More Quick Satisfaction

Well over a year ago, I wrote here and here about ideas for using up some of the stash of selvage edges I've been collecting. 

Way back in February 2013 I got them all color sorted

I decided to make a long narrow wall hanging to replace this painting, which I kinda hate. It's boring and mundane and I was pressured into buying it at one of those art by the yard house parties. 

Voila!

Now that it's hanging in that little piece of wall space between two doors I kind of wish I had added more neutral border at the top and bottom, and then added a dark narrow border to frame the whole piece. Ah well, next time. This went together so quickly - probably a total of five or six hours over two days - so I may well make another one soon. I am loving these quick projects.

To make one of your own, select the selvage strips you want to use overlapping the finished edge on top of the raw edge of the piece below. Sew the strips together, sewing a scant 1/4 inch from the finished edge. Cut a couple of pieces of background fabric that are the height of your selvage collection and the desired width to go on both sides of the wall hanging. Now lay these strips on each side of the selvage collection overlapping by about two inches. Use your rotary cutter to cut a wavy line through both, and discard the scraps. Now pin, pin, pin those curved edges and sew the sides on. Clip the curves and press the seams towards the center. That's it. 

Quilt and bind to suit, including either a hanging sleeve, or corner pockets for a hanging rod. I've been using this method with corner pockets and a simple piece of dowel from the hardware store lately. Easy Peasy. I hope you decide to make one and if you do, please leave a comment here with a link to where we can all see it.

More Selvage Talk

I’m working on ideas for that wall hanging made of selvage strips. Something long and narrow to hang in this space,

Because, really, that painting that I got talked into buying at one of those art-by-the-yard house parties doesn’t do anything for me.

I can’t decide if I want to try for a conscious color scheme or just make it a jumble. Here are a few of the combinations I’m auditioning

The orangy, yellow, brown, red pile in the background probably works best in that space to compliment glimpses of adjacent rooms. It will hang in a hallway. But I’m so drawn to blues, limey greens and aqua lately. I might just have to make both.

This leads me to a question for my quilting friends. Someone asked me the other day if I sell my quilts or if I have a warehouse someplace. He obviously thinks I’m far more prolific than I really am, but still it’s a fair question.

I have to make at least one example of everything I design just to have pictures for the pattern. Some are destined to be gifts for family and friends.

Some we use every day,

and still others sit on shelves and in trunks hither and yon.

I’ve never tried to sell my quilts, and I’ve only sold bags when they were commissioned in advance. Often enough I hear that the quilt market in the United States has been ruined by cheap imports from overseas. Do you sell your quilts? Leave a comment and let us know your secrets of success.

I Said Selvage, not Salvage!

I saw a great post for beginners on the American Quilt Society blog this morning. Sylvia Thomas wrote a piece called Don't Let Your Selvage Languish. While it provides a good primer on the selvage edge as defined by a quilter or anyone who sews (along with diagram explaining fabric grain), it also got me thinking about the pile of selvage strips I've saved.

I generally cut a 1 ½ inch strip so that I remove all of the selvage and just a bit of the fabric print as well. This also leaves a sufficient margin to actually join the strips and make something of them. 

But what to make?

Super cute mini purse.

Quick Quilt.

Funky Scarf

Cute tissue holder or eyeglass case Cute tissue holder or eyeglass case.

More Quilts and Pillows

So many great ideas. I think I’ll make a small wall hanging, and maybe a basket. More to follow…