Sew Many Places with Jim

We have had many of you ask about the violence and crime that has been happening in Mexico these last couple months, and concerned it is getting worse. Now there is this entire situation regarding the swine flu. So the question on all our minds is, is it safe to travel there now?

Based on what I have heard from Anderson Cooper the past couple weeks on his television show and from what we are hearing from other reliable sources, and based on what we are hearing about the latest swine flu epidemic spreading throughout Mexico, I would say just be smart and cautious when traveling to Mexico this year!

It is true there are some safe areas, especially if you stay within the resort you are planning to visit, but nearly all the “boarder” towns are reporting a lot of problems.

I have also been asked about going on a cruise there, and again, my answer would be to take special care as you venture out into the ports. Some cruise lines are even cancelling their Mexico cruises until the swine flu situation gets better.

For any of you who might be interested in going on a Mexican Rivera quilting cruise next year, should you decided to just wait, we are finalizing an excellent cruise for only $649.00 per person for 8-days, and that includes port charges, taxes and meals! If you want to wait, there is a good chance you’ll find some real bargains for next year!

Gracias Amigas!

hi everyone!

As a full service travel company, we not only put together group reservations, but we have an entire department that specializes in individual reservations for you and your family.

The manager of this department is Colleen Mitchell, who has been working with me for the past 14 years. She is absolutely fantastic in arranging everything from all-inclusive packages to Mexico and the Caribbean, Disney family vacations and anywhere around the world that you would like to travel to, without traveling in a group setting.

And here is the real “kicker” that I think you will like-we will give up to half of the commission from any travel package you book with us, back to you as a discount off of your trip! So spead the word, tell your family and friends, and take advantage of our wonderful offer.

I know many of you like traveling with me when we go in a group environment, but I wanted you to know, that we do offer the opportunity for you to plan a vacation without anyone else there!

You can call our corporate Travel Alliance, Inc. office toll free at 800.708.0880 or email Colleen direct at Colleen@TravelWest.com

Not that it will surprise you, but I have been non-stop busy the past couple of months working on designing a lot of trips and marketing ideas for Sew Many Places. Having worked as a professional cruise director for ten years, I made it a point to always be in touch with what people were wanting to see happen with their cruise, and then do something about it if I could. When I wrote my first book, The Essential Little Cruise Book, it was a combination of nothing but tips and suggestions on how people could improve the quality of their cruise from start to finish, primarily based from ideas that people shared with me when I sailed with them during the course of those ten years at sea.

I am doing the same thing with our Sew Many Places company. Many of our clients have asked for us to put together different trips, based on where they would like to go and what they would like to do, and I have taken all that into consideration and have been adding them to our 2010 itinerary list one by one. In just a few weeks, our entire tour list will be completed for next year, and I am very proud of the exciting cruises, tours and expeditions we have to offer.

In addition to this, we are very busy designing and creating our brand new quarterly magazine called, SEW MANY PLACES, which debuts this coming August. I can’t spill the beans yet about what the magazine is all about, but let me just say, it will be unlike anything the quilting industry has ever seen! And the best part about it, is it is FREE to all of you! You don’t have to pay for it!

Can’t say any more about that right now, just wanted to let you know briefly that it was coming.

We are also launching some of our new sister companies with Travel Alliance, Inc. as well, five new companies making their debut this year.

Our JIM WEST QUILTPOSIUM PROGRAM has really become a hit! We have only announced two Quiltposiums for this year and they are almost sold out, plus we have ten launching next year, and I am happy to say, the line up of educators is very, very exciting. The 2010 program will be announced on June 1st, so be sure you are watching for that.

I have also been writing my next book, What Time is the Midnight Buffet-Memoirs of a Cruise Director! It’s all my stories of when I worked as a cruise director, and believe me it has the good, the bad and the ugly in it. So many things to write about in that book.

And finally, for those of you who were just on my South America Expedition and on our Australia/New Zealand tour, as you know I had a nice little belly going on there. Well I am happy to report, I’ve been working out and dieting and lost 21lbs in the past 5 weeks! I know, who would have thought as I turn 50 this year I’d be actually fit and in shape!? I am in my 31 waist pants now, and I have 6 more pounds to loose to hit my goal of 170lbs. Anyone want a carrot stick or some rice cakes?

So as you can see it’s been exciting and busy around here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

By the way, just got back from the Chicago convention this past weekend, and it was really hopping. Now Paducah coming up and before long I’ll be in Pittsburgh for Quilt Market. Never a dull moment that is for sure.

I welcome any of your ideas and suggestions you might have for different ideas for future tours and expeditions, and I look forward to announcing each of the exciting trips we are planning within the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!

JIM WEST

For those of you who have traveled with me on one of our tours, you know I always use the expression, “Travel with a quilter’s eye.” It’s a phrase I coined many years ago when I first opened Sew Many Places.

Today I encourange you, wherever you go, whatever you do, to look at everything you see through that creative quilter’s eye that you have.

Look at the color combinations of clothing, paint on the walls, the scenery outside, etc.
Observe the textures of how things look and feel.
Take your camera out of the drawer, and pretend you are the chief photographer for our Sew Many Places Magazine, and capture what you think has all the right ingredients to be a fantastic quilt.

In just a couple weeks, we are launching a PHOTO CONTEST and awarding a complimentary quilting trip to the owner of the winning photograph that we feel captures the essence of what I am talking about.

The photographs will be judged by ten quilt educators who will look at them and will vote for the one they think best captures “Everyday Life Through a Quilter’s Eye.”

So start now, we will be announcing this in a couple weeks! Good luck!

I wanted to announce to everyone that television personality and all around nice gal, Alex Anderson, is going to be working with Sew Many Places. We currently have announced a very exciting Africa Expedition that Alex and legendary quilter Ricky Tims are taking in 2011, and Alex and I are just wrapping up a couple of other trips that I think you are really going to be excited about.

If you would like to be onboard any of these trips with Alex, send me an email and we will be sure to send you the announcement first, before it is sent out for the general quilting population to see.

Welcome Aboard Alex, we’re happy you are here!