Hello Fellow Cruisers! Got some great questions for this edition of the CruiseLetter! Let's see if I can answer them for you. 1. Are there quilt-related shore excursions? You bet! We've got some great adventures planned. Take a look: LECTURE PRESENTATION: "TRAVELING WITH A QUILTER'S EYE" The quilting fun begins the very evening we set sail, at our Welcome Gathering, where Ami will present "Traveling with a Quilter's Eye." There is nothing quite so much fun as exploring the world with friends who share the same crazy passion for quilting as you do. Whether you come with your best quilting buddy, with your husband (they ARE trainable!), or you cruise by yourself, it's going to be easy to find a kindred spirit on this trip. Ami will show you how to get the most out of your cruise by keeping an eye out for "quilty" designs wherever you go, how to capture memories that can be turned into quilts, and how to collect "garbage" to make extraordinary memory quilts. Trained as an anthropologist, and enamored of all things Italian, she'll instruct you in the proper way to eat spaghetti, how to flush a foreign toilet, and how to appreciate other cultural differences, too. LECTURE PRESENTATION: "CREATING SCRAPBOOK QUILTS" The next evening, Ami will present "Creating Scrapbook Quilts," a lesson in how to turn photographs, and mementoes from our trip into exciting Photo Memory Quilts. You'll see examples of quilts she and other travelers have made to remember their vacations, and learn how to design and sew quilts you will always treasure. (Bring paper and pen to take notes, plus any paper items you may have collected earlier in the day on board ship or in Marseille: flyers, postcards, paper bags with logos, ticket stubs, foreign currency, etc.) THREE TRAVELOGUES WITH AMI Having lived in Italy for several years Ami will present three short travelogues the evenings preceding the shore excursions to Florence, Rome, and Naples. Sit back and relax as she shares pictures of what you'll see in these exciting locales. EXCLUSIVE QUILTERS' EXCURSIONS Ami, Beth, and Jim will lead two exclusive Quilters' Excursions for our group! #1: PISA AND FLORENCE (PRICE NOT YET SET) The first Quilters' Excursion will be to Pisa (to see the leaning tower, of course) and to Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance. Out stay in Pisa will be just enough for a good look around and the obligatory photo-op. Then we'll head for Florence. Our first stop will be Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of Florence that will take your breath away. Jim has arranged for a professional photographer to take our group photo in this beautiful setting (compliments of McCall's Quilting) and will work his special magic to make sure we see our smiling faces before we leave for the ship. We'll enter the city near the beautiful Arno River and leave the bus to explore Florence on our own. You may decide to visit the "Duomo," one of Italy's most amazing churches, shop at the leather market, visit the jewelry shops at the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), museum hop, or relax and watch the world go by from your seat at an outdoor café. You will have approximately three hours to indulge yourself. (Note: as tour buses are not allowed in the city, this could be a strenuous day with lots of walking. Please wear comfortable shoes, be mindful of the uneven (sometimes cobblestone) streets, pace yourself appropriately, and keep an eye on the time. If you are late returning to the bus you will be left behind and have to make your own way back to the ship at your own expense. If you miss the sailing of the ship you will be responsible getting to the next port. A strict dress code—no shorts, no short skirts, no tank tops, no revealing clothing—is enforced inside the Duomo.) This excursion must be booked in advance. #2: ROME (PRICE NOT YET SET) Our second Quilters' Excursion will be to Rome, the Eternal City. From the port of Civitavecchia we will bus into downtown Rome for a look at St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world. Bernini's magnificent colonnade frames the entryway to this massive church, built over the tomb of the Apostle Peter. High above is Michelangelo's dome. If the lines are short we'll take a peek inside. From Vatican City we'll proceed by bus to the Trevi Fountain, where tradition has it that a coin tossed over your shoulder will bring you back to Rome. (Remember the movie "Three Coins in the Fountain?") Time permitting we'll walk to the Pantheon, a marvel of ancient engineering, it is the oldest building in Rome still in continuous use. This is a great location to grab a quick slice of pizza, sit by the beautiful fountain, and enjoy the bustle of the piazza. It's always hopping! From there we'll re-board our bus for a visit to Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome's four basilicas and home to some extremely "quilty" floors. (The rest of the church is pretty impressive too, so do remember to look up once in a while!) Our bus will then whisk us away to Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Outside is the famous drain cover in the shape of a face. Legend has it that if you stick your finger in its mouth and tell a lie it will bite off your fingers! (We may have to test this theory.) Inside, you'll find that Santa Maria in Cosmedin is a much smaller, more intimate church, with beautiful Cosmati floors. They're patchwork patterns in marble! How amazing it is to realize that stone masons centuries ago came up with many of the patterns we find in traditional quiltmaking. As patchwork floors swirl in our heads, we'll proceed back to the ship. (As this is a very full day, we may not return back to the ship in time for our normal dinner seating. Delectable fare is available in the Windjammer dining room at no extra charge. Note: You'll be on the go pretty much ALL DAY during this excursion. There is less walking than the Pisa/Florence excursion, but you should still be prepared to walk approximately 1.5 miles. Please wear comfortable shoes, be mindful of the uneven (sometimes cobblestone) streets and (lunatic Italian) drivers. Pace yourself appropriately. A strict dress code—no shorts, no short skirts, no tank tops, no revealing clothing—is enforced inside all churches. We must pass through metal detectors to enter Vatican City.) This excursion must be booked in advance. HAND APPLIQUÉ WORKSHOP During our day at sea, as we return leisurely to Barcelona, Ami will offer a full-day workshop called "A New Way to Piece: APPLIQUE." In the morning you'll learn Ami's Invisible Appliqué technique where the thread is nearly invisible. All skill levels will enjoy precision hand appliqué made easy. You'll practice straight seams and curves, all stitched with butt-ugly thread. Just watch it disappear! Demonstrations will include points and V-shapes. Invisible Appliqué is perfect for layered block appliqué, pictorial quilts, Hawaiian quilts, and reverse appliqué. You can also stitch down quilt binding with it, sew up the rear ends of teddy bears, and mend furniture. (No kidding!) In the afternoon, Ami will show you how to use this versatile stitch to HAND PIECE! Worked from the right side, where you can aim for the intersections (and adjust if you're off) you'll find that you can sew any kind of patchwork—precisely! Blocks with set-in patches will be a breeze! (So will those complicated-looking mosaic floor patterns we'll be seeing.) WORKSHOP FEE: $45 This includes:  Quilt Designs from Decorative Floor Tiles by Christine Porter, featuring 25 fabulous quilt patterns inspired by floor tiles, strikingly similar to the ones we will see in Italy.  Creating Scrapbook Quilts, by Ami Simms, the recipe book for creating an heirloom quilt using any number of images transferred to fabric, no matter what their size or shape.  Invisible Appliqué, by Ami Simms, taking you step-by-step through straight seams, curves, point, V-shapes and circles to perfect any appliqué project, and then opening the world of painless yet precise hand piecing.  Invisible Appliqué Kit: Includes plastic template material, 100% cotton pre-washed/ironed fabric, thread, needle, 4 appliqué pins, 1 Aquarelle washout cloth marking pencil, and pencil sharpener. Please bring: Paper and pencil, scissors (paper and cloth), thimble, and favorite needle if you think you'll hate Ami's, enough fabric for a 12" block, and matching thread, and two 100% cotton Fat Quarters, one to trade and one to enter in the ugliest fabric contest! (The one who brings the ugliest fabric has to take the rest home! Majority rules.) Traveling companions (non-quilting spouses and other "hangers on") are encouraged to join us for the Welcome Gathering, Ami's Lectures and Travelogues, The Quilters' Excursions, and the Farewell Cocktail Party. Quilters wishing to take advantage of the workshop must pre-register so that the workshop supplies can be shipped to you prior to departure. 2. CAN WE PHOTOGRAPH PLACES WE VISIT? Certainly. I take TONS of pictures. Next issue I'll bore you with my recommendations for type of camera, but for the time being, YES, YES, and more YES! You'll want to capture every moment---on the ship, off the ship. Just be polite. If you want to photograph a stranger cloe-up, don't stick a camera in their face, just make the international sign for "may I take your picture." That's your holding up your camera almost up to your face, raising your eyebrows in a questioning way and nodding your head yes while you say the international word, "photo?" Wait for a smile and a head nod yes, or respect a head shake or a scowl "no." 3. SHOULD WE PLAN ON BRINGING PORTABLE SEWING MACHINES, ROTARY CUTTERS, MATTS, ETC? Now way! We only have one day at sea and we'll be doing some hand sewing. The only thing I'd suggest you bring (besides the supply list above and the Fat Quarters) is a sewing project to stitch on the plane. If you're not used to sewing while moving, try a book instead. Speaking of airplanes and sewing. Get some inexpensive Fiskar children's' scissors with very obviously ROUND points. TSA agents don't mind those. I take mine out before I send my purse through the x-ray conveyor belt so they don't have to hunt around for them. You can pack your good scissors in your checked luggage, but if you get a new pair of the plastic handled Fiskar's they should stay sharp enough to use during the workshop. Your choice. That's all for now. Please write with more questions about traveling with a bunch of quilters! (If you need help with transportation, pricing, schedules, etc., please address those to Jim. Ami Simms AmiSimms@aol.com