But then again, it’s also not every day you find yourself deep in the thick of the Festival of Quilts; a warm, wonderful, and, at times, wildly unexpected four-day celebration of patchwork, precision stitching and the general triumph of fabric over chaos.
Cruise Collective made its Festival of Quilts debut this year, joining forces with our partners at Ambassador Cruise Line to set up camp at the NEC. And what a welcome we received. Over 2,000 curious quilters and craft lovers stopped by our stand to chat, pick up one of our 1,000 (yes, 1,000) goody bags, and tell us about their dream itineraries, which typically involved a lot of sunshine, some stitching at sea, and, for one enterprising attendee, “no phone signal whatsoever.”
We got to know our Jukis from our Janomes (sewing machine chat is very serious), and learned more about long-arm quilting than we ever thought possible. We met solo travellers, seasoned crafters, and one woman who’s done 19 cruises but refuses to travel anywhere with her husband. Fair enough.
Saturday saw the arrival of the always-fabulous Julie Peasgood, TV legend, craft champion, and the face of Ambassador Cruise Line’s Craft Cruises. Julie was on fine form, chatting to guests about her upcoming voyages and how sailing and stitching make a surprisingly perfect pair.
A few hours later, during a well-earned lunch break, things took a turn. Julie Peasgood began to choke on a piece of jacket potato skin. Cue Julie Williams, our very own Chief Customer & Revenue Officer, who calmly and effectively administered first aid. A real moment. Crisis averted. Potato, defeated.
If there’s one thing we took away from the Festival (apart from three dozen Cruise Collective lanyards and a newfound love of rotary cutters), it’s this: the crossover between cruising and crafting is bigger than we ever imagined. There’s something deeply satisfying about making things with your hands and travelling somewhere new, and when you bring the two together, magic quite often happens.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by, said hello, shared a story, or simply took a free pen. We’re already looking forward to next year. Just maybe hold the jacket potatoes.
If you'd like to learn more about the Festival of Quilts click here...