Missouri Stars

Welcome to vibrant Kansas City! Settle into your downtown hotel for a two-night stay and anticipate the excitement of meeting fellow quilters and your Tour Manager at tonight’s Welcome Meeting. Rest up for the days ahead, filled with quilting wonders and budding friendships.

After breakfast, step into the kaleidoscope of the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival to marvel at quilts, and shop for luscious fabrics and needlework supplies. Quilts from the legendary Kansas City Star blocks have been made worldwide, and for the past 80-plus years “Kansas City” has been a familiar name to quilters across the globe. This evening, explore the Power & Light District.

Set off for Hamilton, the enchanting “Quilting Wonderland” and home to the renowned Missouri Star Quilt Co.Indulge in a shopping extravaganza at Batik Boutique, Kids & Baby, and more than 10 other themed quilt shops downtown. Discover the captivating world of the Missouri Quilt Museum, showcasing antique sewing machines, vintage buttons, thimbles, toy sewing machines, and mesmerizing quilts. After the included dinner at MSQC, depart for the Amish Country Store and Bakery for a delightful assortment of local homemade Amish crafts and treats before arriving at your downtown Des Moines, Iowa, hotel.

After a rise and shine breakfast, depart for Winterset, Iowa, for the much-anticipated Iowa Quilt Festival’s annual Airing of the Quilts. Enjoy hundreds of quilts displayed from the historic downtown square to the famous covered bridges. Visit the legendary Piece Works Quilt Shop, established by Marianne Fons and Liz Porter, before admiring the collections at the Iowa Quilt Museum. Later, return to Des Moines for a much-deserved evening at leisure.

Return to Winterset for a guided excursion of the iconic covered bridges featured in the classic film The Bridges of Madison County. Next, discover more than 40 acres of orchard and produce gardens, then delve into the world of prairie plants while savoring a farm-to-table lunch at the historic Wallace Farm. Later, arrive in Lincoln, Nebraska, and spend your free evening exploring the lively Haymarket district for al fresco dining or browsing local art galleries for quilting inspiration.

Tour the International Quilt Museum, where you’ll explore exhibitions and visit the preservation laboratory. Browse the museum’s gift shop for unique patchwork gifts and memorabilia, then satisfy your quilting cravings at Cosmic Cow Fabrics and Quilting. Send off your newly acquired treasures at the post office on your afternoon free time. Tonight, celebrate your amazing journey at our customary Farewell Dinner. Afterward, gather to exchange memories, addresses, and plans for future quilting adventures with your newfound friends.

Stop by the Country Sampler Quilt Shop where fabric-stocked shelves and sale tables make for wonderful last-minute discoveries. Next, enjoy lunch and shopping in Omaha’s charming Old Market filled with gourmet eateries and colorful boutiques. After, you’ll transfer to the airport with the group to beginyour journey home, cherishing the unforgettable memories from your extraordinary quilting adventure.