Gretchen's Selvage Tumbler Quilt

Gretchen Thompson of Spicewood, Texas made this beautiful Selvage Tumbler Quilt. She says: "It's wild, I know, but I love it."

She quilted it on her longarm, loading it sideways, then quilting long wavy lines. Good idea!

Her quilting buddies gave her the bright "Quilting Diva" border fabric because that's the name she uses in her business. And she says she actually looks like that! (see below) You can decide for yourself when you see her blog: http://www.spicewoodquiltingdiva.blogspot.com/.

One more thing: Gretchen says her husband once sold a machine gun to buy her a sewing machine! Her blog has food too. You really need to visit. :)

P.S. Gretchen recently had a Sew-In to celebrate her birthday. Now that's a great idea!

Stunning Selvage Spider Quilt!

Jacquie of Kansas City just finished this wonderful selvage spider quilt top. She's about to quilt it, but I couldn't wait to show you this amazing quilt. Isn't it beautiful? The "background" solid color is just perfect too! Each "pie" has 8 wedges. I love the big polka dots. And look at all those selvages she packed into each slice. I could enjoy studying this quilt for a long time!

Take a look at Jacquie's blog to see lots of detail in-progress photos: http://www.tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/. Great job, Jacquie!

Darlee Byron's Selvage Quilt: "Garden's Edge"

Darlee Byron of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada is reviewing a quilting book each month, and making a quilt inspired by the book. This month she reviewed "Quilts from the Selvage Edge," and this is the quilt she made. Isn't it a beauty? Those green corner squares are perfect.

You can read about it on her blog: http://www.quiltsamplerjournal.blogspot.com/. She describes her design process and shows great detail photos. It's a very interesting story. Nice job, Darlee!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you have a delightful Valentine's Day. Here are some roses for you, and a pretty little cake (blog cakes don't have any calories).

Red Selvage Heart from Natima!

This lovely selvage heart ornament with hand embroidery and buttons was a gift from Natima, a quilter in Australia. Isn't it beautiful? I'm going to enjoy it year 'round in my quilt studio. Thank you again, Natima!

They're enjoying summertime right now, and she's showing great photos of their apricot harvest (and canning project) on her blog. Check it out: http://www.notjustnat.blogspot.com/.

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Remember to write a little love note or something for your DH and loved ones!

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Thank you for all the comments about front-load vs. top-loads!!

I'll let you know what we get.

Need Advice: Front-Load or Top-Load?

As you know, we are in the process of building a house. Pretty soon I'll have to buy a washer and dryer and I need to decide between a snazzy front-load or a traditional top-load washer. Either one is okay for clothes, but I want to know which is best for washing quilts. (The photos are just for illustration.)

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I've read Consumer Reports and some online discussions. I don't really care about the steam option and having lots of settings isn't important either. I want one that will be gentle on my quilts, reasonably energy-efficient, and not too noisy.

The front-loader looks cool, but is it worth the extra $? Tell me what you think. Thanks.

Favorite Valentine Theme Fabrics (and Online Fabric Shopping)

Sometimes holiday theme fabrics really grab my attention, and that was the case with these. The fabric above was designed by Edelen Willie for Marcus Brothers. Below, see "Baby Toiles" by Jone Hallmark for Free Spirit. That would look nice in a baby quilt.

Don't you love it that we have a nearly infinite selection of quilting fabrics? And with the Internet, it doesn't matter where you live. Buying fabrics online is so easy. If the UPS guy can find your house, you're all set! If you have a favorite online quilt fabric shop, tell me in the Comments section below.

Well, Okay. Thanks for the Compliment, I Think!

I saw this ad today and it made me laugh. My book, "Quilts from the Selvage Edge" is on sale (only $10.49 and free shipping) at www.createforless.com. This is what the ad copy says:

"...Quilts from the Selvage Edge book - As a
dedicated quilter, do some of your family and friends sometimes think that
you've skated a little too close to the edge and fallen off into the deep end?
With this new book you can make them sure of that fact."

Well, at least we have each other!

Newly Created Selvage Fabric

Kimbuktu of http://www.fabricfascination.blogspot.com/ made this selvage fabric (a large selvage block) which will be used for a skirt for her youngest grand-daughter who she says is a real girly-girl. Good idea. I hope we get to see the finished skirt!

Carla's New Selvage Quilt!

Carla Barrett of Feathered Fibers made this stunning selvage quilt, a log cabin barn-raising design. Take a look at that gorgeous machine quilting!! I am in awe! Visit her blog at: http://www.featheredfibers.wordpress.com/. You can see her Red Zinger there also.

I love her cartoons of the quilter-chickens too. She is one talented lady. Yayyy, Carla!

Quilted Fish's Thoughts on Color

I found a wonderful new blog today: http://www.thequiltedfish.typepad.com/. Amanda Herring has been writing about color lately: blue, yellow, black and pink. Take a look, you'll enjoy this! You may have seen Amanda's work on the Moda Bake Shop site.

This rubber duckie was part of her post about yellow. I'm not usually a sucker for "cute," but I had to make an exception for this classic icon. :) Have a colorful day.

Red Heart Selvage Pillow

As Valentine's Day approaches I have some delightful selvage treats for you. This is Lynn's first selvage project. It took just one hour to make and she said it was easy and fun.

You know Lynn from http://www.infantbibliophile.blogspot.com/. She is the Mom of a 2 year old, and she blogs about children's books and craft projects. She has photos of the process of making this pillow. I like the striped fabric at the top; it looks like a blanket stitch edge. Nice job, Lynn!

Meet Gena Flatley

This beautiful quilt was made by Gena Flatley of Michigan. She likes abstract geometric designs, and she designs as she goes. I like the soft colors. Visit her site at: http://www.genaflatley.com/.

This quilt could be made with selvages too. Just tuck the raw edges under and topstitch.

Visit Jackie's Canton Village Quiltworks - Online

Have you been to Jackie's online quilt shop lately? She has lots of new delicious colors. Her blog is a feast of inspiration. Be sure to see the amazing Hunter's Star quilt. Visit Jackie's blog at: http://www.cvquiltworks.blogspot.com/ and her website at: http://www.cvquiltworks.com/. Have fun.

Too Cold to Go Fabric Shopping?

You can visit this charming quilt shop online at: http://www.trinityquilts.com/. Or you can go in person if you're near Troutville, VA. The online store is full of interesting books (some I've never seen before), fabrics, and other goodies.

Innovative Quilt by Anna Maria Horner

This amazing quilt was made by Anna Maria Horner, a mother of 6 and textile designer who lives in Nashville, TN. I found this photo on flickr.com and followed the links to her website and her blog: www.annamariahorner.com and www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com. At first I only saw the circles in the middle of the quilt, then I saw the ones at the top and the bottom. Her blog is delightful. Take a look.

Darlene Sforza's Purple Zinger!

Darlene Sforza of O'Fallon, MO made this Purple Zinger quilt. Isn't it a beauty? The selvages look like jewels set on a purple background, if you squint a little. I like the bits of lime green, blue and red that sparkle. The lighter purple inner border is nice too. And the fancy feather quilting...she's had her longarm for only 3 months! There's a lot to like about this quilt! Great job, Darlene!

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This Purple Zinger will be on exhibit at the Bits 'N Pieces Quilt Guild's "Fanfare of Quilts" show on March 20-21 in St. Louis, MO.

Meet Mandy from the UK

We haven't had a neighborhood photo in a while and this is such a pretty one. This is the view from Mandy's bedroom in the UK. She is a teacher, quilter, knitter, gardener, and a musician. You will enjoy her blog: http://www.crazydaisytime.blogspot.com/.

Mandy awarded the Sunshine Award to the Selvage Blog for sunny inspiration. Thank you all for sending me your selvage project photos. I love it that we can share our passion for fiber art with friends all over the world on the Internet. The sun never sets on selvage quilting.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Have you seen this movie? It makes me laugh every time. Good fun. Stay warm!

Innovative Toaster

What a great idea: a toaster with insulated transparent glass sides from Magimix. Duh!
This is one of the clever topics on www.psfk.com.