Sunday, April 3, 2011

selvages

Yesterday I had a block of time while listening to conference. I took my boot box of selvages and organized them. Sort-of.This box was overflowing with selvages. Most of them just an unfolded mess. I started saving and using my selvages about 25 years ago. I used them to tie up roses and other things in the garden. I even dyed them all green so they would work better in the garden. Then about 10 years ago I started making selvage balls, basically to store them until they were needed in the garden. When my friend gave me a lot of fabric I had heard about, but not seen, selvage quilts so I tore off her selvages and started my box.
In 2008 I wove the base of a chair with my selvages, unfortunately that did not hold up, although I'm not sure that it was the selvages fault....there were smaller children and scissors around then.
About 3 years ago I saw my first selvage quilt and realized that I needed wider bits. (See one here-not the first one I saw but a pretty fab. quilt. Here's another one.) With help from my family we got all the narrow pieces wound into balls yesterday. We played a game of toss the ball; now they sit in a basket on the coffee table.I think they are pretty.
The wider bits are folded and some of the similar colors are together. They are waiting for time and inspiration. But now I have room for more. :) I imagine I'll need a lot more to actually make a quilt with them. Two years ago I used them to make this:A bit skiwampus but it works in my purse for some sugar free gum and candies. I learned that You need a stable base to sew these onto. Here I had used a very flimsy cotton/poly gingham. I liked that it had lines but it had no body, a muslin would have worked better.
Today I'm using one narrow bit as a twill tape to help me stabilize the edge of a quilt...we'll see how that goes later today.

How DO you organize selvages? I'm sure if I actually start using these I'll have to stir and hunt... a lot.

1 comment:

Amy said...

I've always thrown my selvages away. what great ideas to use them, though!