I have been away for a few weeks – visiting relatives in Canada and enjoying a holiday in Japan.
While in Canada, I had a few moments to do a little browsing in quilt shops. I am supposed to be on a self-imposed fabric diet, but I put a holiday clause into my diet, and I took advantage of this loophole. I am not a very good dieter.
Shopping
Canadian quilt shops are not that different from shops here in Australia. However, it is still fun to explore each shop, chat to the friendly owners and staff, and take advantage of the slightly lower prices.
One of my purchases will seem odd to many outside Australia. I bought three rolls of freezer paper from a Canadian supermarket. Here in Australia, freezer paper is only available from specialist craft shops for almost $20 per small roll. I bought three large rolls for about $6 each: one for me and two to give to friends.

When I got home, I realised that not only are the freezer paper rolls a fraction of the cost, they contain 50% more paper than the one I bought locally. Bargain!
A magazine jumped into my shopping basket too.
Wineberry Fabrics, Surrey, BC
We spent a few days in New Westminster, BC, visiting friends, Paul and Barb. While Paul and my husband checked out a local beer brewery, Barb and I sneaked out to Wineberry Fabrics in Surrey.
We were both intrigued by the glass pincushion stuffing they have for sale; it should give a pincushion a nice weight without introducing anything organic that might rot or attract hungry pets and pests.
I bought some music print (handy for neutral backgrounds, especially for bee blocks) and some novelty dog-print fabric to make a new park bag. My dog’s lead, poo bags, treats, ball, etc., live in a bag that I can easily grab when we go walking at the park. The old one is wearing thin in a few places, so it is time to make a replacement.
Wineberry Fabrics has a good range of traditional fabrics, cheerful flannels perfect for children’s quilts, novelty Canadian prints and seasonal prints for Christmas and Halloween.
Heart N’Sole Quilts, Grand Forks, BC
Heart N’Sole is run out of the front of a beautiful house in my husband’s home town, and the owners, Catherine and Rod, are really, really friendly (more on that later). They have a great range of patterns, books and bright, cheerful fabrics. This shop contained the greatest amount of temptation for me. Look out for them at Canadian craft shows as they often take their shop on the road.
I could not resist some Bonnie and Camille fabrics, a Joel Dewberry plaid, a green check (Gypsy Girl), and some more black and white background prints. I bought the Bonnie and Camille fabrics to use in the back of the hexagon cushion that I have been sewing as my travel project.
Cabas Quilting Cottage, Grand Forks, BC
This shop is also run from home, in a converted garage or shed to one side of the house. I have spotted deer on the front lawn on past visits. The shop is spacious and has heaps of stock, and it is the place to go if you like batiks and art quilts. The owner is an amazing art quilter and organises international and local teachers. I am not an art quilter and am not drawn to batiks, so I bought a cute matryoshka print, which represents Grand Forks’ Russian heritage.
If you happen to be an art quilter and are travelling in this part of British Columbia, the shop is well worth a visit.
Socialising
Before I flew to Canada, I emailed Heart N’Sole quilts to ask about sit-and-sew days or classes that I could join while I was in town. My in-laws are elderly and need their naps, so I was thinking of things I could do to keep myself busy for a few hours. I received a lovely reply from Catherine, listing the groups in town. In response to my query about whether they would mind a stranger dropping in, Catherine replied, ‘I am sure they would enjoy a guest … after all, we’re quilters!’ This sentence just about sums up the friendliness and community spirit of seamstresses everywhere. They would have welcomed me to their retreat if I had stayed in town another week.
I planned to drop in, unannounced, but my mother-in-law knew one local quilter, Patti, and Patti very kindly offered to pick me up and introduce me to two groups. I had a great morning with Patti, and my hexagon travel project made everyone laugh as a few others in Grand Forks are also bitten by the hexagon bug. They particularly liked my hexagon travel kit, and a few noted the link to the Zen of Making’s pattern to make their own.
The Sunshine Quilters are currently organising a difficult panel challenge. Each person taking part randomly selects a paper bag containing a difficult panel. You do not know what the panel is until you open the paper bag. The challenge is to make something (anything) using the panel, but it must be quilted. They asked me to join in, and I selected the panel pictured below, which seemed an appropriate choice in Canada as it has a winter scene and North American animals. I now have until the start of December to make something out of this and send them a photo. I do not think I have ever bought a panel! Eek! What will I do? At the moment, I plan to make a few small things, each including snippets of the fabric.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what I can make with my difficult panel? Bambi, Rocky, Boo-Boo and Basil will be challenging.
If you are going to a strange town where you will have some free time, I encourage you to drop in on the local quilting group. It is great fun.
Travelling
I packed a small hexagon project to take in my hand luggage and keep myself busy during the journey. I had more than 24 hours in aeroplanes on the way to Canada and lots of quiet time while there. My plane-safe scissors passed inspection at every security checkpoint. Hurrah!
Visiting Canada is mostly a chance to visit my husband’s family, so we do not do much sightseeing. We did have a gorgeous lunch on the patio at Lake Breeze on the Naramata Bench, where we also stopped at a handful of other wineries and bought some wine to drink during our stay and to give to friends. In the many years I have been visiting Canada, it is noticeable how markedly Canadian wine has improved.
After Canada, I went to Japan. I will have to write another post about all the craft-related shops I visited there. If you thought what I bought in Canada was naughty, just wait. I got a bit carried away in Japan! Thank goodness I had a big suitcase. A. Very. Big. Suitcase.
I think I saw an Aussie girl post a photo of freezer paper available in Coles?! (I hope your purchases weren’t for nothing!) I love the matryoshka fabric- very cute! It must have been fun to sit and stitch with Canadian quilters! Could you make a couple of soft baby books from the panels- one side with the picture of each individual animal and then the other side with its name appliqued or in pieced letters? That might be fun…
That would be typical! Coles starts to carry it just as I cart it back from Canada. Oh, well. No harm done. I had room in my suitcase.
Baby books! I hadnât thought of that.
Meeting the Canadians was lots of fun. Sadly, I was still a few hoursâ drive away from the other Carla.
Oh, envious! I’m longing to get sewing again, and this has just whetted my appetite. Looking forward to the post about the next stage!
I am just unpacking the Japan purchases now. I cannot claim a fabric shortage!
It’s OK, we’re all friends here. You don’t have to justify anything! Going completely bonkers in Japanese fabric shops is perfectly understandable – in fact, I’d worry if you hadn’t.
I love feeling the community spirit of quilters! You certainly had a lot of that in Canada, this is amazing!
The community spirit is lovely, which is why I decided to try to join in their challenge and maintain the connection.
sounds like you had a wonderful time. Can’t wait to see what your brought home from Japan ^^
Lots of things! Mostly fabric. I will try to trace where I bought everything to help anyone else who might travel to Japan.
Diet: I think I have to STOP BUYING until the end of the year. Normally I’m not much of a shopper and my stash is pretty stable. But this year it ballooned a little… No more purchases, except as absolutely needed for projects already in process. NO NEW STUFF just because I like it…
I know the feeling. My plan to stop buying from July until the New Year was thoroughly broken by this holiday, so I think I will start again and hope I can maintain it until July next year.
Glad you had a good time in BC. Next time come a bit further east! We’re even friendlier in Manitoba.
Even friendlier than Patti and the gang? I know Canadians are friendly, but is that even possible?!
I love how inclusive quilting communities can be! And what fun new fabric additions for your stash. That panel is definitely tricky. I am much more drawn to the blue sashing print than the panels… Hmmm… I would honestly probably do some wonky log cabin piecing using the panels as the center. You know, carefully cut out around Bambi and then frame him out with other fabrics – that way the panels are still kind of featured, but not overwhelming in the final product (I would probably only use each panel as a center for a block only once and then make many other blocks to mix in…). Good luck and I look forward to hearing about your time and purchases from Japan!
My mum came up with a good suggestion of scanning the fabric and then playing with it electronically before cutting in to it. Like you suggest, I am thinking of one project that just uses the blue snowflakes and maybe tackling the little critters separately.
I love how inclusive quilting communities are too.
What a fun post Carla. Sounds like a lot of back and forth but well worth it. I don’t seem to get out of Kamloops much ; )
Cute purchases. You were very restrained I think. I haven’t been to Heart n Sole but perhaps one day…….
You only think I am restrained, Carla, as you have not yet seen what I bought in Japan. 🙂
Heart NâSole is well worth a visit if you are passing through town.
Sounds like you had a great visit… and I fully agree that fabric diets (and diets in general) must be put on hold whilst traveling! If you ever make it to the East coast of Canada, I’d be pleased to take you to a few shops! 🙂
Watch out or I might take you up on that! I have been to Toronto, Quebec and Montreal, but I donât know when I will be back in the east coast. I love Quebec and would happily go there again, and I hear PEI is gorgeous.
Sounds like so much fun and with some great fabric finds. I can’t believe that freezer paper is so expensive in Australia. It looks like you’re set now, otherwise I might have snuck some in with your bee blocks.
I now have enough freezer paper to last me and my friends until 2020!
Hmm, I shop in Coles mostly, and have often checked for freezer paper but have never seen it. It does make me wonder if IGA would have it as they tend to have more import goods there. It is also probable that being in Perth we’ll also have to Wait Awhile compared to what the rest of the country has available! 😉
Can’t wait to see your Japan stash!
I shop at IGA and occasionally at Woolworths â no sign yet.
It sounds like you had a great trip Carla. It’s nice to bring things home to remember your trip by. I’m looking forward to seeing the Japanese purchases.
I had a wonderful trip and just finished unpacking and cataloguing the Japanese purchases today. Now I have to make something with all my goodies!
Sounds great indeed and I totally get it with freezer paper. It is so expensive over here as well. Nice addition to your stash too.
I wonder why it is so expensive. We don’t have enormous basements and large freezers here – yet all my Canadian friends and family have big freezers in their basements, which I jokingly assume are in case they get snowed in for a month. Could that (demand) be a reason?
Sounds like a great trip :). Even though you are on a fabric diet your purchases are very responsible! Great additions to your stash!
I think I have to start my diet from the beginning again because I got too carried away!
Hello Carla! Welcome back… I LOVE all the stuff and especially the fabrics you bought during your holiday. In May I bought some Japanese fabrics on a local market but until today I was afraid to use it (cause I am still a quilting beginner). Last week I got a wonderful book by Yoko Saito … there are a lot of amazing beautyful and artful projects in it (https://www.oneworldfabrics.com/shop/product/japanese-quilting-piece-piece/) … I think I cannot resist much longer. Kind regards, Annett
Yoko Saito is a very talented lady. I am sure you will love making things from her book.
As for the precious fabric – go for it! We buy fabric to use, not to sit in a cupboard. 🙂
i’m glad you enjoyed my home and native land 🙂 although I’m more of an East Coast girl – Go Leafs Go! 😉
My favourite part of Canada is Quebec, but I have been to Toronto … very briefly.
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