Alaska Quilters Cruise 2024

Cruise Schedule

Inside Passage, Canada – Sightseeing

Your ship offers the perfect platform for viewing British Columbia’s Inside Passage. This archipelago spans 25,000 miles from Seattle to Prince Rupert near the Alaskan border. Here you’ll ply calm waters sheltered between the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island. Along the way catch a glimpse of breathtakingly rugged scenery, plus staggering wildlife like salmon sharks, white spirit bears, and millions of seabirds.

Unspoiled Backdrop

Discover a wide range of landscapes and native wildlife without leaving the ship. See glacial valleys speckled with evergreens and powerful waterfalls plunging toward the sea. Watch bald eagles soar overhead and porpoises playing in the ship’s wake. This is British Columbia in all its raw, pure glory.

Adventure Maze

British Columbia’s Inside Passage is dappled with forested islands and nature reserves. Explore the southern portion, passing Vancouver Island’s remote villages and Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. To the north, the Great Bear Rainforest is home to grizzlies, while the peaks lining Grenville Channel reach 3,500 feet above sea level.

Group dinner reservation will be held at 530PM in the main dining room for our group for those that wish to join

Quilting Schedule

Choose one, 6-hour workshop 9am to 4pm with an hour lunch break, from the following three choices below.

Option # 1

Teacher: Paul Léger

Rainbow Alaska Quilt 

Come play with colours as Paul will take you on his Alaskan journey to make this quilt. The day will be filled with Paul using his techniques to create this eye-catching quilt, using the Alaska ruler by Creative Grids. (6 hours)

The finished quilt measures 711⁄2” x 711⁄2”.

(a fabric & notions kit will be available for purchase and fabrics may differ slightly from the photo of the quilt)

Supply List

Option# 2

Teacher: Patti Carey

Skill-building Sampler Wall Quilt (6-hour)

join Patti in this tip-filled class as you make a 5-block sampler. Learn Patti’s top tricks for quick, easy and accurate piecing. You will leave the class a better, more confident quiltmaker, with a toolbox full of new techniques to use on any quilt project! Kit includes pre-cut fabrics.

Supply List

Option # 3

Teacher: Michelle Peters

The Butterfly Effect, English paper Piecing

This English Paper Piecing (EPP) pattern is designed for any level sewist. The pattern finishes at 24” square, making it a perfect mini quilt or pillow, but you can continue to grow your piece to any size or use small sections of the pattern for other applications. In this 6 hour class you will learn to cut the fabric using templates, how to baste the pieces, which stitches to use and when, tips for organising your project and ideas for quilting the completed piece. English Paper Piecing gives you a technique for when you want to work with a variety of shapes. It is relaxing and during our workshop you will have time to stitch and chat while making new friends.
(6 hours)

Supply List

Evening demonstrations and embroidery make and take (optional activities) from 7-9pm

4:30pm – 5:30pm cocktail meet up (Location TBA) – All invited

Evening demonstrations and embroidery make and take (optional activities) from 7-9PM – All welcome.

Note: The classroom is open 24/7 for plenty of free time sewing when there is no class in progress.

Cruise Schedule

Sitka, Alaska –

12:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Sitka truly offers the best of Alaska. Its small-town appeal stems from a unique blend of Russian, Tlingit and American history. Its snow-capped peaks and volcanic Mount Edgecumbe pose among the state’s most postcard-worthy scenes. And its rare wildlife astounds, from Saint Lazaria Island’s orange-beaked puffins to Alaska Maritime Refuge’s 40 million seabirds. This is off-the-path Alaska, where you can kayak Sitka Sound alongside swimming sea otters or fly-fish for the world’s biggest halibut. Whether it’s hiking Baranof Island trails or listening to tribal stories passed down for generations, in Sitka the midnight sun never sets on adventure.

Links to the Past
Explore Sitka National Historical Park to trace the town’s early beginnings and native heritage. See indigenous artifacts, watch a documentary film, and walk the mile-long Totem Trail. Then view creative pieces by local Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian artists at the Sitka Cultural Center.

Bering History in Mind
Learn about Sitka’s Russian influence on a walk to St. Michael’s Cathedral, one of the few remaining Russian Orthodox churches in Alaska. Check out the Russian Bishop’s House and watch New Archangel Dancers perform traditional choreography. Then stand atop Castle Hill, where the first American flag flew over Alaska in 1867.

For the Birds
Get up close to native eagles, owls, falcons and hawks at the Alaska Raptor Center’s rehab hospital. Meet the vets who nurse injured birds back to health and view the flight-training center— a rainforest environment where recovered animals relearn survival skills before release back into the wild.

Local Cuisine
The local Pacific Northwest “frontier cuisine” is packed with fresh seafood offerings like sockeye lox and halibut fish and chips. Here you’ll find Dungeness crab harvested by local families and food trucks serving black cod collars. And don’t miss Baranof Island Brewing Company— the Silver Bay IPA and Halibut Point Hefeweizen are two solid sipping options.

Shopping
Downtown galleries are your best bet for Northwest Coast native art and jewelry made by Inupiat Eskimos. Russian nesting dolls, woven Tlingit baskets and wild berry products also make authentic Alaskan souvenirs. Stop by the Winter Song Soap Company for herbal bath products made on-site.

Group dinner reservation will be held at 530PM in the main dining room for our group for those that wish to join

Quilting Schedule

9-11 am – Open sewing time, optional demonstrations and guided make and takes on embroidery module.

12-7pm: Tour Sitka, Alaska

Note: The classroom is open 24/7 for plenty of free time sewing when there is no class in progress.

Cruise Schedule

Tracy Arm Fjord

Sightseeing from 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Tracy Arm Fjord extends over 30 miles alongside the wilderness of Tongass National Forest. Sailing through this deep and narrow passage delivers some of the most breathtaking scenery you’ll find in Alaska. See active glaciers carved into 7,000-foot-tall mountain peaks and plunging waterfalls burrowed into evergreen-clad cliffs. Glimpse native wildlife and watch deep blue icebergs float past the ship.

Quilting Schedule

10:30am – 12:00: Choice of Quilter’s Bingo, open sewing, or machine embroidery make and take (make & take and Bingo open to all).

Cruise Schedule

Juneau, Alaska

1:30PM – 8PM

You can’t get to Juneau easily without a sprint by air or by sea. But once you arrive you’ll find majestic views and rich culture in every corner. With its snowcapped mountains, misty rainforests, massive glaciers and bounty of wildlife, Alaska’s remote state capital is the perfect place to dive into nature. Framed by Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts, the city’s picturesque downtown area offers centuries-old bars, boutique shops and historic landmarks. For a taste of the local culture, visit the historic district and the Alaska State Museum. And for outdoor thrills, you can take your pick of activities ranging from whale watching in Auke Bay Harbor to tundra trekking over Mendenhall Glacier, and even try your hand at gold panning in Last Chance Basin.

Seafaring Safari
Watch for humpback whales, orcas, harbor seals, and Steller sea lions as you cruise through the icy Alaskan waters on a charter boat.

Become a Master Musher
Travel to Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier and join a team of professional mushers and their huskies on a sleigh ride over the snow.

Go for the Gold
Follow in the footsteps of fortune hunters and pan for gold along trails forged by prospectors over a hundred years ago during the Juneau gold rush.

Local Cuisine
From coffee shops to local pubs, Juneau’s food scene is all about seafood and simple fare, like burgers and sandwiches. If you’re craving a cold one, be sure you try Alaskan Brewing Company’s Alaskan Amber or Smoked Porter— they’re both local favorites.

Shopping
For some frontier retail therapy, head to downtown Juneau and you’ll find plenty of shops and boutiques selling Native art, locally-crafted goods and designer brands.

Group dinner reservation will be held at 530PM in the main dining room for our group for those that wish to join

Quilting Schedule

Note: The classroom is open 24/7 for plenty of free time sewing when there is no class in progress.

Cruise Schedule

Hubbard Glacier – Sightseeing from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

At 76 miles long and seven miles wide, North America’s largest tidewater glacier makes even the largest ships in the region feel small. Watch massive chunks of Hubbard Glacier’s translucent blue ice crash into the bay with a bang like a cannon shot, a sound the Tlingit people call “White Thunder.”

Tides of Adventure
As you sail into picturesque Yakutat Bay, the first all-weather, all-vessel safe harbor north of Icy Point, you’ll be able to see Hubbard Glacier off in the distance. Passing miles of sandy beaches, keep your eyes peeled for harbor seals lounging on buoys or swimming in waters alongside the ship.

Spread Your Wings
The Yakutat Bay Important Bird Area is known for its large population of breeding Kittlitz’s murrelet. Its open-water habitat is also home to one of the largest breeding colonies of Aleutian terns. More than 200 species of birds can be seen in this area.

Group dinner reservation will be held at 530PM in the main dining room for our group for those that wish to join

Quilting Schedule

9am – 11am: Tools & Techniques Demonstrations

11am – 2pm: Enjoy the spectacular views of Hubbard Glacier  

2pm – 5pm: Sew at Sea. Choose one, 3  hour workshop with the following choices:

Option # 1

Teacher: Michelle Peters

Kawandi Table Topper/Pillow

Explore using scrap fabric and hand stitching to create cheerful quilted projects!  We will look at the techniques of the Siddi people and their stitching of Kawandi Quilts. Essentially it is a quick Quilt as You Go technique as you are sewing the patches to a backing and batting with the quilting stitches. It is traditionally done as hand work and so is quite portable. The quilt uses small amounts of fabric or scraps, and the big stitch style quilting using a bold thread creates the texture over the whole piece. In this 3 hour class, you will learn how to place fabrics and hand sew from the outside of the quilt to the middle, using a spiral line technique and finally the last step is adding the Phula flowers to the corners. (3 hours)

SUPPLY LIST

Option# 2

Teacher: Patti Carey

Finishing Touches (3-hour)

Learn professional warp-speed machine-binding. Patti guides you through a variety of binding styles to give your quilts that finishing touch. (3 hours)

There will be a required kit for this class. Kits will be available to order once class selection has taken place. The kit fee will be $20.

SUPPLY LIST

Option# 3

Teacher: Paul Léger

Foundation Paper Piecing (3-hour)

Come spend time with Paul in this half-day workshop where he’ll take the taboos out of foundation piecing. In the process you’ll make an alpine scene to remind you of the super time you’ve had on this cruise. (3 hours)

SUPPLY LIST

7pm – 9pm: Demonstrations and optional machine embroidery make and take

Note: The classroom is open 24/7 for plenty of free time sewing when there is no class in progress.

Cruise Schedule

Keticikan

2:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Ketchikan sits at the southern end of Alaska’s Inside Passage— a gateway to the wild landscapes and seascapes of Misty Fjords National Monument. The canned salmon capital of the world, it’s a hub for fishing and outdoor sports. It’s also home to three tribes of Northwest Coast Native Americans, making it a great place to get a taste for the local culture. You’ll see it in the colorful, hand-carved totems that line the city’s streets and parks, and in the unique stilted homes that cling to Deer Mountain’s slopes. If you want to get up close and personal with nature, venture into the Tongass National Forest, the largest in the United States. Or head to Ketchikan Creek Waterfall for amazing views of downtown Ketchikan and a glimpse at the yearly salmon runs.

Totem Time
Ketchikan has more totem poles than anywhere in the world. And just south of downtown at Saxman Native Village you’ll find a nice collection of finely carved and decorated totems— all authentic replicas— plus a replica clan house.

Wilderness Wandering
If you’re craving natural thrills, venture past the town limits into Tongass National Forest. The largest national forest in the U.S., it’s a great place to spot local wildlife like deer, seals— even black bears and bald eagles.

Lord of the Fjord
If you really want to experience Alaska’s dramatic landscape, visit Misty Fjords National Monument. It’s 3,570 square feet of rock walls, towering trees, sea cliffs and dramatic fjords.

Local Cuisin
Ketchikan isn’t called the canned salmon capital of the world for nothing. Seafood is incorporated in all sorts of dishes, from chowders and omelets to sandwiches and burgers. You’ll find plenty of American staples, but for a taste of the local culture try some traditional native foods like beach asparagus or seaweed. And for a pick-me-up, have a cup of locally roasted Raven’s Brew Coffee.

Shopping
The pier is home to specialty shops, galleries and boutiques. But be sure to wander downtown Ketchikan for local finds like authentic Alaskan art, Native crafts, furs and jewelry.

Group dinner reservation will be held at 530PM in the main dining room for our group for those that wish to join

Quilting Schedule

9am – 12pm :  Sew at Sea

Choose one, 3-hour workshop

Option# 1

Teacher: Paul Léger

The Pointed Comments (3-hour)

During this half day workshop, you’ll learn the simple technique to make easy diamond shapes and then incorporate them into an easy to make and pleasing looking table runner measuring 20” X 40” and two place mats each measuring 12” x 18½”. Paul will guide you through the process to make these wonderful pieces.

(This technique does not use paper piecing.) (3 hours)

Supply List

Option# 2

Teacher: Patti Carey

Try Your Hand at Sashiko (3-hour)

Try your hand at Sashiko, the traditional Japanese stitching. We will discuss the do’s and don’ts of stitching these classic designs, helpful tools and supplies, and will stitch a sampler of several designs in class. This is an appropriate class for all levels of experience. You can use these stitches to embellish quilts, clothing and more.

Supply List

Option # 3

Teacher: Michelle Peters

Clam Up Bag 

We love By Annie patterns at Watergirl Quilt Co. The Clam Up Bag is easy and fun to make and the pattern offers five sizes that are perfect for storing and carrying make-up, sewing supplies, tech gear, and more. Double-slide zippers and handy grab tabs make the bags easy to open wide and attached side panels prevent contents from falling out. An optional strap with swivel hook may also be added.

When empty, the bags nest inside one another to save space. 

In this 3 hour workshop, you will construct the medium size bag and then you will be able to continue making more on your own, back home or at open sew time.

This is a confident beginner class and you will learn to sew in a zipper on a curved piece, tips for sewing with cork, how to make side panels and tabs and how to bind a bag with bias binding. (3 hours)

Supply List

2:30pm – 9pm: Visit Ketchikan, Alaska

Note: The classroom is open 24/7 for plenty of free time sewing when there is no class in progress.

Cruise Schedule

Inside Passage – At Sea

Group dinner reservation will be held at 530PM in the main dining room for our group for those that wish to join

Quilting Schedule

Sew at Sea

Choose one, 6-hour workshop 9am to 4pm with an hour lunch break.

Option # 1

Teacher:  Paul Léger

Come Sail Away

Paul will lead the day sharing his tips and tricks used to guide you through the process to make this eye-catching, easy to make quilt measuring 41” x 44”.

No curved piecing was used in the making of this quilt! Come learn the mystery to create this beautiful pattern, designed by Paul. (6 hours) 

Kit will be available for purchase. 

Supply List

Option# 2

Teacher: Patti Carey

Creative Free-Motion Machine Quilting (6-hour)

after an in-depth discussion of necessary tools, books, etc, Patti will guide you through 6 different techniques of free-motion machine quilting. By the end of class, you will be ready to tackle your own quilts.

Supply List

Option # 3

Teacher: Michelle Peters

Circle Play Pin Cushion (Sue Spargo wool applique and hand embroidery)

The bright design of this pincushion is achieved through layering of velvet and wool, as well as colourful embellishing with embroidery stitches. The Circle Play pincushion is sure to bring a vibrant pop of happiness to your sewing space!
During this 6 hour class, you will learn how to whipstitch applique down the wool circles onto a background, how to needle turn the velvet and applique it and then we will learn embroidery stitches to embellish this cheerful pin cushion.
This is a beginner friendly class. You will not complete the whole project in one day but you will have the skills to finish it on your own. (6 hours)

Supply List

No sewing after 4pm.

7:30pm – 8:30pm: Show and Tell, desserts, drinks and farewells. – All welcome (complimentary).