Savor the Beauty and Culture of Japan with WMQFA and Award-Winning Artist Heidi Parkes!

November 2-15, 2025

Total Cost: $8,950.00 (Deposit: $4,475.00; and Final Payment: $4,475.00, due June 27, 2025)

Please note, the Deposit is non-refundable. Membership discount code applies to both installments. Airfare to/from Japan is your responsibility. The trip is limited to 16 people.

Cost of the trip is for a single occupancy.

Experience hand quilting and design inspiration in Japan with artist Heidi Parkes. Featuring sewing time with Heidi (bring a project!), hands-on workshops, tours, and more, this intimate tour is the perfect way to travel.

This trip is for you if:

• You are a creative person.

• You want to travel with an artist and professional quilter who will help you find creative inspiration as you travel.

• You want to travel with a Japanese native who speaks the language and understands the culture.

• You want to try wonderful Japanese cuisine.

• You want to experience something totally new & different!

Heidi’s Trip Inspiration Statement:

I love to sew while traveling! There's plenty of downtime on trains, in waiting areas, on airplanes, and while resting my feet that I find it's easy to return home with some stitching completed. I'm excited to invite you to join me in sewing and exploring Japan. I first learned about the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi in a ceramics class at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and I'm always eager to deepen my knowledge on this appreciation of the rustic, ephemeral, and collaboration with nature.

Takako is a dear friend and trusted guide. She first took me to Japan in 2024 to see the cherry trees blossom, and this trip to see the autumnal leaves, a quilt exhibition, and to explore more fabrics stores together is going to be a treat.

We'll learn about art, food, language, culture, and more, and return home eager to continue our sewing. Students are very welcome to join me in creating a Travel Diary Quilt, but they are also welcome to bring a project of their choice. Sashiko samplers, embroidery, patchwork, hexies, clothing, stitch journals, anything that can fit into a tote bag will be easy to transport and pull out for some sewing time. We'll meet together on Zoom before embarking on our journey to brainstorm our sewing, learn some of my favorite techniques, and create a strategy for the productive fun that we'll have together!