Railways were a very important part of our valley’s development and until not so long ago you could hear train whistles in most places. I grew up hearing the trains and miss the sound, especially in the evenings. Many of the abandoned lines have been turned into a network of trails and I am fortunate enough to live right alongside the Trans Canada-I could walk to Vancouver (if i ever got the energy!). This block is called “Vanishing Railway” and it’s my tribute to our great network of rail lines even if the trains don’t run that much anymore. I thought it would be fun to put it on a hobo bag and Denis at Valley Needleworx in Renfrew came up with some nifty bag fabric.

Valley Needleworx at 94 Plaunt Street Unit 2 in Renfrew is a cozy shop with a nice size classroom. Denis carries fabric, notions and books for quilters, offers a long arm service to quilt finished tops and is starting to carry a wider assortment of needlework/embroidery supplies for stitchery enthusiasts. Check out the Edge of 17’s newest shop.