Saturday, September 27, 2008

The Quilt show is over for another 2 years

The quilt show is over, my work week is over, the trip to Harrison Hot Springs is over and my Friday stitching group is over. It is Saturday and I have done a bit of sewing today. I also managed to finish a Dear Jane block -- one that has been to Inuvik and back!! I am looking forward to a very quiet fall season. If that is at all possible.

I was so tired last weekend that apparently we watched the Emmy's on Sunday night and I completely forgot. I remember on Monday watching The View and wondering why they were showing Emmy fashions and then today they were talking about the Emmy's on TV and I question Jim as to when the Emmy's would be on TV - it was being talked about as if it had already aired. Jim informed me we watched it last Sunday -- this is NOT a good sign!! Now that he reminded me I vaguely recall Dr. Phil on a big screen behind someone. So - that tells you what my life has been like lately.

We had a nice trip to Harrison Hot Springs on Wednesday/Thursday. I completely forgot about my Quilt Guild Meeting on Tuesday night -- another bad sign!! It is amazing that I muddled through work on Tuesday -- fortunately I was orientating a new staff member and that always keeps you on your toes.

Here are a few of my favourite quilts from the quilt show.




This one is made by one of the member of my little Friday stitch group -- Dianne. She made it as a wedding gift for her son and his new wife who were married July 19th of this year. It is just a beautiful quilt - with the Tree of Life in the centre. What a perfect symbol for a marriage. As you can see it was well loved by a lot of people and it got two ribbons.




This quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted. Isn't it stunning!! It is also one that received two ribbons. The ribbons were "Viewers favourite" and "Members favourite".





This quilt is made by one of the women in my Quilting by the Bay group - Kaffe Fassett fabric and pattern. I think it should have received a ribbon as well. It was one of my favourite.





This is a beautiful wall hanging - it is a old mill in New Brunswick - one of members that always does amazing work.




Here is another member of my QBTB group - loved the turtles.


There were lots of amazing quilts at the show this year. And the merchant mall was very good (if I say so myself!! ) I certainly bought a few things. Some great African batiks from Pippa Moore to add to my African fabric collection - I also bought a fabulous pattern called "Joy" from her as well. Something to add to my pattern collection!! I also bought a great scrap package of silks and such from Louise at Mostly Silk . I am getting a great collection of silk pieces - for some future project!

Here is to a quiet and productive Fall!!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Slide show - Dempster Highway day one




This is a slide show of the first full day along the Dempster Highway. On this day we traveled from Tombstone Park to Eagle Plains.

There are 134 pictures and I think if you click on the slide show you go to the Picasa site and get a larger pictures.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

We are back

We arrived home late Tuesday night. We had a simply amazing trip. I took thousands of pictures. I don't know how to post just a few. I will post more - but this is just a sample.



This is the RV - All nice and shiny clean at the beginning of the trip. By the end of the 1400 kms along the gravel and dirt Dempster "highway" it was covered in mud.


Day one -- arrival at Tombstone Park - about KM 78 along the highway. It is just a beautiful place. Much like the beauty of Death Valley. The fall colours are alive.



More of the beauty of Tombstone. So amazing at this time of year -- very soon it will be a thick blanket of snow for many months.


This the view at the Arctic Circle!!!



We made it to Inuvik - it is such a site to see the Mackenzie River - it is so huge! It was an amazing trip. We drove about 3700 kms north to Inuvik. Altogether we drove over 7000 kms in the past 17 days. Such an adventure!! It is hard to explain what the trip was really like.

The drive to Whitehorse - up the Stewart-Cassiar Highway was beautiful - there are fabulous mountains and lakes all along the way. Whitehorse is so far north - 2400 kms north of Vancouver - and then to get the RV and drive more north - past all these very tiny little Yukon towns - of 300 -400 - 130 people -- Carmacks, Stewarts Crossing, Pelly Crossing -- Up the Klondike Highway - 600 km to Dawson City and then more north -- turning on to the Dempster highway - 734 km with only a couple of small towns along the way -- Eagle Plains --just a gas station and a hotel , Fort MacPherson- where the Lost Patrol are buried -- and finally Inuvik. Driving along a very long dirt/gravel road for miles and mile and not seeing a single other vehicle. We saw a Grizzly bear wandering through the Tundra - a few Cariboo. The history of the area is everywhere - it is so desolate and you wonder why anyone would live there - and then it is so beautiful - you know the answer.

Now - back to real life.... I have been busy with my guild's quilt show today - back to work tomorrow and a very busy weekend with the quilt show. I do hope to post a few more pictures. It is so hard to chose just a few from the many!!

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