to do them all with some days being missed.  Some ladies are bringing their own picture and fabrics and it will be interesting to see what they have chosen.

Last week I had my grandson staying and with his input I put together another sample of this workshop to show some different variations.  This has turned out to be a rather bright picture but that is what kids like. 

We are very organised this trip in that we have all the planning for our 2015 cruise well in advance to bring with us.  The conference rooms on the Voyager have been booked and  tutors selected.  Most of the workshops are organised and the flyers are available. 

There are two guest tutors on the 2015 'Retreat at Sea' which will be doing the north island of New Zealand, leaving Sydney on the 22^nd February 2015.  Helen Godden will be presenting her wonderful and fun ‘Flying into Colours’ class.  Laraine and I have done this class with Helen and we enjoyed it immensely.  Helen has a wonderful array of patterns for this workshop and her presentation makes for a very enjoyable experience.  This is a picture of my quilt I did with her.  Of course it had to be of a cat.

I will doing a workshop using a traditional block to create a modern quilt.  I have been in contact with Lisa Smallridge, from Sunset Seams Victoria,  to make the templates for this class.  The sample ones will be here next week for me to test out. There will also be  a mystery class for 2015.

Due to many requests from our ladies our second guest tutor will be presenting two 2 day embroidery classes and a mystery class.  This talented lady is Jan Pilgrim.  Jan does wonderful surface stitchery and incorporates stump work in a new light.

 

We would love to have you join us on this Retreat at Sea - the 4^th Australian Quilting and Embroidery Cruise to New Zealand February 2015.

3rd Australian Quilting Cruise on Sale

Royal Caribbean has a sale on at the moment and has extended it to our 3^rd Australian Quilting Cruise.  Below are the special prices.  The Balcony cabins are exceptional value.  We have had some ladies already take advantage of this special.  If you have been considering coming on this cruise now is a good time to book before the special has run out.

 Cruise portion is priced in US Dollars per person. Even with the exchange rate this is still a great price.  Travel insurance & tools are not included.

Class fee is $385 AUS Dollars We have a choice of 4 classes over 6 sea days.  Both machine and hand worked.

Inside Stateroom from $1586.21 NEW LOWER PRICE $1351.21,

Promenade Staterooms from $1695.21 NEW LOWER PRICE $1424.21,

Oceanview Stateroom from $1886.21 NEW LOWER PRICE $1622.21,

Balcony Stateroom Special from $2256.21 NEW SPECIAL PRICE $1577.21!!

These prices are available until sold out!!

NOTE: Sewing Machines are not supplied. A limited amount of machines may be rented.

 

Contact me by email russeldr@bigpond.com  or Lorelle – lorelle@thecruisecrew.com for more information or if you would like to book.

 

Dorothy

 

Wagga Craft Alive Weekend

Last weekend saw the Wagga Craft Alive event.  I again had a stall to promote the Russellee Craft Retreats and the Quilting Cruise.  This was a far more successful weekend for all attending then the washed out Griffith Craft Alive and the interesting Wodonga Craft Alive.

This time I went on my own to set up on the Thursday.  Friday saw a large crowd pass through the door.  Over the course of the weekend 4600 people attended the show and keep everyone very busy.  Again I demonstrated free machining and this was very well received.

The team at Craft Alive staged a quilt exhibition in conjunction with the show.  Forty quilts from parts of NSW and Victoria were on display.  The visiting public were asked to vote for the best in show.  To my surprise and delight my quilt, ‘The Brumby’, inspired by a photo of Batlow photographer, Kris Daley, won first place.  Not only did I achieve first place but another quilt titled ‘My Cats’ received third place.  To receive these two places out of 40 wonderful quilts was an honour.

On the Saturday Kaye Snow joined me to help man the stall.  Kaye is a wonderful card maker and we spoke to several ladies about the November Card Making Retreat.  Sunday my wonderful husband, Tony, came as my helper and to assist in the packing up.  Overall the weekend was a great success.  I sold a lot of fabric and kits.  One lady on the Sunday purchased all the cat fabric that I had.

The thread painted picture that I created on the Friday also sold and I have since sold my large picture of a thread painted cat.  I am also holding a Thread Painting Retreat in November. By mid morning of the third day we run out of retreat brochures and I had to send Tony to get more printed at Office Works.

We had a lot of interest in our Cruise for February.  A lot of the cards re the cruise that I had were taken and the balcony special on at the moment was well received.  Time will tell if we have some bookings from this weekend for both the cruise and the craft retreats at Russellee.

Another interesting point is that Chris Dowell, one of our Cruise tutors, has her quilt ‘Just the Two of Us’ in the current addition of Down Under Quilts.  We still have places available on the cruise.  If you would like to come and join us please contact me or Lorelle.  Our emails are on the right of the blog.

Until next time

Dorothy

3rd Australian Quilting Cruise Update

We have had requests from ladies to include hand work projects on the cruise.  Laraine has put together two such workshops.  One is a hardanger project and the other is an embroidered and hand pieced bag.  (This can also be sewn together by machine if wished).  This bag has a couple of different techniques involved.

These projects have been taught to various groups around the Riverina and Snowy Mountains and have been very well received.  Laraine is a very talented lady and her sewing is exquisite.  I shall post photos of the projects when I have them.

I have just had word from Lorelle, our booking lady, that Royal Caribbean have a special on their balcony cabins.  They are $300 off for a short time.  This makes them about the same price as the Ocean View Cabins.  So If you would love to cruise with a balcony with out the extra cost it is a good time to do so.

Dorothy