Magpie Quilts

It's been 2 years since the earthquakes devastated Haiti and an already poor country was thrown into turmoil. Now, outbreaks of cholera challenge those remaining. Our church supports a small medical clinic, Eben-ezer Medical Clinic at Haut-Limbe, Haiti, that is run by Dr. Manno. Coming up in March is an event in Strathmore, Alberta that will allow us to once again be part of this amazing work. Check out Janelle's blog as she writes from Haiti. I think you'll get a good picture of the work that's being done there from her writings. Hope Covenant Church in Strathmore will be hosting a Coffee Shop & Silent Auction fundraiser on Sunday, March 18 at 7 pm to support the Eben-ezer Clinic. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and are available at Hope Church and M&M Meat Shops in Strathmore. Now, you're wondering what this has to do with me? and my blog? Well, simple really! A while back I made this beautiful quilt and donated it for the silent aucti

Everywhere I look, I see chevrons, those lovely zigzags that remind me of Charlie Brown's shirt! I think I may have to make a quilt with them soon. Here's some lovely ones that I've looked at recently: This one is from mmmcrafts . I like the boldness of the colours she used and the large scale. Here's another one that I really like in yellow and shades of gray and black and white. Again, the scale is large and this one could easily be done with any colour in place of the yellow. Edited to add source: http://seeyoulateralli-gator.blogspot.ca/2011/12/chevron-quilt.html This one is from A Little Crafting and the chevron is smaller and done with a variety of prints. J-Me gives a little tutorial on how she made this and it's so easy! Have you done any chevrons? Please comment and leave me a link so I can check them out! --Ann

Last week I brought out some beautiful fat quarters of Japanese fabrics that I purchased when Quilt Canada was here in Calgary in 2010. After matching them up with some other fabrics I had on hand, they are now for sale in my Etsy shop as little sets for your purse. Each set contains a zipper pouch, a credit card case and a tissue cover. I had lots of fun making these and they are so handy for keeping things tidy in your purse! --Ann

Last month, I received a wonderful note from someone who wanted me to make a quilt for their wedding. It's going to be a Jewish wedding and they want the quilt to be the wedding canopy. The wedding ceremony takes place under the chuppah (canopy), a symbol of the home that the bride and groom will build together. It is open on all sides to welcome people in unconditional hospitality. After a flurry of emails back and forth, fabrics and a pattern were chosen. Last week the fabrics for the wedding quilt came in the mail and I just fell in love with them! They are from the Minick American Banner Rose line from Moda. I wasn't sure how I was going to piece this quilt together as the pattern has a number of points coming all together in one place. It tends to make a bulky seam and is hard to quilt over. I finally ended up making a paper-piecing pattern and had a few of the points end just a little off-center of the quilt blocks to reduce the bulk at the center point.

Lily from Two Stray Cats ! Lily has a fabulous shop of her own on Etsy, so please head on over and check her shop out! Here's a couple of my favourites! Jane Austen Manor House Small Moleskine Notebook Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit Bookends Congratulations, Lily! --Ann

Here's a little log cabin heart quilt that I made quite a few years ago. This quilt has since found a new home via ebay, so I hope whoever has it still loves it. Scrappy reds and pinks blend beautifully and one of these days I will make another quilt like this for myself. --Ann

Just a reminder to go here to enter to win these purse accessories! Draw is Friday, February 17!

I love to have some tissues in my purse as they are always needed! But I hate the way they get scrunched and messy after they've been in there for a while. This little tissue cover will keep them neat until you've used the last tissue and then you can put a new package in and start all over. Materials Needed: 3 pieces of fabric 3.5"x5.5" (I used 2 of the red/black music print and 1 of the black/white print) Fold and press 2 of these pieces to they measure 2"x5.5". I love using a seam guide for this as the iron glides right over it and it gives me an accurate measurement. Lay unfolded piece right side up, then a folded piece right side down with raw edges to one side and fold to the middle.  Lay second folded piece right side down with the raw edges to the opposite side and fold to the middle. The two folded pieces will overlap slightly at the center. Sew all the way around all four sides. Clip corners and turn right side out. Poke corners to

Make a few of these in an hour and give to your co-workers or anyone else who might appreciate a custom holder for their business cards!  Materials required: Fabric A - 1 piece 4.25"x5.75" Fabric B - 1 piece 4.25"x13.75" If you want your card wallet to be a little stiffer, just fuse some light or medium weight fusible interfacing to the Fabric A piece before you begin! If you want your pockets to match your lining fabric, cut piece B from your lining fabric. If you want them to match the outside cover, cut piece B from the main fabric. I used a red/black music print for the main fabric and a black/white music print for the lining and my pockets are going to match the lining! Take your piece B fabric and lay right side up on your ironing board as shown in the above picture. Fold the left side over 4" and press. Fold the raw edge back to the fold you just pressed and press again. This will make a 2" pocket on the left side. Repeat for the righ

I love to browse the internet for interesting blogs and quilting or sewing tutorials. Some are still on the "want to do sometime" pile, while others make it through to actually being made. One of the things I wanted to do for some time was a zipper pouch. I've seen lots of tutorials and finally sat down to make one myself. And it was so much easier than I thought it would be! The tutorial I used is found here at The Crimson Owl Blog I also made a card holder for business cards or credit cards and a little tissue pouch and guess what? I am giving this set away! Please leave a comment here and tell me what you use to keep organized to enter! - draw will be made on February 17! Draw is over! Thanks for entering! --Ann