Do you save your selvages?
I have saved mine for about a decade and have made a few small items over the years. When I made my Christmas mug mat out of red selvages, I fell in love with these things again and started saving them more enthusiastically. The box has begun to overflow and it was time to either stop saving them or use them up.
I reviewed Melissa's tutorial for working with selvages and decided this would be my new RSC project.
Instead of piecing the blocks on fabric or paper, I decided to use the quilt-as-you-go technique. The strips are sewn to a base of a backing square and a batting square. When the blocks are sewn, the quilting is done!
Melissa's tutorial reminded me to check under each seam to ensure the most recent strip covers the one before it, which is an important step in this type of block making. That seam had to be made larger on the left.
I chose 3 block sizes that correspond to my batting scraps. My yellow selvages were enough to make a large, a medium and 2 small blocks.
Here are the back of the blocks, using yellow scraps as the base fabric. The yellow on the right was leftover from the backing of a quilt I made in 2010!
I'm looking forward to using up all my selvages in 2021 making blocks each month using the RSC colour.
Great idea to use up your selvages. I need to do something with mine too. I have a huge bin full of them ...I have not used any of them in years.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great goal... The blocks will look lovely.
ReplyDeleteGreat new project and I love that when the sewing is done it is done!
ReplyDeleteGreat job, Kathy. I use this method when making my string placemats too. I do half on a diagonal from top to bottom and the other half covers the start of all the strings by going at another angle. It makes work so quick. Do you know what your selvage pieces will become when they grow up? Or is the plan to evolve later? Enjoy the long weekend. ;^)
ReplyDeleteWay to use those salvages!
ReplyDeleteNow this is a super way to knock out two challenges! Using the selvages on a monthly basis according to color is genius! I have an overflowing bucket of them, too, but always think if I use a few of them, I'll wish I hadn't because I finally have the perfect project...maybe this is the one!
ReplyDeletePretty! I’ve never saved selvages but have seen some pretty clever objects others have made from them! There’s nothing like a new project for an endorphin boost :)
ReplyDeleteThat's going to be fun! I'm curious to know more about how you join the individual blocks together.
ReplyDeleteMore power to you, Kathy -- that is, on using up all the selvedges. I did that once but now I have four gallon-size bags full again! LOL.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a fun new project, Kathy! I haven't worked with selvages in a couple of years. Thanks for the reminder that I have a small stash of them!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a great project! I've only saved a couple of really cute selvages, but I do admire the projects other people make with them. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's fun sewing with selvedges. Dont know about you, but mine never come to the end!
ReplyDeleteI use my selvages to wrap gifts, or batting scraps together. But you, you are IN YOUR FACE with selvages, making them even more useful! Kudos!
ReplyDeleteI’m a big fan of sewing with selvages and have completed many project. My hat is off to you - the QAYG method is brilliant. I’m can’t wait to see this one develop!
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