Friday Show and Tell

This weeks show and tell is a quilt that my Mother made. It is the first quilt that she made. She made it in 2005, for my youngest child. It is a flannel rag quilt that is 44"x60". It was made from a kit, from Quiltessential Co, in St Albert, Alberta.


Since I have had other pictures of family quilt makers, I thought I would include this picture of my family taken in November 1966.

My Mother looked a bit tired back then. My sister and my oldest brother had just turned 6 and 5, my older brother was about a year and a half, and my twin brother and I (the one staring at the camera) were about 8 months old! Also, we had recently moved to England from Canada!
My Mother is a wonderful seamstress, she made most of our clothes when we were growing up!! She recently replaced her 50 year old Bernina with a new one, and is still sewing up a storm!

This Sunday it is my twin brother,his wife and my birthday!!

Last night my sister took me to see Swan Lake by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. It was so amazing!! The costumes were wonderful. The RWB is celebrating it's 70th anniversary and it is the longest running ballet company in North America! My sister also took me the last time we saw the ballet, but that was 30 years ago!! Romeo and Juliet.

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!! Have a great day!! ♥

Mini Quilt

I started working on a mini quilt from the book "Fat Quarter Quilting" by Lori Smith. All the blocks are cut out.

It is shades of purple, green and cream in bali fabrics.

The past few days I have been busy house cleaning and baking. Trying to catch up after I had just been sewing for the past couple of weeks. Funny how house work always seems to wait for me!!
Tonight I am off to see the ballet with my sister!!

Have a great day!! ♥

Clothespin Bag Tutorial

The Original Clothes Pin Bag

This is an odd tutorial because it is just the instructions for a kit that I made for my mother. Hopefully it will make sense!? The bag measures 16.5" x 14".


To make the bag you need -
a main fabric (17.5" strip across the width of the fabric)
coordinating fabric
lightweight iron-on interfacing
diaper flannel.
a wooden coat hanger
approximately 24" of 2.5" bias folded in half
15" of twill tape (or ribbon) cut into 3 pieces.


The bag is made up of three pieces. The back is 16"high and 17.5" wide (the width of the hanger plus 1 "), the bottom front is 13" x 17.5" with a 5" deep curve cut out at the top leaving 2" 's on each side. Both are lined with iron-on lightweight interfacing, have a layer of diaper flannel and a lining piece of coordinating fabric. The top front section is 8" x 17.5". Half of it is lined with interfacing and flannel and it is then folded in half. The top of the bag (both front and back) is cut in the same curve as the hanger.

After embellishing, quilting and edging the bottom front curve with the bias, the two front sections are sewn together (the top section overlapping the bottom section and decoratively stitched).
The front and back are sewn together (1/2" seam allowance, right sides together), with the 3 pieces of twill tape (folded in half) evenly spaced along the top (don't place the twill tape between the two layers, just lay them on the top), and a small opening left open at the top for the hanger hook.
A 3" base is made by sewing across the bottoms corners of the bag. I also zig-zaged the seams to finish them. Turn the bag right side out, insert the hanger and secure in place with the twill tape. Done!

My Mother's finished Clothes Pin Bag

If these instructions don't make sense please email me. If you have made bags before it should be pretty straight forward. Good Luck and thanks for stopping by! ♥

Update Feb 3rd, 2013
I get a lot of questions about where the twill tape/ribbon goes. The three pieces are attached when sewing the upper seam, spaced evenly - two from the ends and one next to the hole in the centre. They then just tie around the hanger inside the bag.

Hopefully this photo of the inside of the bag helps.


July 2012

Jessi (Joy Unspeakable) stitched this great bag all by hand!

September 2012

Elizabeth (no blog) used outdoor fabric instead of quilting fabric to make these lovely bags - such a great idea!

January 2020

Brenda sent me a photo of her beautiful bag. Love the fabric, and plaid trim.

If you have made the bag, and would like to see a picture here, please send me a picture to add (my email found here). Thanks! I love seeing your creations.

Clothespin Bag Kit

I made up this clothespin bag kit for my mother.

To make something similar to this -

If anyone is interested I can put the measurements for it up.

Tomorrow I will start this project -


Yes, more pinwheels!! It is from "Fat Quarter Quilting" by Lori Smith.

Have a great day!! ♥

Pinwheels Everywhere!

Isn't it funny when you start something, you see the same thing everywhere!

Here are this weeks blocks for the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along. Here is the Flickr link to check out lots of other pinwheel blocks.

My MIL asked me to make her a little pad for her wheelchair. Of course I had to make a pinwheel or two..!



I used two layers of leftover wool batting. I started this yesterday and machine quilted it today. I was inspired by Diane Gaudynski's website and blog (thanks Gloria). Diane's work is absolutely amazing. She quilts on her home sewing machine.

This is the back. I tried some feathers and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be (only a 19" square quilt though!). Machine quilting is definitely something that I want to get better at.

I saw this quilt -

on A Good Yarn, as part of a block swap. There is an amazing (new to me) way these blocks are put together, shown here.

I was also watching "You've Got Mail" yesterday and Meg Ryan's character had a beautiful pinwheel quilt on her bed! Pinwheels everywhere!!

I am off to watch the Oscars now.
Have a great day! ♥

First March Finish

Well, I can finally say that my "Spanish Steps" quilt is finished!! Labeled and everything. Whew!!

It is 91"x91", with wool batting, so still quite light. It will make a wonderful summer time quilt for my oldest child. The machine quilting turned out better than I thought it would when I was in the middle of quilting it. I am really pleased with it.

Have a great day!! ♥

Friday Show and Tell

This weeks show and tell are my children's baby quilts.

I made this quilt in 1991 when I was pregnant with my first child. It is the second quilt I ever made. I got the pattern from a TV show. It is strip pieced and hand tied. There is no binding on it, I just folded the outer border around to the back and hand stitched it. I had a lot to learn.

I made this quilt in 1997 when I was pregnant with my second child. It is Debbie Mumm's Noah Ark fabric. It is the first "real" quilt I ever made (blocks, sashing, borders, hand quilted, binding...), I was so proud. It was the first quilt I quilted with a hoop. It is still proudly displayed on a chair in my bedroom. I used Judy Martin's "Scrap Quilts" book for most of the blocks (some I just graphed out). Both quilts are 48"x48".


When I made both quilts I just bought fabric I liked (although 19 years ago there wasn't a big choice!), I didn't know before hand if I was having girls or boys, it is funny how they both turned out "colour appropriate".

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!! ♥

Finished Machine Quilting!!

Today I was determined to finish machine quilting my LARGE "Spanish Steps" quilt. I spent all day at the machine, and it is finished!!! Yeah!!


I thought my machine was going to start smoking, it was working so hard! The binding is all sewn on too!! I just have to hand stitch the binding on the back.

I didn't even spend any time on the computer. Now it is time to catch up on the cyber world.

Have a great day!! ♥

Still Machine Quilting

My goal this week is to finish machine quilting the "Spanish Steps" quilt.


This is the biggest quilt (90"x90") that I have ever machine quilted (I have hand-quilted a couple this large and am currently working on another). If any one sees me starting another large quilt this year, please stop me!! It seems like I have been working on it forever! I can't wait to get my dining room table out of my kitchen too!

The beginning of the month is a great time to check out other people's blog, so many people put pictures of things that they or other people made last month. A couple are Polly, Peg, Sherri, and Joan, there are many more. I love seeing what other people are up to!


Hope it is beautiful where you are. Have a great day!! ♥

Pinwheel Block #2

I finished sewing Block #2 of the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along.

Rachel did a great job, there is a wonderful tip on reducing the bulk in the middle. My fabric is a layer cake called Alliance by Moda, and the background is by Buggy Barn. It is reproduction fabric and I love the colours!

Watched Canada win gold in the men's hockey this afternoon. Off to watch the Olympic closing ceremony now. Canada won more gold medals than any other county ever in a Winter Olympic Games. Fantastic!!

Have a great day!! ♥

Party Update, Part 2

Help yourself to some chocolate! The party is going well!


Machine quilting is coming along. I got lots done during the Spring Sewing Party.



Thanks to Kelly and Joan for hosting it!! ♥

Off to sew the new Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along blocks.

Have a great day and thanks for dropping in to the party!! ♥

Party Update, Part 1

The Spring Sewing Party is going well. I am working on the "Spanish Steps" quilt. I finally figured out the quilting pattern. I have been machine quilting for about 4 years, when I bought this free motion foot for my sewing machine.

Today I realized that I should use the yellow lines as a guide for machine quilting!! Always something new to learn!!

Just had time for a snack break and to check up on other party goers! Lots of great work being done out there!! Back to sewing and "watching" the Olympics!

Enjoy! See you later! ♥

Friday Show and Tell

This week's show and tell is the first quilt I made. A Trip Around the World quilt.

It sure has seen better days!! It is currently being used to darken my oldest child's room - reason for the sun damage.
My sister and I each made a quilt in this pattern. We saw the idea in a magazine and decided to try it. I graphed out a pattern, we bought the supplies - rotary cutter, ruler, mat, fabric etc, she brought her machine over and we spent a great week-end sewing. Our first adventure in quilting!


Her quilt is still in wonderful shape, in her spare bedroom!
We made them in September 1990. They are hand tied - no hand or machine quilting for us then!
I thought I would also show her latest quilt. She just finished it in November.

It is a pattern from the spring/summer 2009 issue of Quilt Sampler magazine - Bountiful Batiks. It is her third large quilt and the first one she machine quilted. She did a great job!

Just so you don't think it is just my mother and sister who are the talented ones in the family, I thought I would show you a cross stitch picture that my sister has.

My father made this. He does such amazing cross stitch, something he took up when he retired! This one is called "Home of a Quilter" by Told in a Garden.

Usually I am out all day on Friday, but not today! Have some time to sew on my "Spanish Steps" quilt. Tomorrow is the Spring Sewing Party, I am hoping to get lots of quilting done!

Have a great day!!♥

Spring Sewing Party

I joined the Spring Sewing Party, it is on Saturday, Feb 27th. Hosted by Kelly and Joan.
I will be working on machine quilting my "SS" quilt, and maybe the next installment of the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along!

Come and join us!! ♥

Update Sewing Party Part 1.

Update Sewing Party, Part 2.

Machine Quilting

Started quilting the "Spanish Steps" quilt. I think it is going to take me a while. Hopefully it will turn out alright!

Don't look too closely, still trying to figure out the pattern! I was doing it as I was "watching" the women's hockey at the Olympics. Canada won GOLD!!! Yeah!!!

Have a great day!! ♥