Join the Selvage Challenge! Win a Featherweight!

Linda from Exton, PA is having a Selvage Challenge on her blog: "This-n-That Fabrics." Go to http://www.tnt512.blogspot.com/ for more info. The Grand Prize winner will receive a vintage Singer Featherweight! Can you believe it? I thought you should know about this! Good luck!

The blog party yesterday was so much fun! Thanks for all the Comments. I love to hear from you. My husband and I went out for lunch and hiked to a waterfall on the NY/MA border. It was so beautiful. Cool and sparklingly sunny. Relaxing and fun. Oh, and I got some Assam tea at Harney Tea. Yumm. Hugs to you all.

P.S. Those colorful candles are real! (Not made in Photoshop.)

Welcome to my Birthday Party! (10 Prizes Too)

Welcome to my birthday party! I'm glad you're here. This cake needs another 46 candles, but close enough. I found this photo on the Internet (that's how you get cake in Cyberspace) and I liked the candles. I never saw candles like that before. The cake looks a little scary, but it doesn't matter since it's virtual. No calories either. Pretend that it's surprisingly delicious! Oh my, what a lovely hat you're wearing.

And we have some party favors too. Leave a comment (say hello to each other) and you'll be entered to win a little package of interesting new selvages! There will be 10 winners announced next week. We'll take a virtual field trip to a surprise location that day too.

Tomorrow I'll tell you how you can win a vintage Singer Featherweight!

Selvages on Quilt Labels

Julie Sefton of Memphis, TN has been using selvages in her quilt labels and I think it's a terrific idea! In the label above, Julie credits the machine quilter as well as the fabric designer and manufacturer.

Visit Julie's blog at: http://www.quiltdivajulie.blogspot.com/. Julie's blog has been named one of "55 Rad Blogs" in the new issue Quilter's Home magazine. Yayyy, Julie! (By "rad" they mean funny, interesting and easy to read, in case you were wondering.)

This is what Julie had to say about the label below:

It's not pieced onto the back but stitched on so that it will be quilted into
the quilt. I used a Sharpie to write on the freezer-papered fabric, removed the
paper and heat set the printing, pieced a bit, pressed some more, and finished
with selvages (giving me woven edges and no turning under).

How clever is that? Good thinking, Julie!

Awww, 4th anniversary. Happy anniversary Eric and Lauren!

Call for Quilts! Log Cabin

Do you have a favorite log cabin quilt that you would like to share in the up-coming "Online Quilt Museum?" We'd all love to see it.

Please email photo(s) to karengriska@optonline.net. Include your name, where you live, and the title of your quilt. Jpegs as attachments, please, or I can get the photos off the Internet if you give me the link. Thanks!

I appreciate the beautiful quilt photos you've been sending!

Amish Log Cabin by Karen Griska.

Quilted Selvage Quilt, Close-Up!

I know I've shown you this quilt before (both when it was still a quilt top, and again after it was quilted). But I found this close-up and just had to show it to you because the detail is wonderful.
This quilt was made by Jacquie at http://www.tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/, and you can see her tutorial there (or click on the linked photo in the sidebar here on this blog). It looks like she used a fancy stitch on her machine to do some of the quilting! It gives the solid blocks texture. Wowzers, I like it!

Selvage Misprint

Jill from New Jersey found this interesting selvage from Marcus Fabrics. She says: "Apparently not concerned with misprints. Just rotect the copyrightp at all costs! Does this make this selvage a collector's item?" I think so! And they did it on three fabrics! Oh well, who reads the selvage anyway? :)

Be sure to visit Jill's blog and enter her give-away: http://www.cre8fmomquilts.blogspot.com/. (Remember she made the selvage cornices and the incredible selvage chair. Amazing.)

Poppyprint's Chinese Coins Selvage Quilt

Krista Hennebury of http://www.poppyprintcreates.blogspot.com/ in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada just made this little Chiniese Coins selvage quilt called "Happy Camper." Very creative! And the polka dot binding is perfect; it adds sparkle. It's hand-quilted and embroidered too. She has close-up photos on her blog.

Pam's Selvage Postcard

Pam Geisel from Ohio is a quilter who makes a wide variety of quilts, so of course she also uses her selvages! This is a selvage covered postcard. Did you know they travel through the mail just fine? Really. I've been lucky enough to get a few.

Take a look at Pam's blog: www.forquiltssake.blogspot.com.

Bunny Selvages from Moda

This is a new fabric (coming soon) from Moda by Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs. Isn't it pretty, and look at those color windows! I like the Bunny Hill logo on the left in the bottom photo too. Times are good for selvage quilters!

You can see Anne's blog at: http://www.bunnyhillblog.com/. Thanks to Marga for the heads-up on this bit of selvage news. Marga's blog is: http://www.margashappypatchwork.blogspot.com/.

Call for Quilts! Group Quilts

Do you have a quilt where the blocks came from numerous quilters? Maybe a Block-of-the-Month quilt or a birthday quilt made by a group of friends? Quilts that result from the work of many different hands are tricky. Like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get!

If you'd like to share a photo(s) of your group quilt for exhibit in the up-coming "Online Quilt Museum" please email them to karengriska@optonline.net. Include the name of your group, who assembled the quilt, where you're from, and the title of your quilt. Thanks!

The quilt above was made by Margaret Cibulsky, Ellen Foster, Helen Beall, Karin Eckert and Linda Andrews, members of Empire Quilters in New York City. It was inspired by the December 2009 Block-of-the-Month, "Amish Buggy Quilt." I really like this one!

Call for Quilts! Optical Illusions

My sister Eileen Lovett in Rhode Island made this amazing thousand pyramids quilt that she calls "A Thousand Welcomes." I like how this quilt seems to have curves in it, but all the triangles have straight edges. And look at that binding!

If you've made an optical illusion quilt that you'd like to share with the up-coming OnlineQuilt Museum, please email photos (whole quilt and one or two details) to karengriska@optonline.net

Include your name, the title of the quilt, where you live and the name of the designer if you used a pattern. Jpegs as an attachment are best. (Or if they're on the Internet somewhere I can get them there.) Thanks!

Patty in Ohio needs our help to finish a quilt.

Patty in Ohio wants to finish up her Millennium Quilt. Her plan is to use 2,000 different fabrics to make this a charm quilt. So far she has 1,665 blocks. Patty needs 335 more. That's where we come in.
I bet we have a few 4" x 4" squares of fabric from the 20th century hanging around, right? I think I have a few. :)

To contact Patty, visit her blog: http://www.pattythequiltlady.blogspot.com/.

Jackie's Giveaway at CV Quiltworks

Jackie at http://www.cvquiltworks.blogspot.com/ has been doing podcasts for a year! The most recent one, #12 is about my new project, the upcoming Online Quilt Museum. To hear it, click on "Podcasts" on her sites, or go to iTunes and look for "Jackie's Quilting Chronicles" under the topic of quilting.

To celebrate her anniversary, Jackie is having a give-away. Two winners will get 12 fat quarters of their choice from her inventory of gorgeous fabrics. Wow! You have until the end of April to enter.

Sewing Machine Cover by Annie from France

Here's a terrific idea! Take a good look at this sewing machine cover made with selvages.

See the red scissor charm on the closure?

There's even a special bag for the power cord and foot pedal.

Annie made this when she lived in New Caledonia; now she lives in France.

Fantastic work, Annie!

Where is New Caledonia?

Did you ask yourself this question when you read that Annie used to live in New Caledonia? All you Aussies know, of course, but I decided to gather a few photos for the rest of us.

New Caledonia is northeast of Australia. It sure looks nice!

We haven't looked at any quilter's neighborhoods lately. If you'd like to share a photo of your neighborhood, that would be great. How else can you visit with quilters all over the world? Bring your own tea. :)

Linda's Big Bag

Right now as you are reading this, Linda (from Iowa) is flying to Sydney, Australia to visit her daughter and family, and to visit her quilting buddies. (Some people will travel far to be in two guilds!)

This is Linda's new selvage bag (pattern by Mickey Beebee). She has it with her on this trip. You can read all about it on her blog today: http://www.flourishingpalms.blogspot.com/.

Moda Selvage News!

You know how we keep admiring the Japanese selvages for the clever little shapes they use for color windows, and we say the American companies should make their selvages nicer? Well, here is a new selvage from Moda. Take a look at those color windows! Aren't they nice? They also have some acorns and bells among their new selvages.

Our existing selvage quilts will soon look like antiques now that selvages are getting more modern. Did we selvage quilters inspire Moda to spruce up their selvages? Maybe so.

Calling ALL One-Patch Quilts! (Not just squares.)

I'm gearing up a new website for quilters and I need some photos of one-patch quilts. Of course one-patch can be squares, triangles, trapezoids, shells, rectangles etc. So if you have a one-patch quilt and you are okay with me showing it on my new website, email a photo to me at: karengriska@optonline.net. Include your name and the name of your quilt. I'll be asking for other types of quilts soon too.

I'll be introducing my new site soon. It will be called the Online Quilt Museum. It's not up yet.

I made this quilt in 2004. I love those colors. There's so much you can do with the simple one-patch.

Coiled Selvage Basket

"Misses Stitches," a fabric artist in Northern California just made her first selvage project, a coiled basket. She knew there must be some good reason she was saving those selvages. And she has enough rope to make countless more baskets. To read more, visit her blog at: http://www.missesstitches.blogspot.com/.

Optical Illusion Quilt - Amazing

You have to see this! Above, see Step One. So far, so good.

Step Two: Add the little squares, WOW!

Step Three: Add more little squares. This quilt amazes me!
Linda Robertus of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia made it in April 2009.
Thank you Linda for taking these photos showing us how you did it.
See Linda's blog at: http://www.q-linda.blogspot.com/.

Liberty Jack Quilt by Janey Forgan

This is the Liberty Jack Quilt by Janey Forgan. The Union Jack design is done in Liberty of London fabrics. Thank you to Dorothy in Oz for the link to this photo on flickr. The photo is from imagingermonkey. I like this quilt. I bet it feels nice, too. (See yesterday's post: Target billboard)

My Mom has asked me to make a quilt for a fund-raiser. I'm thinking of making an Asterisk quilt with gentle florals similar to this one. I'll show you when it's done.

Asterisk Design Spotted in New York City!

I was in New York City on Saturday for the Empire Quilter's guild meeting and I saw this billboard for Liberty of London/Target Stores in the area of 27th Street and 7th Avenue, the Garment District. Doesn't it look like our Block of the Month from last September? We called it Candy Stick, but Quiltmaker (May/June 2010 issue) renamed it Asterisk. If you'd like to see how to make this easy block, check out the current issue of Quiltmaker magazine.

Needlepoint Pillows in Colonial Williamsburg

In Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia we saw needlepoint pillows. They were everywhere, in all the hotels and stores. I took photos of the best ones to show you. My favorite one is the pineapple above, the symbol of hospitality.

This giant flower reminds me of the big pieced flowers that Ruth McDowell is so well known for.

Birds and other animals were a very popular theme, after floral motifs. Now I'm thinking of putting together a needlepoint project to keep on hand for the summer. I'm inspired.

Thank You for the Comments - Winners Named

Thank you for all your comments about the quilt challenge ideas! The two big winners were: "If You Were a Quilt, What Would You Look Like?" and "Quilts With Words." I really appreciate all your help. I'll be telling you all about my plans soon!

The two winners (chosen at random using www.random.org):

1. Stephanie from Ohio, USA
2. Lizzie from Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Please let me know whether you'd like the selvage pack or the charm pack, and your mailing address.

Amazing Seahorses and More

The photo above is a seahorse, not a plant! His nose is the long white tube-shaped thing on the far left. It's called a Leafy Seadragon. They are about 12 inches long and live in the East Indian and southern Pacific Oceans around Australia. Have you ever seen one of these in the wild?

These "traditional" sea horses are found in most of the world, except in the far northern and southern regions. And it's true, the Dads give birth to the babies.

You can view huge numbers of fish underwater, through very thick glass, which is how you want to view big sharks like this!

Evidently this koi fish was surprised to see me at the aquarium!

Tomorrow, we'll be back looking at textiles. (But it's nice to shake things up a bit!)

Quilter's Opinions Needed! (Win a prize.)

Which of the following quilt challenge ideas do you think would be the most fun?

1. "Gee's Bend Look-Alike" Make a quilt that could pass for a Gee's Bend quilt.
2. "If You Were a Quilt, What Would You Look Like?" Would all your points match, or would you have lots of embellishments? It's something to think about.
3. "Modern Broderie Perse" Cut out images from printed fabric and applique them onto your quilt. (Any kind of applique.)
4. "Quilts You Can Read" Put words on your quilt: pieced, applique, embroidered, printed on the fabric, written with pen, baby bracelet beads, whatever you want. Choose one word, or write out a quote, a message, names, places, lyrics, thoughts, anything.
5. "Make Your Own Antique" Using whatever techniques you like, make a quilt that looks like an antique. We're not trying to fool anybody, just having fun.
6. "Quits From the Future" Imagine what quilts will look like in 2060, then make one.
7. "Self-Portrait" A playful version of yourself done in fabric, fibers, etc. Just 12" square.
8. None of the above. Keep thinking. (It's okay to say this. You can still win a prize.)

Leave a comment telling which idea(s) you like best, or none of the above.

On Friday I'll pick 2 winners at random who will receive a charm pack or a package of selvages, whichever you prefer. Just a little thank you for your help.

11:38PM - Winners were just chosen. Thanks so much.

Living Lace

On a recent visit to the Chattanooga, TN Aquarium my husband and I were captivated by these jellyfish lit from above. The scene changed continuously as they swam gracefully into the light and back out. If you get the chance to visit this aquarium, I highly recommend it.