Could it get any worse?

“Could it get any worse?”

Written on: 16/06/2012

Stay clear of Sew Many Places tours. Jim did not deliver on what was originally promised.
We just got back from a Sew Many Places tour to the International Quilt Festival in Ireland.

Our tour experience: cramped tour buses, bus stops that did not relate to quilting, messed up flight arrangements (we were promised direct flights and had bad connecting flights), ever changing travel plan changes (including airlines and airports), hotel changes, and itinerary changes/deletions of promised events. Even his bookkeeper could not manage to send us a receipt when we requested it. We knew we were in trouble before we left.. but hoped that maybe the festival would be worth it. Wrong….

Our festival experience (also a production by Jim West, Sew Many Places):
We experienced poor or non-existent project management (which was later blamed on a computer failure), few vendors @ the festival, the quilts did not have labels, no white glovers, no tickets for pre-registered classes, no-show instructors, little to no signage, no AV support for instructors, no shuttles, no programs, ribbons without categories, and much much more. There were lots of angry women with mad needle skills at this event due to the dis-organization caused by Jim West. Get this.. an Australian won an award in the category for Best Irish Craft Quilt (they didn't even give a ribbon to an Irish crafter). Our little local Quilt show runs a better event than this show. We have more quilts, real categories, ribbons, programs, labels, white glovers, raffles, and proper signage. I wonder if Jim has ever been to a quilt show/event.

On the positive side… Ireland is beautiful and the Irish people are great fun. I would go back to Ireland… but only as me as the travel agent. I would not attend the festival again. Jim gets no more of my money.

I would not recommend Sew Many Places tours.