Cycling the Kettle Valley Railroad

Cycling the Kettle Valley Railroad is an amazing experience.  Due to limited time and even more limited ability on my part, Doug and I cycled pieces of the railway.  We would love to go back and cycle larger sections but we would have to train a little bit first!

We started our adventure in Princeton.  Heading east from Princeton we road through the 1000+ ft. tunnel. We were told the lights would be on, but later found out they only put them on on weekends.   Riding in the dark is not something I recommend, but it was the quickest way through so that is what we did.  The scenery was amazing and thankfully the trail was well kept.  With a maximum 2 per cent grade on the entire railway, even the most novice mountain bike rider can ride the trails.

The following morning we decided to ride east of Princeton.  The switchbacks heading up the hill sounded daunting but were much easier than we thought.  The trail takes you through rolling farm land.  After about 20 km we turned around and headed back to our camper.  The second day was taking it's toll on my body!

We traveled down the road to Penticton and stopped at the info centre to check out the best approach to the trails in that area of the province.  We decided to drive to the Chute Lake Resort and set out from there.  We road the trail north of the resort for about 7km and then back.  We found the trail a little sandy in this area.  The fire of 2003 went through this area so it has an interesting landscape.  The areas that were burnt are starting to rejuvenate.

The last day of our ride we drove along the trail for about 12 km until we encountered the first tresle.  The bikes came out and off we rode towards Myra canyon.  The first 9 km was a nice hard packed trail with lush growth everywhere.

We entered the Myra Canyon which is 12 km of well maintained trail.  Eighteen trestles, two tunnels and lots of tourists.  There is a trail guide available to answer questions and lots of signs explaining the different attractions.  This section has parking lots at either end and is easily accessible from Kelowna.   This section of the trail is perfect to walk, run or bike by people of all abilities.  A must see!

During our ride we encountered several deer, a moose, a rabbit, lots of chipmunks, squirrels and marmots.  The most interest was a black bear on the last day.  We were upwind so he didn't know we were coming.  Doug hollered at him to get off the trail.  The bear ambled off the trail then stopped to watch us ride by.  A wonderful B.C. wilderness experience!

Cutting Kerdi with Rotary Cutter

I have found a new use for your Rotary Cutter.  Doug and I are making a tiled shower in our bathroom.  The Kerdi membrane needs to be cut into various straight edge pieces.  Doug asked me if I thought my Rotary Cutter would work for the job.  The Cutter, Mat and Rulers all moved to the dining room table and made short work of the Kerdi.

My secret is out.  I will never make it as a hand model!  Those of you that know me have figured out already that yes, I was wearing my famous housecoat during this process.

Doug measured all the sections.  The same goes here as in all measuring, measure twice, cut once.

And here he as after a long afternoon of applying the Kerdi Membrane.  Next up is the tile.  I can hardly wait.

Quilting Inspiration #2

Fabric is my favourite place to look to for inspiration.  I was asked to do a quilt with a whimsical feel to it.  One of the fabrics within the quilt was my inspiration for this flower.

The original design is in the midst of snowflakes, but I decided it would make a great flower.  The following fabric is a Nancy Halvorson fabric that I was ask to use as inspiration.

This fabric has lots of swirls and flowers in it that are similar to what I normally do.  I love to play!

The thread I used was Superior King Tut #921.  It is a 40 wt that is stunning on this quilt.  If you want to see the completed quilt hop over to Katja's blog and check it out.

Now to quilt the original flower I started with a loop in the centre, added five petals around the loop and then went back and added the swirls around the petals.

Elegant Embroidered Ladies

A few years back I asked my Mom if she would be willing to embroider some blocks for a quilt that I just didn't have time to do the hand work on.  Luckily she said yes, one thing led to another, and now I have several beautiful quilts that showcase Mom's wonderful handiwork.

One of my favourites hangs by my front door so everyone who enters gets to enjoy it.  The original pattern was purchased in 1983 and showed a quilt that was painted with the liquid embroidery that was popular at the time.  I set the pattern aside knowing that some day I would have the time to embroider all these beautiful blocks.  About ten years ago I pulled the pattern out and decided it was time for this quilt to come to life.  Mom embroidered all the blocks, I pieced the top together and quilted it and then my daughter helped sew on the binding.  All three generations had a hand in this quilt!  A real family treasure.

Now I would love to give credit to the designer but.......  I hunted the house over for the pattern to no avail.  On a good note, I did find a couple of other patterns that I had been looking for a month or so ago.  There is an upside to everything.  If anyone knows the original designer, please let me know.

My Mom is talented in so many ways.  Below is a shot of Blanche posing in front of some yard decorations that Mom and Fred gave me a couple of years ago.  Thanks Mom, love you!

Relaxing by the pond

Fridays are for sipping tea and relaxing by the pond.  My first Lily blossoms are out and my flower pots are just starting to take shape.  Everything by the pond is a little behind but with the cooler weather we have had, I'm impressed by how well it is doing.  My Azalea and Magnolia took a big hit with winter kill this year and had to be cut way back.

If you would like something quilt related, hop over to Carla's blog and check out her quilting practice.  She is getting more adventurous every day.  Way to go!!!!!

Now to tease you a little, below are a few beautiful Batiks I'm currently playing with.  Stay tuned to see what I'm making in my spare time.

You are never to old to quilt

Today's quilt is a Thimbleberries Quilt that I just finished for Doris.  Doris recently turned 90 and is still a very active quilter.  She belongs to Sagebrush Quilters' Guild and can be seen regularly shopping with her Granddaughter for more quilt fabric.
When I phoned her to ask if I could feature her quilt on my Blog she said "oh yes, I just read your Blog."  So not only does she quilt, she is active on the internet.  Doris has just purchased a Janome Horizon and declares that it is a beautiful machine.  She says that she has been quilting for years as well as making dolls.  A friend of mine took several doll making classes from Doris when she was still teaching, not that many years ago.

The piecing on this quilt is incredible.  Doris is my hero.  I want to be just like her when I grow up.

Is Summer Finally Here?

What a glorious day.  The sun is shining and it is 25 C.  I'm hoping that summer is finally here. It seems that we have been waiting forever for pleasant weather to arrive.

Today I didn't accomplish a lot in my sewing room as I was out shopping with my mom and sister. My nephew is getting married soon, and the pressure is on to find everyone a dress. We had some success and in the process, had a great day together.  None of us is big on shopping, but together we got through it!

Since I have nothing new to show, I though you might like to see one of my prized possessions.  It is a miniature Cathedral Window quilt that a very good friend gave me on my 50th birthday.  The Canadian nickel in the second picture gives you an idea of how tiny this quilt is.  The stitching is unbelievable.  The quilt is 4" x 5 5/8".  Enjoy!!!!