The Sugar Pine Quilt Shop

The Sugar Pine Quilt Shop was a big hit!! It has two floors of fabric, notions, and their own patterns and kits. It is located not far from Calgary, about 80 km west, just off of the TransCanada highway. It has a beautiful setting of the mountain off in the distance behind the town.




As you can see I bought quite an assortment of fabric. The lovely jewel tone fat quarter bundle to go with my butterfly fabric. A bunch of hand dyed fabric and some odds and ends. I love the bandana fabric, maybe I need to start collecting that now - LOL!! I have seen some really cute quilts though made with bandana fabric! Belem had made one recently that is so simple and sets off the bandanas so well -- Now I seem to have gone off on in a completely different direction.......

I bought two of their patterns as well - the "Zinneaus in a Vase" (which is a kit and includes lovely dyed fabric) and the "Irises" - which is just the pattern. They threw a big stack of fat quarters into my bag for free when I paid - a nice collection of plaids. I was thrilled with that.

They had a huge selection of hand dyed and commercial dyed fabric. And a huge selection of patterns and kits. Beautiful kits of the Rocky Mountains. The website is well worth looking at. They also offer a Quilting Conference - with one coming up in January that looks quite interesting.

Next stop -- the Rose Cottage in Cranbrook.

Shopping in Calgary

My sister lives in South West Calgary and I had one day to myself to find a few quilt shops near where she lives. I found a shop very close called "My Sewing Room". They were having a sale for the month of July and I hit the 30% off week. Great store and then they gave me directions to another store that was very close by. I would definitely go back to this store, friendly staff, huge fabric selection and the store was big and bright and easy to get to for me. There are a bunch of quilt shops in Calgary but most of them were in the North West and I didn't really have the inclination to drive to far.

I bought a collection of the "Sunflowers of Provence" -- some yardage, some fat quarters and the charm square pack and then the centre piece of a large sunflower.



At the next shop - "The Sewing Sensation" I bought a few odds and ends - the Laurel Burch butterfly fabric and a bit more Moda. Lately I have been "In the mood for Moda" --- LOL. I also bought the Lazy Gal "Town Purse" pattern. I would like to make a nice bag using some of the Dutch Chintz fabric I bought - either that or the Amy Butler. So I have been collecting bag patterns lately. I also have the "City Bag" pattern.


Next stop was the "Sugar Pine Quilt Shop" in Canmore Alberta.

I'm back!!

I got home late last night. It was a nice holiday, but I didn't really get much computer time so I am way behind in my blogging! I think it will take forever to catch up and reply to all the comments and read all the blogs.

The weather was hot the entire time - in the 30's everyday. Although I hear the weather in Vancouver was fairly mild and wet while I was away. I went to 4 quilt shops and bought lots of fabric. There is a quilt shop in Canmore Alberta that is rated one of the top ten quilt shops in North America ( I'm not sure who rated it) It was in the Better Homes and Gardens Quilt shop issue a couple of years ago. There was a comment from Anna "Quilt Mom" on my blog about the shop -- and I can't reply to Anna or even get to her blog - so if you are reading this - I did get to the Sugar Pine in Canmore and it was well worth the drive. I will post fabric pictures soon.


Before I left on my trip I first had to fix my brand new sandals that the dog chewed!!! I use a bit of mole skin and sewed them back together! That darn dog.


Here is a picture of the Rocky Mountains, just outside of Revelstoke B.C. I stopped and took this shot for you all to see the drive. It is a very pretty drive - but not so nice in the winter - lots and lots of snow then.

I took this picture as I was driving - that was a bit tricky - LOL. Probably right up there with talking on the cell phone and doing your nails at the same time while driving.


This is a picture at the Calgary Stampeded of the "Heebee Jeebees" and the Calgary Police up singing on the Coca Cola stage. There are various free shows going all day and most of the night on the Coca Cola stage. Great fun.

I didn't take many pictures at the Stampede this year. I am not sure why, it was quite hot the day we were there.

It seems I did very little on this holiday and I think I needed the rest. I am happy with all the fabric I bought! I have a few things that I never got done before I left - so now it is time to get back to the business of quilting and blogging :))

Four More UFO's

Mariners Compass -- M'Liss Rae Hawley workshop. Just needs a bit more hand quilting and then binding. I am planning on hanging this on the back side of the fireplace (which sits in the centre of the house). This one really should be finished already. I took the workshop in October 2001.



Mystery Quilt - still needs a couple of borders - I did buy fabric for that. January 2000 I think.




Judy L. Quilt for an Hour quilt -- this year. Just needs to be layered and machine quilted.



The Hugs and Kisses quilt - again this year. Needs a border of some kind. I have run out of the WoW background fabric - so I am a bit stalled because of that. Not sure what to do about a border.

I am heading off first thing tomorrow morning. I will check in on my blog friends on occasion but I am not sure how often and if I will get a chance to post. Have a great July everyone and see you in a couple of weeks - if not sooner.

UFO Challenge

I am going away for a short holiday this week. I will be going for two weeks -- and in the words of Jenni " Didn't you just get back from Holiday?" Yes, but this one is different. My husband never gets summer holiday - it is his busy season - (Salmon Biologist). When the kids were young I would take time off in the summer because they were out of school and I could take them places and do the swim lesson and camps and such. Since the kids have all left home I continued to take my two or three weeks in the summer and go on a little road trip on my own. I drive to Calgary which is about 1000 km from here and spend one week there and then go to Cranbrook B.C. and spend a week or so visiting my parents and friends there. I have come to really enjoy the long drive, with my CD's playing very loud and passing as many cars and trucks as I can - to see how long I can go without stopping (no adult diapers included - LOL), very therapeutic.

I have felt quite "off-track" since the job change and I really have accomplished very little in the past few months. Except for a few Dear Jane blocks and the table centre and the bag I have done very little. I think the road trip will do me well. I haven't a decided yet on when I will return but I will leave on Wednesday. I will be in Calgary for a few days to attend the Calgary Stampede, which is great fun!!


I am going to join in on Linda's UFO challenge when I get back. I spent this morning taking photo's of all my UFO's and putting them in a special UFO photo file. I have 11. So that is not too bad. Some of them are just flimsies. And some just need a few more bits of hand quilting and then the binding put on. I am going to post a few pictures today and tomorrow and then when I get back from holiday I will decide which UFO to finish!!!

The Blue Heron -- needs more applique and some embroidered details - then will be layered and hand quilted.




Lorraine Torrence workshop - some more bias binding and then layered and machine quilted. I would like to do some beadwork on this one.


"Little Quilt" circa 1998 or so. Just needs to be layered and machine quilted.

"Basket of Posies" just need to have the hand quilting finished and then the binding.

The finished bag

I thought I should post a picture of the bag for Andrea's tutorital. I think it turned out well. I have this tendency to make bags - and never use them. I love bags though - and I need to start using them. My husband thinks I'm nuts everytime I make a new bag.

The weather has finally gotten nice here so I haven't been inside as much quilting.

All the new doors and windows are now installed. There was a bit of an issue at when the arrived to install them a week ago - they only had the doors and had no idea where the windows were -- ???? Anyway they found the windows and put them in yesterday.

I just have to hand sew the binding down on my table centre - so once that is finished and on the table I will take some pictures.