I asked you guys what you did on your summer vacation…I also asked creative girl and designer Pat Sloan about her summer.

Pat hosts “Vacation Events” for quilters and I thought you might be interested.  After you read about Pat’s Vacation events, continue on to the bottom of the post and read about Pat’s new fabric lines, books, blog, newsletter, and other event…Yup, she has had a busy summer! 

Here is Pat…
I was so pleased when Gina asked to me tell you a little bit about the 'Vacation Events' that I host. She knows you want in on ALL the 'buzzzz'... hehe!

What could be MORE FUN than going on vacation with quilters? You immediately have a bond and if you travel alone you have a whole tour full of friends as soon as you arrive! Some trips have more sewing (like cruises with workshops on sea days), and some have more touring (like Ireland and China with a workshop in the evening.)

For a cruise, when you are in port you are free to take tours, walk the town on your own, enjoy the ship while it is less crowded, or shop... of course! On my last trip several very determined quilters found fabric stores and bought pieces for future projects, what a great memory! My husband, Gregg, and I did a Mexican cooking class at a resort on Cozumel. WOW was that more fun than you could imagine. In the evenings a classroom is available for open sewing, just incase you didn't want to see the fantastic shows, listen to live music, go dancing, or shop the ships stores!

Land tours are based around seeing the area by luxury coach. With beautiful locations and fantastic tour guides these trips create memories of a lifetime. For Ireland we had a full bus of quilters (which included a few spouses). Besides the amazing locations, meeting interesting people, and visiting historic places (kissing the Blarney stone if you liked!); we had the chance to meet with TWO quilting guilds in Ireland! For the quilters, this was a high point of the trip. I think every quilter on the trip considered those meetings to be much more than they ever expected. The ability for quilters to connect is universal!

'Vacation' events are a package price, which I think is the BEST deal. Your rooms, many meals (all on the cruise!), and the workshop instruction are in the package price. And depending on the tour, the destination flight is included (like Chicago to Ireland and San Francisco to Beijing China). Check each event to see what is included for that event and you'll see the package rate is really a wonderful deal.

I hope you'll come on Vacation with me next year. I have a cruise in January, Ireland the end of March (the book JUST came out about this tour), and China in November. See the list at my workshop page on my website, email me if you have questions

Hugs from Your friend

Pat Sloan

 
But wait there is more:

 Look what else she has been up to—a bit more from Pat!

1-In Sept I'm running an online workshop at my blog using my new pattern that will come out Sept 1. All the quilter has to do is buy the pattern, then follow along one weekend in Sept. Look for details in Pat’s September Newsletter.

 2-All newsletters have a free recipe and free pattern. The free pattern series right now is my 'Farmers Market' quilt and it's been a HUGE hit. If people make a block and show me a photo, their name goes in for a drawing of a prize.

3-My newest fabric is just now hitting the stores. It is called Sweetbriar with P & B Textiles.

 4-My next new fabric line will show at Market. It is called 'Nikki' with a new look. I've designed a new quilt that features the line... will have more of that down the road

 5-Any day my new book  is due.. which is a Quilters Tour of Ireland (Leisure Arts) and the book is FABULOUS... oh my!  Here is a peek at the cover and some inside pages. And you can read more about this adventure and see more photos on this blog, Living in a Material World.

 What's Next?
I have 3 wonderful 'Vacation' events for quilters in 2008.

-----teaching on a Quilting Cruise in the warm and sunny Caribbean  in Jan  12

-----another Quilter's Tour of Ireland Mar 30

-----AND a quilter's Tour of China on Nov 14

More info is available here about these events. http://www.quiltershome.com/workshop.htm

 7-I'm also going out to my publisher at the end of Sept to do photography for 2 new upcoming books AND do podcasts for them. I have 2 podcasts already on YouTube.

Thanks Pat.

Don't forget to tell us waht you did on your summer vacation! Tell us here and maybe win a prize!