It's Not Going to Be a Quilt .... But I Hope It's Gonna Be Cute

Here is the pattern I plan to use to create a tote bag with the selvage fabric I've created. Right now I am a bit dubious about the pattern designer's instructions so I am hesitant to cut into the fabric ... I have had hassles with off the peg patterns before. The second photo lets you see how the selvage fabric looks up close. It certainly is original .... and if you like making something that is one of a kind, selvage fabric provides your chance. LOL

Judy in Ohio

this & that

This morning I took doggy outside at 6:30 and the tropical plants were hanging down, looking like they were covered with frost. I thought they would be gone, and a lot of yard work was in the near future. I think it was about 22 degrees here then.
Just now I went out with her and it was 65, and the plants had sprung back to life. Hopefully some of the others will also. I know the angel's trumpet won't, but it grows so fast that won't be a problem.
I think sometimes quilters can be the most wonderful people. Then someone says something, thinking it would be funny, or cute, and cut the other person off an the knees. Sort of like a church.
If we thought about what we were saying, and who it would hurt, or how it would sound, we would all keep more quiet.
I'm guilty! Hopefully as I age I am a bit more gracefull in my speach.
The cold snap has been wonderful for DH's work. They are as busy as in August.
Our running group is going 13 miles this Sat. at 6AM---oh. I haven't getting up before 7 AM in the last week due to the cold weather. Going to have to ramp it up a few notches. That is the last long run before the Feb 15th race. Hopefully Sat. AM won't be as cold, it's supposed to be better tomorrow. I love the clear, blue sky.
The right eye is doing better every day. The floresent lights in the stores bother me some, they seem to "strobe" but sunlight and incondescent light seem OK. I've been driving today and everything was fine.
Nothing earthshattering here. The jets have stoped flying over every 5 min. Found out there was an aircraft carrier in port at Mayport, so that was the reason.
Going to watch some mindless HGTV or some such for 30 min.
Sara in sunny, cool Fla.

I was also remembering the pillowcase instructions from this site a couple (maybe 4 or 5 years) ago. When I couldn't find the instructions that I know I copied, I searched and found the closest to what I remembered as the "sausage" method was detailed at http://vickiwelsh.typepad.com/field_trips_in_fiber/2007/05/pillowcases.html

The only thing that I did differently, as per the original directions was make the side and bottom seams a "French seam". In other words, I sewed the side and bottom seam wrong sides together first, then turned it, pressed it and sewed the seams again with wrong sides together completely finishing the seams. If I had a serger, I probably would have serged the seams intead.

I couldn't help thinking that when I learned French and flat felled seams in HS home ec, it was always related to garment sewing. Then when I swore that I would never make another garment, I thought I would never have to remember those finishing touches again. Who knew!

Laurel (from Florida, much warmer than Iowa!)

Pillowcases

I seem to remember that back on the old Board, someone had a good pattern for making flannel pillowcases with no exposed edges (or is the old memory not working right?). To make this quilt related, I'll use the fabrics that went into the big poofy flannel quilt for the camper. Anyone remember this pattern?

Kathi

A Winter Project to Keep Me Busy .... or Drive Me Crazy

Long time BBer JudyPete, now posting as WhiteStone posts "I hope all of you have some winter quilt project to keep you busy."

Yes, Ma'am, that I do. Last year I bought a book called "Quilts From the Selvage Edge" by Karen Griska and the book is all about making quilts from selvage strips, those pieces of fabric that you normally cut off and throw away. Notice the use of the word "normal".

Yes, it is abnormal to think of making a quilt from those very narrow strips of fabric, so I am not making a quilt, I am currently working on making a large tote bag, thankyouverymuch. :-) I doubt if I will ever make a quilt. Maybe a vest front will be my next project. Or maybe some pillow tops. Or perhaps a small tote bag. Definitely never a quilt. No way .......

I have collected hundreds, perhaps thousands of selvage strips from quilters near and far, from my quiltmaking daughter to quilters in Iowa and California and quilters from other places in Ohio and believe it or not there is great and fascinating variety to be found in selvages. If you Google the author's name and book title you will be sent to her website and you can see for yourself the type of fabric you can create from these strips of fabric. Then you might be tempted to make yourself a small thing like a pillow-top out of your own selvages someday .... after all, every one of us has cut off selvages at one time or another and carelessly tossed them in the wastebasket. ;-)

P.S. Here's the link for the author's site: http://www.selvagequilts.com/

If you go there, be sure and click on her blog link and then scroll down a bit ... on the right you will see a woman in a dress, a dress made of selvage strips. Click on that photo and you'll be taken to the blog of an Australian woman named Jodie who obviously has too much time on her hands if she can make a dress out of selvage strips!

Quilt A ad Quilt B

I'm posting photos of two different shirt quilts. Quilt A was machine quilted and was completed a couple years ago. I'm working on Quilt B now and am hand quilting. Yes, yes, I've been working on Quilt B for a century now. Well, maybe not a hundred years, but it seems like it.

Both are made from fabrics from selected men's shirts. It's interesting to see the subtle difference in color due to the different shirts in my stash when I made the second. And after seeing them side by side I remember that on Quilt A the blocks were all constructed with Red crosses at the center of each block. It made for a more consistent and yet scrappy look than I achieved with Quilt B.

Both are what I call nap size. Perfect for a snuggle on the sofa or as an extra throw on the bed.

My quilting seems to have slowed down over the past couple of years. Quilt B is the main project right now and I'm intent upon staying with it so that it will be completed before long. I hope all of you have some winter quilt project to keep you busy.