Pincushion Flower in Norfolk, CT

I was driving through the very beautiful town of Norfolk, Connecticut recently and saw this interesting flower near the Library. Doesn't it look like a pincusion? I have no idea what it's called. I had to get down on my elbows to get this shot, but it was worth it. You can't be shy when you're the reporter for the Selvage Blog!

See the bee on the left? I just discovered it!

Wow, See Rebecca's Neighborhood!

Rebecca in Florida took this photo from her front yard as the Space Shuttle Discovery launched.

Is this an amazing photo or what? Thanks, Rebecca! See her blog at: http://ichnoart.blogspot.com/

Show This to Someone You Love

Do you know anyone who doesn't know what this is? Take a minute to introduce someone to poison ivy. You may help them aviod weeks of itching! I had a case of poison ivy on my leg in August and decided to post this photo as a public service.

I've heard awful stores of people unwittingly making wreaths and centerpieces with this nasty stuff! Do you have poison ivy in Australia? (No. See Comments.)

I took this photo and invite everyone to spread it around.

Ann Marie's Red Zinger Wins at Oregon State Fair

Ann Marie of Oregon won a red ribbon at the Oregon State Fair for her Red Zinger selvage quilt! And she won a Viewer's Choice blue ribbon too, Yayyy!

The judge's comments read: "Nice binding technique / what a fabric collector / points should all match." :) This one is definitely a winner!

Nice job, Ann Marie! See her blog at: http://runandsewuilts.wordpress.com/ She also likes to hike with her family and you can see some breath-taking photos of the Northwest on her blog in addition to some great quilts.

Harvest Sun Quilt - 1800's

I just saw this quilt on eBay. Isn't it wonderful? You can see it at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370260074988&ssPageName=ADME:B:FSEL:US:1123

It reminds me of my fan quilt (see sidebar at right). In the close up photos you can see embroidery around the red circles. I really like this one. I'm not buying, just looking. :)

P.S. Wouldn't it be fun if we could travel back in time and talk with the quilter who made this?

Toy Sewing Machine...Memories!

I was visiting Jill's blog http://www.thequiltrat.blogspot.com/ and saw her slide show of her toy sewing machines. When I saw the little red one above, I suddenly remembered that I had one just like it! It actually sewed when you turned the wheel on the right by hand. By the age of 10 I was using my Mom's Elna, so this was a long time ago!

Do any of you remember having a toy sewing machine?

This is post #500. Wow!

Jodie Carleton Featured in Ready Made

Have you seen the September/October issue of Ready Made magazine? Take a look at page 16 to see a selvage bag by selvage genius Jodie Carleton of Australia. (Check out some of her truly incredible selvage creations in the sidebar at right.) I think this magazine should have featured her frock or her chair! But I guess they wanted to show something easy that readers could whip up in an afternoon. (How do you attach those handles?)

Update: Jodie says, "The handles are a fake leather and they had existing holes, I just hand sewed them on - using a big thimble.- It was a pain to be honest but they do look good!"

See Jodie's blog at: http://www.vintagericrac.blogspot.com/. The magazine's site is: http://www.readymade.com/.

If you have made a selvage item, why not send a photo to a magazine for possible publication? What's the worst that could happen?

Nadia Stumpf of France Does it Again!

Take a look at Nadia's new selvage quilt! Isn't it amazing? I love the colors; the batiks are perfect in this quilt. Wonderful job, Nadia!

See another beautiful selvage quilt by Nadia Stumpf of France in the sidebar at right.

Visit her blog at: http://patchworkrama.canalblog.com/

Great Fabric to Use with Selvages

Kay Rindall found this fabric by Timeless Treasures (hers has a white background) and she liked it so much she bought the whole bolt! Impressive! She plans to use it with her selvages to make a quilt. The fabric is from 2007, but it's new to me. I think it will look great with selvages. Thanks, Kay!

To see more about this fabric, visit: http://www.sagercreekquilts.com/scripts/quiltshop.asp?page=2&subcategory=&FabricCategory=manufacturer&FabricSubcategory=TimelessTreasures&category=Fabric

Visit Jodie at Vintage Ric Rac

Jodie Carleton of Balarat, Australia is the blogger and self-described selvage freak lady who made the selvage frock, the selvage parasol, and the selvage chair that you see in the sidebar at right. I call her a creative genius! Lately she is into robots and things made with fabric and metal. If you haven't visited her blog in a while, you are in for a treat: http://www.vintagericrac.blogspot.com/.

Selvage Stash Give-Away!

Karen Lowry Reed of CT and VT is having a selvage give-away on her blog today! If you've been thinking of starting a selvage project, this may be just what you need to get going!

Visit: http://sewandsowlife.blogspot.com/

Good luck! The photo above is just an illustration, not the actual prize.

Linda's Quilt Studio in Iowa

Linda in West Des Moines, Iowa says you might feel a little sorry for her when you see the view from her sewing room. She even had to climb on her ironing table to get this photo. But before you reach for the tissues to dab your eyes, take a look below at the great set-up she has! There is even a second sewing machine so a friend can join her. With such a nice big sewing space, who needs a view?

I asked and Linda verified that that is a bag of selvages hanging from her cutting table. We quilters notice these things! She says she has an impressive file drawer of selvages as well. Yikes, we can imagine! What a tidy sewing space. Thanks for the tour, Linda!

She has a nice write-up about her sewing room and more photos on her blog: http://www.flourishingpalms.blogspot.com/. (See her wedding photos from 1972. Cute!)

Linda Robertus' Neighborhood

Linda Robertus of Australia sent these photos of her neighborhood. I love traveling around the world visiting quilters this way, don't you? She tells about her neighborhood below:

"I thought you might like to see the view from my sewing room window. The jacarandas are in bloom - the best time of the year in Brisbane! The second photo is at the end of our street, next to the railway station (we live in an innercity suburb). It's where I take the train to work 3 days a week, and the last photo is the view I have from the train: the City of Brisbane along the river. I love this city! "

Thank you, Linda, for this "visit." See Linda's blogs at: http://www.goingtobrissy.blogspot.com/ and http://q-linda.blogspot.com/

To see her post about jacarandas (trees with purple flowers), click on this link: http://q-linda.blogspot.com/search?q=jacaranda.

Blueberry Paradise!

My husband and I picked blueberries yesterday at the Ellsworth farm in Sharon, CT. Can you believe these bushes?? I'm going to make a pie today. They're supposed to be good for your brain, so expect some extra cleverness to show up in this blog soon. I don't know how long it takes to reach their full effect. :)

Paulette's Selvage Skirt-WOW!

Isn't this an amazing selvage skirt? I love it! This was made by Paulette Carr from Upper Michigan. Here's her story:

"I've been creating art in many mediums since I was a child. My passion at the time is cloth dolls and collage. But when I saw your book and looked at your blog I had to create something. I have six granddaughters and I love to alter denim for them. Here is a picture of my Selvage edge denim skirt. Question is, which girl gets the skirt! Thanks for the inspiration.....hope you like it......and I now have a purse in progress! Have a great day."

Be sure to show us the purse too! Thanks, Paulette. Great job!
See her blog at: www.carpaulette.blogspot.com/

Labor Day Weekend Sisters Quilt Retreat

This weekend my sister Eileen and I got together at her summer house in Holderness, NH for a quilting retreat. We had a so much fun. It was cool and clear, just beautiful for quilting, drinking tea and listening to 1970's oldies on the radio. And of course we made a trip to Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, NH where we found some fabrics that we needed, including that chartreuse fabric above. It has pickles on it! We always share our purchases.

Eileen (above) working on her abstract "white birch forest" string quilt, inspired by a Robert Frost poem. Karen (below), with the beginnings of an improvisational center medallion quilt done in solids. Since I'm a bit discombobulated from moving, I just brought my whole stash of solids and some scissors, and decided to see what would happen. I like it so far. Now I'm making more little X's.

Holderness, NH View

This is the view from Eileen's house. This is the same window, above and below. Isn't that a great view, especially framed by the charming window? The house is nearly 100 years old. It smells like wood. I love it there. The far-away mountain is Mt. Chocoura.

I love those old paintings that have translucent grapes. This is my version. A weekend away gives me the chance to stop and notice things like this.

Brenda's Neighborhood in Manitoba

Meet Brenda Suderman of Manitoba, Canada as she tells you about her neighborhood:

"Where I live: I live in an old neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which is located roughly in the middle of North America. we are eight hours northwest of of Minneapolis, and about halfway between Toronto and Vancouver, but both are at least two day's drive from us. We're a cultural centre on the Canadian prairies, located at the intersection of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, close to the boreal forest and the pre-Cambrian shield. Yes, we have long, cold winters, and short, hot summers, but that just means we have lots of time to quilt."

Don't you just love those elm trees? Brenda says they make her street feel cathederal-like. Visit her blog at: http://scrapsandstrings.blogspot.com

Don't Drink and Make Signs!

Did they not notice this error before putting up the sign? Or maybe they just said, "Oh well, close enough!" More funny photos at http://www.oddee.com/.

Have a great day.

Astonishiing Pencil Sculptures!

Jennifer Maestre is an accomplished artist who has created a huge collection of amazing pencil sculptures. She is originally from Johanessburg, South Africa, but now lives in the US. Visit her site to see more. You'll be glad you did. What inspiration!
http://www.jennifermaestre.com/index.php

For larger images of her work, visit this site: http://abduzeedo.com/incredible-pencil-sculptures-jennifer-maestre

Erik's Self Portrait

Another photo by Erik Johansson of Sweeden. His website is: www.alltelleringet.com. This is one of my favorites, very clever!

Uggs Give-Away!

Are you feeling lucky? If you are a blogger (or have a website, MySpace, Facebook etc.) you could win some free Uggs! Alicia of Whoogaboots is having a give-away. Simply choose a thumbnail photo from her site and post it on your site. You will automatically be entered in a monthly drawing. Good luck!

The Whoogaboots site is loaded with info/photos about Uggs, the authentic merino sheepskin boots. Home page: http://www.whoogaboots.co.uk/

Give-away page: http://www.whoogaboots.co.uk/ukugg.asp?p=freeuggboots&xref=selvageblog.blogspot.com

"Trying is a good way of learning."

When asked what advice he has for aspiring artists, photographer Erik Johansson of Sweeden said:

"Trying is a good way of learning, that is how I have learned most of the things I know."

Sounds simple but there is some real wisdom there.

Marky's Backyard in Wisconsin

Marky Kuba, a quilter and Selvage Blog reader in Eau Claire, WI enjoys this serene view in her backyard. She says it's pretty in every season. At first I thought she had some little white chickens in her yard, but she says they are end caps for the septic system. Well, those are quieter!

Thanks for having us all to your home today, Marky!

Erik Ironing His Shirt

Here's another photo by Erik Johansson of Sweeden. When asked how his workflow goes when working on a photo he said:

"I always have a sketch of the final idea. But it always end up different, in a good way mostly. When I have come up with an idea I try to find good spots to use for the photos and then it's time for the photoshopping. The time it takes differ, but somewhere between 10 - 20 hours for each photo."

Stephanie's Big Selvage Bag

Take a look at this beautiful selvage bag made by Stephanie from Ohio. See the tape measure fabric at the top? And I like the polka dots too. Her selvage strips are so narrow, she fits a lot of selvage action in a small space! And she found a selvage with her name on it too (see below).

Stephanie found these antique bobbins and added the vintage rick-rack. I think they look great. I have some old wooden spools that I plan to wrap with selvage strips. Inspirational decorations for the quilt studio!

Visit Stephanie's blog at: http://loftcreations.blogspot.com/ She has a nice long list of favorite blogs there too.

Don't you love September? I get that "new box of crayons" feeling. I hope you get to savor some wonderful moments this month.

Erik's Neighborhood

Just kidding. Photographer Erik Johansson of Sweeden uses Photoshop cs4 to create his amazing images. Is he talented or what?

Photo by Erik Johansson of Sweeden

Is this creative, or what? When asked where he gets his inspiration, photographer Erik Johansson of Sweeden said: "The inspiration is everywhere in the daily life, but I also look a lot at photos and drawings on the web. I think the most important thing is to make a note of every idea, otherwise it will might be gone in a few seconds."

That's good advice!

Have a very creative day.

Dianne's Selvage Cards

Dianne Cahill of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia has been making these little selvage gift tags to go with fat quarters that she gives to her sewing group friends. Are quilters thoughtful and generouos people, or what?

Her friends bring her their selvages, so Dianne will probably be making a big quilt soon!

Isn't it funny that we always thought using a selvage in a quilt would lead to something terrible, like shrinking and twisting? But they are fine, even after washing. You can use them in a utility quilt if you want, and it will last a long long time even with lots of machine washing and drying.

Robin Gallagher's Selvage Cup Sleeve on You Tube!

Robin Gallagher of California has made a You Tube video showing how she makes several versions of this coffee cup sleeve. It's so fast and easy, if you have been wanting to use your selvages for a small project, this may very well be it! It's fun to watch. Click here to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eW5NrjaoDg

Robin designs and publishes her own patterns. She also offers lectures, workshops and retreats. She's part of the Two Wacky Women team. This is one talented lady! Be sure to visit her blog.
Blog: http://robingallagher.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.robinquiltsetc.com/
Website: http://www.twowackywomen.com/

Hello Connecticut!

Here it is: Litchfield, Connecticut. This is the First Congregational Church on the Green. I'll show you around some more in the future - including my backyard. Now I have to unpack boxes!

Connecticut is where we are from originally. We've lived in TN, PA and NY for 20 years! Back home now, yayyy!

Tomorrow: See a selvage demo on YouTube!

Akiko's New Whales - Very Sweet

Akiko Kunst of Massachusetts has been making more whales! Isn't this beautiful? The other one is made of fleece and it has lavender in it so it smells wonderful. She has written a magazine article about her whales too. I'll let you know when it's published. (See photos of her selvage whale and selvage hat in the sidebar at right.) Nice job, Akiko!

Click on the links below to see her whales on Etsy:

pieced whale http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30183171 and
fleece whale http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30125276