Show Me Your Selvedges

Today was all about the scrappiest of scraps.  I picked this great book up from the post office today. I had ordered it from The Book Depository. It's another great publication by Stash Books - I just love the feel of their covers!


This weekend I am off to do a Mystery Quilt' project with 'Hunters and Collectors' in Coffs Harbour. It's such a mystery that they haven't sent me the fabric requirements yet - Yikes! Anyway my QCA blog buddy Kristy is going to do the course too. It will be the first time we have actually met - but we connect on so many levels beyond just quilting..


After class, fellow QCA local, Jane will be meeting us for drinks and dinner. She thought it would be a fun if we could do a 3 way swap. So today we divided up the tasks. Kristy chose sewing kits/needle book, Jane the pincushions and me? I am doing the pouches. Phew! because I have been consolidating my pouch repertoire. 

I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Jane is a huge fan of selvedges and has made a few great items with them. I went straight to my selvedge box and emptied it out. I started saving selvedges when I started quilting but I have now learned to be more generous with the width of them. The skinny ones are pretty much useless but I did find enough to piece together to make fabric. I used the quilt-as-you-go technique.

Just one of my selvedge fabrics. I have nearly finished both pouches after dedicating myself to them all afternoon and late into the night. I made many silly errors and had to unpick about 6 times at the zipper stage. Proof that I was too tired to continue tonight. 

Charm Pack Give-Away + Extra


The postman also bought the prize for the '50 Likers Give-Away' today. Jane from Want It Need It Quilt had slipped in a little extra. A packet of Superior needles was smiling out from the package. So these will also go to the winner. Thanks Jane.

I couldn't resist having a little looksy into the charm pack though. I flicked through the range - the colour palette is just as lovely as I had hoped. I found three lovelies that I though I would share.

It is not too late to enter the Give-Away. Entries close 8pm (AEST) of Wednesday 18th April. Jump to the page here. And Kristy's 'Oh Deer' CP and thread Give-Away here.

Quilting Bee for 2012 - January Block

Late last year a few of us were keen to sign up to a group quilting bee through the Facebook group 'Quilt Club Australia'. I have never been in a quilting bee before but I was interested in developing the skills that learning new blocks would bring me.


January Block


Recipient - Erin from Missy Mac Creations


Name of Block - string block 
Finished Block size - 8" x 8"
Fabric Selection - scraps with a central diagonal of solid white
Tutorial - from Film in the Fridge
Technique - using a paper base with a smaller stitch length. Use paper glue to adhere the central strip to the diagonal. Then use the  'quilt as you go' QAYG method.

Glue down the solid white diagonal and sew the longest strip to it.

Keep adding strips of various widths until you hit the edge

Turn over and add strips to the other side

Trim down to an 8" square

Add more string blocks and line up the central strip as an 'X' or a square

They were so easy to make and more than a bit addictive...I had to do more than one. Generously Erin is making this quilt to donate and she was happy to accept any number of blocks in the post. I can't wait to see the finished quilt top.


Blogged Samples from QCA Bee


Kristy from Quiet Play  
Laura from Quokka Quilts
Kate from Kwilts by Kate
Beverley from Beverley's Designs
Kay from Shocking Hocking