It’s good to be back

OMG it’s good to be back….I visited the store today to show Michelle all the new patterns and rulers and share some of the new ideas I had for classes from my trip. Can’t believe how much I missed the store (Kindred Spirits Quilt Co.)  While I was away Michelle had ordered in a few of the patterns we had wanted to do for new classes. I was so excited to be able to get the patterns AND pick out the fabrics for the samples. This cutie patootie will be adorable when it’s finished. The pattern is called Mini Dresden Plate from Eleanor Burns. The little Dresden template is soooo small, I wonder what I got myself into. It finishes at about 26X26. We chose the fabric line from Red Rooster called Heartstrings. I need to get my ___ in gear as the first class starts in a couple of weeks.

Home Sweet Home- Day 25

OMG it’s soooo good to be home at last. We did have an amazing road trip to Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. I do thank Dear Hubby for taking me and all his patience along the way…what a gem!  It was wonderful and is now a tick off my bucket list.

All in all……

14 KOA Cabins, 1 tent campground site and 8 hotel rooms

11, 552 travelled kilometers round trip

16 visited quilt shops

2 ferry rides, 8 tunnels, 7 waterfalls

34 bison, 1 rabbit, 1 deer, 1 chipmunk

3 books, 6 runner/place mat and pillow patterns

9 quilt, 5 purse patterns and 3 rulers

20 fat quarters, needed batik, strapping and border fabric

1 souvenir bag, 2 pincushions, mini quilt rack and circle cutter

 

TRIP TO SISTERS OUTDOOR QUILT SHOW…….Priceless

For everything else……there’s Mastercard!

Homeward Bound–Day 24

I had no idea that Northern Ontario was so beautiful. I have never been north of Halliburton and have been taken back by the beauty of my own province.  A gorgeous sight was the Aguasabon falls and canyon, I’m glad I nagged sweet talked Dear Hubby to stop. At one point we were delayed due to a small rock slide.  Stayed at our favourite abode again…KOA cabins in Sault Ste. Marie. Dear Hubby and I have friends that have a lodge north of Sault  Ste. Marie, so we drove up in the evening to see them. It was really great to have human contact other than each other…one more day in that car with Dear Hubby and it might have become ta scene from “The Shining”.

Sadly not much up here other than tree, water and rock …meaning no quilt shops on the beaten path. I do just happen to have a few more pics of Sisters though!

Homeward Bound- Day 23

Well we finally have hit Ontario and it almost feels like home even though we have hundreds and hundreds of kilometers to go yet. The Terry Fox memorial is in Thunder Bay and we stopped to visit before  checking into a fabulous KOA tonight. Just wonderful, the cabin was so cozy and welcoming. As soon as we hit the Ontario border we started seeing “moose” signs all along the highway, warning of the danger especially at night.  As I was sitting in front of the campfire, I could have sworn that I heard a moose mating call…but then again, maybe it was just Dear Hubby trying to get my attention.

No quilt stores ladies…but will you settle for more pics of Sisters? I thought so!

Homeward Bound-Day 22

It has been a lot of straight line driving today. All we needed to play on the radio was that song…”the long and winding road” and we would have been all set. We have made it through the prairies and are staying in Winnipeg. We are almost back into Ontario.

Trust me…the quilt shops in the prairies are FEW and FAR between. Got to love that Dear Hubby for stopping in Moose Jaw to give me my fix. Stopped at Quilter’s Haven and picked up another pattern for these interesting fold and sew place mats. They also had a wonderful apple core quilt, which I’ve been interested in doing. I like that it was a really large format, so fast and easy to “get r done”.

Homeward Bound-Day 21

We got up early and toured to see some of the sights around Banff before heading on our way home. Dear Hubby had been to Banff Springs Hotel 36 years ago on a ski trip and it was cool to take his picture in front of the hotel so many years later. We visited Bow Falls, and the hot springs. It’s sad to see the mountains behind us, the views have been magnificent. Dear Hubby was sweet enough to stop in Canmore Alberta so I could visit  Sugar Pine Quilt Co. Beautiful store, lots of choice in patterns and fabric, tons of McKenna Ryan samples and lots of samples from local designers. I managed to pick up a perfect piece of batik for the outside border of my New York Beauty that is still in the works.

Finally…”Look Mom, no bears!”…No fear in the prairies so we were able to pitch our tent. It’s suppose the be a truck tent(sits in the bed of your truck, so you’re off the ground) but we had so much stuff in the truck, we decided just to pitch it on the ground…looks a little ghetto but it did the trick.

Homeward bound- Day 20

We travelled through the Rockies today, from Revelstoke to Banff. Stopped at Lake Louise and it was frigid. The temperature at one point was only 9 degrees Celsius with a very brisk wind which made it seem much colder. Dear Hubby only brought shorts this trip so he was freezing his ____ off today. We decided to treat ourselves and get a hotel in Banff. We are staying at the Caribou Lodge and Spa. Really nice….love the caribou head in our head  washroom. Kind of creepy though, feel like someone is watching you all the time! Dear Hubby has been enjoying the local Black Bear Beer…lol…they just don’t seem so scary on a can.

Needless to say, you'd be hard pressed to see  a gas station let alone a quilt store along this stretch through the Rockies so I have no pics of that, but I can share more beauties from the Sisters Quilt Show!

Homeward Bound-Day 19

Left Victoria today on the ferry and started to head home. Dear Hubby was on a mission today, so no quilts shops. We are making our way to Lake Louise and Banff .  On the way, we’re deciding we might try the tent tonight at the KOA in Revelstoke. The temps are cooler and it would just be for the night. As we are about 10 miles out of Revelstoke we see this huge billboard…something like “explore the beauty of Revelstoke”…..sounds awesome right…..NOT….the billboard shows this wonderful valley full of wildflowers with the mountains in the backdrop and as we look closer a huge Grizzly is  frolicking in the meadow. Dear Hubby and I looked at each other and said “Hope they have a cabin”.  Wow we are such chicken ____s.  After we picked up supper we had a close encounter with a deer, ran right out in front of the truck, then sauntered by the side of the road to eat.  We also saw the biggest cloud… ever.  Just gigantic.  I think my son once told me clouds like that are thunderheads?  Turns out he was right…we got settled at the cabin, Dear Hubby no sooner got the campfire going and it thundered and lightning and poured rain. Murphy’s law!

Hope you enjoy a few more pics of the Sisters Quilt Show.