Need a reason to make a quilt?

Because it's cold outside! Doesn't this picture make you want to get to work on a new quilt? One with wool batting?

To you quilters in Australia, it may be summer, but the cold is coming, so you need to get quilting too. Every season is perfect for quilting!

This photo was taken along the highway in Western Massachusetts. It's such a massive wall of ice. I'd love to get some food coloring on that!

Moda Selvage Scrap Bags? Yes!

Elena McDowell of Raleigh, NC bought this scrap bag of Moda selvage strips at her local quilt shop, Wish Upon a Quilt. The bag has 40 different fabrics, all 2 1/2" wide and 32" long - all for $9.99. She says they're selling pretty well too. This is the first time I've heard of this! Has anyone else seen these for sale?

Brenda's Selvage Bag

Brenda of http://www.scrapsandstrings.blogspot.com/ in Manitoba, Canada recently whipped up this zippered selvage bag. For this project she decided to feature lots of color windows. I think that looks twinkly! (You know, like stars.)

I like how selvage quilters roll with the punches and come up with do-able solutions to quilt "situations." Near the top of the middle photo, there wasn't enough overlap of two selvages, so she just applied a patch. (It's checkered fabric.) I think it looks good. Would you ever have noticed that if I hadn't pointed it out? I doubt it, unless you're one of those forensic types.

Brenda sometimes pieces her selvages together without the use of a foundation fabric. Her objective is to minimize bulk to make the machine piecing easier. She says it works fine. Thanks for the idea, Brenda!

Golden Delicious Pin Cushion by Heather Bailey

This is one of Heather Bailey's "Fresh Picked Pin Cushions." Isn't it beautiful? I love her color sense and her creativity! She imagines this as a parade of green apples carrying their champion on thier shoulders.

Heather Bailey is a talented designer of fabrics, paper craft items, and clothing. You really have to visit her fabulous blog: http://www.heatherbailey.typepad.com/ and her store: http://www.heatherbaileystore/ Her incredible photography makes me happy and inspires me to make something beautiful.

Meet Silvana Flamini of Rome!

Silvana Flamini of Rome, Italy is a talented crafter, cook and photographer. You can see evidence of all three on her blog: http://www.unpopercelia.blogspot.com/. It will help if you can read Italian, but the pictures are worth a thousand words.

She made this belt from recycled jeans. Very clever!

And I love that photo of the cabbage. Wouldn't it be interesting to print it on fabric for a quilt?

Martina Odenthal - Selvage from Germany!

Remember Martina Odenthal, the quilter and lawyer from Cologne, Germany who made the selvage cuffs (posted the day after Christmas)? She sent me a nice gift package that included this pretty selvage from Germany. I'll have to save this one for a special spot in a selvage quilt. Thank you, Martina.

Visit Martina's blog at: http://stufenzumgericht.blogspot.com.

Sonya's Selvage Wall Panels

Sonya of Ballarat, Australia made these three padded wall panels with selvages. You really should read her story on her blog: www.sagoontuesdays.blogspot.com. She came to love the look of selvages a long time ago when her Grandmother left the selvage on some cupboard curtains. She told Sonya that the fabric was too expensive to throw any of it away.

Does Ballarat, Australia sound familiar? Yes, that's where Jodie of Vintage Ric Rac fame lives. She's the creator of that amazing selvage dress that I keep a photo of on the sidebar. About 16 quilt bloggers in the Ballarat area got together for a picnic recently. Of course, it's nice and warm there right now. They had such a blast. You can read about it on all the blogs! Jodie links to all of them, so if you have lots of time, visit: www.vintagericrac.blogspot.com.

Woven Selvage Postcard by Vicki Welsh

This cheerful woven selvage postcard was created by Vicki Welsh who lives near Richmond, VA. It was made for a swap that had a recycle theme. The flower fabrics came from old tee shirts. I like how she made the center of the flower using lots of thread.

Vicki says she is obsessed with anything involving fabric and thread. (You're among friends here Vicki!) Don't miss her blog: www.vickiwelsh.typepad.com, especially the post about Christmas ornaments. She has 120 teacup hooks in a closet where she stores the most beautiful collection of handmade ornaments. You have to see it. She is funny, too.

Thank you to Ann Marie (of Run and Sew Quilts) who told me about this postcard. This is what inspired Ann Marie to start sewing with selvages!

Ann Marie's Red Zinger!

Ann Marie of Run and Sew Quilts (http://www.runandsewuilts.wordpress.com/) from Oregon just finished quilting her Red Zinger, and what a stunning quilt it is!! Her friends at Boersma's Sewing Center in McMinnville got to see this quilt in person; lucky quilters. The binding will be red. Perfect!

That quilting is just gorgeous! She got some quilting ideas from the gals at Machine Quilter's Resource (http://www.MQResource.com/ ). Didn't she do an incredible job? The quilting in the red areas reminds me of that old fashioned ribbon candy my grandmother had at Christmas when I was little. Take a close look at the outer border. I love this quilt.

Selvage Journal for Daughter in College

Stephanie in Ohio made this beautiful journal for her daughter Allison, a student of industrial design at the University of Cincinnati. Allison has her mom saving selvages for her because she likes the color windows. (What a smart kid! I've sent her a copy of the selvage book.)

I like the color windows on the selvage Stephanie used for the bow. Isn't that a nice idea: black and white, with soft colors across the middle? Mom has a good eye for design, too! See her blog at: http://loftcreations.blogspot.com.

"That's My Q" by Kathleen Loomis

This amazing selvage quilt by Kathleen Loomis of Louisville, Kentucky measures 56" x 87 wide!" Her father was a typographer, so she developed an appreciation for letters at an early age. You can read her interview on the Alliance for American Quilts website (Save our Stories):http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/qsos/interview.php?pbd=qsos-a0a3g7-a

I would love to see this quilt in person.

Are You Suffering from SO?

Elena McDowell is seeing selvages everywhere...even when they're not selvages! Tell your doctor if you experience this symptom as it may be a sign of Selvage Overload. (I've been watching too many TV commercials.) We're all here for you, Elena!

All those color windows really would look nice in my upcoming "Triangle Trellis" selvage quilt. I feel a case of SO coming on too!

June Calender's Selvage Postcards

June Calender of NYC is on a selvage postcard-making binge! Take a look at these fairy tale theme prints surrounded by selvages (in a modified courthouse steps arrangement). What a fun idea.

See June's blog to read more about her project: www.calenderpages.blogspot.com.

Necktie Pillows - A Keepsake from Quilt Diva Julie

I am so excited to bring you this idea from "QuiltDiva" Julie Sefton of Memphis, TN. She made these pillows for the children and grandchildren of a lawyer who passed away. What an excellent memorial keepsake! He had some pretty interesting ties too. I love how she put them together in a playful improvisational way. I plan to make some of these. Thanks, Julie!

Julie is planning her next necktie project, so keep an eye on her blog: www.quiltdivajulie.blogspot.com.

Selvagey Basket Block

Brenda of Manitoba, Canada made this artistic and charming string block. While it's not a selvage block, it is definitely selvagey.

There is so much that I love about this piece! The writing on the basket fabrics interests me, especially my old favorite, "Run, Dick, run." The strings look nice ararnged on an angle. And that splash of color is perfect, near all those neutrals. The black and white bias handle has an appropriately woven look. And the background is quiet, but interesting; a little askew like the basket. I bet Brenda threw this together intuitively, and it's just right!

See more of her work at www.scrapsandstrings.blogspot.com.

Nesting Houses

When I saw this, I had to get a photo to show you! I love to have a good reason to stop the car and take photos of cool things. This is south of Kent, Connecticut, near the New York border. I have no idea what is in this building, but I hope there is another door someplace!

Pin Cushion by Bea in Germany

Bea's quilt group in Germany made pin cushions from recycled materials for a swap in 2006, and this is the one she made. Very "cutting edge," Bea!

What a great idea to add black ric rac to make a curvy edge. And it looks like she included a label as well. Very cool.

Something for Everyone:)

These fashion footwear items (What else would you call them? Sneekers?) are on display at the Galleria Mall in White Plains, New York. I guess no amount of lacing is too much trouble when you want to look this good, but 20 rows of eyelets?

I like to stop and enjoy outrageous items like this because I think it fills my "creativity tank." And you, dear readers, don't even have to go to the mall to enjoy this enrichment!

Valentine Quilts by Elena McDowell

These tiny Valentine quilts are so sweet! And there's still time to whip up some of these before Feb. 14. One has writing on the selvage and the other doesn't. I like the buttons sprinkled across the quilts, and the cross-hatching and echo quilting too. Oh, and the black and white striped binding is a nice touch. Perfect.

I like everything about these little quilts. Nice job, Elena!

Selvage Quilt Featured in the New AQS Calendar

If you are using the new AQS Quilt Art Engagement Calendar, you saw Alice Weickelt's selvage quilt today. Isn't it beautiful? She used thin interfacing to foundation piece the quilt top, and she machine quilted it. This quilt was exhibited at the AQS Show in Des Moines in October 2008, and juried into the Wisconson Public Television Quilt Expo in Madison. I wonder what Alice will come up with in 2009!