Sew Many Places with Jim

A VIEW OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

it’s saturday morning here in spring valley, illinois and it is snowing again!  tomorrow they are forecasting another 10 inches of snow, and i am thinking to myself, how can i see this through a quilter’s eye?   then it hit me………………a white quilt!

a friend of mine, who i facebook alot with, and who is a fantastic quilter-MATT SPARROW, will be featured in the upcoming spring quiltposium.  you will see a cream color quilt that he has created, and the stitching and quilting on it is off the charts fantastic.

so if by chance, you are sitting at home this weekend, and it happens to be snowing out, make it happen.  design a “white” quilt and let your creative juices flow.  now remember, i didn’t say make a quilt this weekend, i said design one. 

look outside, see the textures, colors, designs of the bushes, trees, marks in the snow and come up with something original, and think outside the box when you do.

and if you would, send some of your designs my way, via email, and i just might post them in the next issue of the magazine!

happy saturday everyone!

BE CREATIVE!

jim

i am not sure how many of you are on facebook, but if you are interested in becoming my friend, i am on there.  just type in my name and look for the goofball on the camel…………….that’s me!

enjoy your friday everyone, i am doing a lot of cleaning this weekend myself (in my basement.)  finally going to whip it into shape once and for all!

cheers my dear,

jim

hello dear quilting friends!

i have had many of you emailing me and asking when i was going to get back on my blog and write again.  well, truth be told, i needed a good two month break from it all.  i had just finished a whirlwind 2009, traveling 306 days last year away from home, and i just needed a good time off to recharge my battery.  and so i have.  in my new blogs for this year, i am going to be sharing with you a lot more personal information about my home, friends, family and interests that i haven’t shared before.  so be sure you are checking back now each day for photos and fun surprises.  i will even be giving away prizes and even trips if you have read my blog for that day and answered a question correctly.  so don’t miss out!

there are so many exciting things to tell you about sew many places and the direction we are going with things.

we have had an incredible response to our quiltposium magazine.  so far, we have over 207,000 people registered to view our FREE magazine online!!  where did they all come from?????   i have heard from many of you who said you had cancelled your magazine subscriptions with magazines you used to receive in the mail, and you are very happy with what you are reading in quiltposium.  thanks so much for your encouragement ,and i especially want to thank the celebrity writers who send articles for each issue.  i appreciate all of you.

just to let you know, we are finalizing all 2011 cruises, tours, expeditions and quiltaway programs.  if there is some place you would like to travel and we don’t have the destination listed with our existing trips, let us know.  we are open to all ideas.

thanks for your patience in me not blogging for a while, but i am back and back with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm.  watch for my daily blogs on here and be sure to tell your friends.

happy quilting, happy day!

jim

Wishing all our friends a very happy Christmas and a fantastic New Year!! 

Jim

hi everyone!

letting you know you can check out the winter issue of quiltposium tomorrow!  i think you are really going to enjoy it!  let me know your feedback and what you enjoyed most!

also, let me know how  you felt about the new magazine hosting company we are using now.  it feels so much faster and easier to maneuver than the last issue.

have a great weekend!

jim

hi quilters!

i have just returned from a very exciting three week expedition to egypt and africa.  these were actually two trips combined into one that i called “the kingdom of the pharohs and the kingdom of the animals.”  truly a once in a lifetime trip.  because of the success of this expedition, i am now adding an egypt tour to next years roster of trips.

it will premier in our winter issue of quiltposium, so be sure you are looking for all the details. and just so you know, i am only taking 10 people with me on this expedition, so i hope you can join me!

thanks!

jim west

shhhhhhhhhhh, don’t tell anyone, but here’s a sneak peek at the cover of our next issue!

Hello from the Big Apple!!

 

There has never been a time when I have been to New York City when I haven’t thought to myself, this is the absolute best experience for theater, shopping, restaurants, museums, attractions and (I’ll mention it again) the shopping.  Our Sew Many Places- New York City Quiltaway Program was designed to bring quilters to this remarkable city for an exciting weekend of fun.  

Upon our arrival into Midtown Manhattan, the theater district, our group assembled in the lobby of our hotel and we began a walking tour of the area.  Our first stop, since I know my quilting ladies, was to treat them to chocolate at the M & M Store, located on Broadway.  Each gal filled their bags with their favorite chocolate, and we continued walking through the busy streets.  This gave our group an opportunity to become familiar with their surroundings and feel safe about being in one of the most incredible cities in the world.

Our welcome dinner that evening was at a family owned Italian restaurant, and we all enjoyed getting to know each other a little more as we drank wine, ate pasta and even sampled a canoli.

The following day we had the opportunity to travel uptown for a one hour tour before we visited the somber and emotional World Trade Center Museum.  It was an eye opening account of the tragedy that occurred on September 11th and the entire museum was photographs and memorabilia from the only photographer allowed 24-7 access at ground zero during the first couple months of the disaster.  It was an experience you just can’t put into words.

 From there we were off in taxi’s to the famous Tavern on the Green Restaurant in Central Park, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch.  By the way, did you know Tavern on the Green is closing the end of this year?!  So we were very happy to have had the experience of eating in this landmark restaurant.

The afternoon and evening were free to enjoy on our own.  Some of the group went to museums, some went shopping and others just walked through the bustling streets.

The next morning, some of our group went to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty, while other’s continued shopping.  I went to the Garment District to check out the different stores, and found at least 50 stores that catered to quilters with selling fabric, buttons, applique items, thread, etc.  It was a quilter’s dream place. 

I even went to the store Mood Designer Fabrics, the shop used in the TV show Project Runway.  This was an absolutely incredible place and one quilter’s have to include in their visit when they go to New York.

That afternoon, our entire group went to see the hit Broadway show – The Lion King.  With center orchestra seats, everyone enjoyed the music, dancing and especially the award winning costumes!

Our evening came to a close with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant near our hotel.

It was a quick getaway, and one I know all our ladies enjoyed immensely.

For those who are interested, we will be going to New York City again next fall, so be sure you sign up early, since we limit the number of participants to twenty people. Call our office today and confirm your space.  It will be an experience you will never forget!

WOW! WOW! WOW!  Where do i begin with this expedition?!

I’ve been to China many times with quilters, but I have to say, hands down, this was the best ones yet!  From the very beginning, when we first arrived in Beijing, our group bonded immediately at the first dinner.  It was truly a “dream” group to travel with, and everyone got along famously.

Our expedition was divided into four segments:  Beijing, Xian, the Yangtze River and Shanghai.

In Beijing, we stayed at the extraordinary Regent Hotel, deluxe in every possible way. There was never a dull moment during our stay in this extraordinary city. As with all our expeditions, we stay at the very best hotels, selected not only because of the deluxe amenities, but also because of the location.

We had the privelege of being escorted by our professional guide Charlie, who provided his services the entire time.  In Beijing we visited the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Silk Alley, Tiananmen Square, a Jade Carving Factory, a Cloisonne Factory, the Olympic Village, the Temple of Heaven, a Silk Spinning Factory, the Zoo and enjoyed a one hour foot and shoulder massage.

We also took a rickshaw ride in the Hutong area of Beijing-the oldest area in the city.

Our time in Xian was also very special. We enjoyed the terra cotta warriors museum, enjoyed a terrific Tang Dynasty Show, visited the Wild Goose Pagoda and spent the night another deluxe hotel.

Finally we spent four nights in Shanghai, the most spectacular city I have ever seen!  Our hotel was the deluxe Grand Hyatt Hotel, the best hotel in the city!  Without doubt, this city is an architects dreamland, with unique designs and structures.  In the evening, you would have thought you were walking down the main street in Las Vegas because every building was lit up with spectacular lights. Our group shopped for fabric at one of the best places in the city and ended up purchasing an extra suitcase to get all their fabric home!  While in Shanghai, we also took a ride on a small boat in Suzhou, visited the wonderful Humble Adminstrator’s Garden, got another foot massage and finished our tour with a dinner in the revolving restaurant overlooking the entire city of Shanghai.

The entire expedition was hugely successful!

For those of you who might be interested, we are repeating this incredible expedition next year and also adding an optional tour to Hong Kong follow this trip.  Contact Bobbie in our office if you would like information sent to you before it is announced to the public. Bobbie@SewManyPlaces.com

As I sit in the hotel near the San Francisco Airport, I am getting very, very excited. Tomorrow I leave on my 23rd China Expedition, and I am as excited about this one as I was each and everyone I have traveled on in the past.

For many years now, Sew Many Places has been taking quilters to China on a once in a lifetime journey, and I think after doing it this long, there is no doubt in my mind, we have it down to a science.  From the deluxe hotels, to the incredible guides, to the first rate restaurants and outstanding sightseeing, there isn’t a rock unturned that we haven’t uncovered.  It is all working like clockwork.

I will post photographs when I return the beginning of November, I just wanted to mention how excited I was getting ,sitting here waiting for tomorrow to come.

By the way, we are traveling to China again in 2010, and the expedition will be off the charts exciting and awesome. If you are interested in going, contact Bobbie and Denise in my office info@SewManyPlaces.com and have your name down on a waiting list.  This trip sells out every year, and you will be the first contacted when the information is available next week.