I have been collecting selvages since I started quilting full time and in two years, I have accumulated a small bag full. I never had any idea what to make with them, despite the good inspiration found on the Selvage blog. That is until Hubby came up with an idea.
When working from home, he often uses video conferencing from the attic. I don’t know what your attic looks like but ours is quite messy and it was showing everytime he was online. A while back I cut out an old sheet to use as a background to shield all the mess, hanging it off an Ikea curtain wire. It worked quite well but was a bit bland and boring. So Hubby asked if I could make a more interesting kind of screen, something like a library background. Now that was the perfect project for my selvages. I could double up the selvages with interesting writing to make up books displayed on bookshelves.
Here is the design I came up with :
And here are some of the book blocks I have made :
Progress is quite slow. To ensure that most of the text on the selvage is readable after stitching, I have to reduce the seam allowance to just a few threads, so I need to be careful to ensure that just enough fabric is taken so that the stitch holds. Otherwise it is quite fun to do !
~ Catherine
I love this idea! but saving selvedges is painfully slow isn’t it?
It is indeed but there is great satisfaction in using something you would have normally discarded…