Possibilities can sometimes bring you unexpected results.
This was an unexpected encounter…
When I wrote that last blog post, I had a rough idea as to how this next one would play out. The road between that plan and this reality is a twisty (and as it turns out, snowcapped) one. Mike and I had been about to leave on what has become our annual winter getaway in January. We have taken to saying that we think this cheats winter out of a week, and we’re happy to spend that week on a warm weather cruise. We take each other, bathing suits, suntan lotion, and no internet and head out for a week.
The original plan had us returning home on the 19th, and I would have had time to publish this on the 21st. Unfortunately, we ran head first into Winter Storm Demi when we returned to port, and we didn’t get back until Wednesday afternoon the 22nd, and it’s taken me this long to catch up. I was able to post to my social media posts on my phone, but getting a blog post out there on my phone wasn’t something I could manage.
So, the photo above is one of those possibilities that I couldn’t plan if I had wanted to. This photo was snapped by my husband at our first port of call, St. Kitts and Nevis in the Southern Caribbean, and on the left is the Oasis of the Seas, our home on this voyage. On the right is the Celebrity Apex, the ship I took on my cruise to Iceland last summer. Before we left for our day’s excursions, I was able to walk the top deck of the Oasis and show Mike the details of the Apex in ways I would never have been able to do in a photo.
As you can see, it’s slightly smaller than the Oasis, but it’s beautifully appointed. I didn’t get aa chance to enjoy many of the outside amenities because of the climate (and the sea swells), but I would love to sail on her again at some point.
The fabric pull for the Kapella Cluster quilt - which I am looking forward to finishing later this year!
Hopefully, this brings us full circle to the last blog entry I made - and you can read it here if you’re interested. I mentioned that I wanted to finish work on the quilt that I began work on during the Apex cruise - the Kapella Clusters quilt designed by Karen Brown of Just Get it Done Quilts. The photo above shows the fabric pull that I made for the quilt, and I am interested in seeing how this all comes together.
As I was preparing for that trip, there were a number of things that I was dealing with - personal to professional, there were a lot of projects that I was trying to deal with all at once. Too many, as the lessons of 2024 revealed themselves. I felt as if throughout the year, I was constantly juggling deadlines and details in one form or another.
One area of the trip that I didn’t research enough was the reality of sailing through the North Atlantic ocean. My experience up until that point was in the Caribbean, and I was unprepared for the motion of the sea. I never did get sick (thank you, sea bands), but I remember telling Karen that I would not be attempting to square anything up on the ship. I was able to get several of the blocks made, but nothing has as yet been assembled. This is a project that is better suited (to me) as something I can work on in my home workroom, without the need to pack up and move every night. I am looking forward to having this done later this spring - right after the Northern Lights SAL takes off.
I would have liked to have made more progress on this quilt than I did, but I also wanted to avoid a wrong encounter with a rotary cutter.
I am pleased to say that that was the only part of the trip that I felt unprepared for.
How to pack for a quilt cruise?
I have been asked several times how you pack for a quilt cruise. I was allowed one 50 lb suitcase to travel internationally, and that had to include both my clothes and personal items (including winter coat, hat and gloves), and my class materials. I did not have to bring a machine with me as they were provided on the cruise as part of the class; you also are not allowed to bring an iron on a cruise ship because of fire concerns. The class had 2 irons available under supervision during class posted times. For everything else, I ordered a super large project bag from Mafame Sew which worked out perfectly for everything sewing related., while taking up minimal space in my suitcase.
That’s all for now, but I’ll have another blog entry on Tuesday for you all. Stay warm!