Over the Mountains and Through the Woods...to Katja's Quilt Shoppe!

We have returned after a long, wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in Calgary filled with fun, family, food, fabric and fabulous Quilt Shops...and of course the most incredible Thanksgiving dinner!  Seriously, the BEST dinner EVER!  Somehow my daughter has become the most fabulous gourmet cook, slicing and dicing with the best of them!  Every evening we enjoyed some of her wonderful cuisine...and I DO mean wonderful!  She sure didn't get this talent from me...in fact, I learned a ton from her, just watching her slice and dice....like to stick to a rotary cutter! haha Cooking these tasty meals is a lot of work and it doesn't seem to come out of a can!  Darn!

Marie, a blog lurker, requested a few pictures of our drive through the Canadian Rockies....well Marie, cooking isn't the only thing that I suck at!  Picture taking is another one of the many skills that I lack in...but these are for you!

 I love these tunnels that are throughout Banff National Park.  They were built for the wild animals to cross the highway safely!   High fences are built along the roadside to prevent the animals from crossing the freeway and getting hit by traffic ...because WE ALL know that the grass is always greener on the other side! Every couple of kilometers animals can find a grass covered bridge/tunnels to cross over safely!

And of course there were lots of tunnels to let cars pass through mountains safely!

                                       

In and out...

OK...enough of the scenery...magnificent as it was....WE need to stretch our legs! (*wink*wink*) First stop was Katja's Quilt Shoppe in Kamloops, BC!

Katja Matek (owner of the shop) has become a world famous author...her new book was in the window of her shop...you probably recognize it...New Hexagon!  I know it hit Blogland by storm and you can see many of her quilts/blocks on Instagram!

 Here is Katja (in the orange top) helping a customer.  When I asked if I could take pictures she gave me a welcoming "Of course!"  Music to my ears!  So take pictures I did!
                                         

Let me further plug her book...YES, I own it and REALLY, REALLY like it!  It's on my 'someday' list!  Just check out THIS QUILT!  DDG!  (drop dead gorgeous!!)
                                    
AND just look at this Hexagon 'station'!  EVERYTHING to make these blocks without having to cut out your own paper templates! Yup, the lucky quilters who live in Kamloops, get to visit this shop all the time!

                                    
There were two Block of the Months on the go...this is the Splendid Sampler Quilt that you find HERE...offered in Blogland by Pat Sloan.

 I loved all the vintage suitcases on display!

Christmas Gift Bags to make!  It's never too early....

 I really liked this pumpkin quilt...seriously, I think there is a modern quilter buried deep inside me, itching to come out!

 Lots and lots of yummy eye candy in this 'Shoppe'!

And lots and lots of gorgeous fabrics....

 ...including HOMESPUNS!!  Phew!  I needed that...

                                         
This looks familiar... this block is from the Splendid Sampler Block that Pat Sloan offered!  Designers donated block samplers and this was Katja's creation....one of my favourites!! Even more beautiful in 'real life'!  You can get a copy of  the pattern to make this block HERE!

 Loved this quilt too...it was a class offered by the shop!

 Katja's even sells WOOL...and WOOL PATTERNS!

Yup, a gorgeous shop!  Now aren't you glad that you needed to stretch those legs!;o)

The wonderful thing about this shop is that it's right on the highway!  You just pull off the road and you are there!  Hubby can walk the dog and grab a coffee and I can 'stretch those legs'!  Hey, it works for ME!  :o))

So ends the first Quilt Shop tour!  I hope you enjoyed Katja's as much as I did!  Such a lovely shop with  a welcoming, helpful and friendly staff!

Have a thrilling Thursday and Happy Quilting!~P