Selvage Saturday

So excited to make up a couple of samples for a quilt buddy's booth at an upcoming quilt show. As I helped organize her fabric bundles, and other drool worthy ware for her set-up, I came across this book:
Save the Selvages!

I've been fascinated by selvage projects and hoarding collecting the colorful edges till I found a worthy project.    I flipped through this book and it was hard to choose just one!   For time sake, I selected two easy projects I knew I could quickly finish up for her.

When working with selvages in the past, my created fabric turned out curvy and and impossible to get flat.   One great tip in the book worked wonders for getting my work to lay perfectly flat: foundation piecing.

Once I got to working, it was so much fun, churning out these darling projects became almost infectious!    It was hard to stop.   I can't explain this fascination - it might be the explosion of colors -  but who am I to argue.   Once I completed the samples, I knew I would have a hard time parting with them, so I just keep on going, and going, and going.

I've collected quite a selvage stash.  As I was sewing, a little bulb went off in my head.    Die cut shapes are another fascination of mine, and I wondered what would happen if I combined the two.    So here are few giant selvage hexies!

I have a few ideas of how to build a quilt around them, though it will need some tinkering.   Stay tuned to see what these lovelies turn into.

So if you see these little gems at a quilt show soon, give them a little wave,  OK?

GIfts: Memory Quilts Revealed - Part 2

Saying goodbye to Harley

A few months ago, another pug in our circle  left us suddenly. Harley was another distinguish gentlepug who found his family through rescue.  Along with his fur sisters, Sophie & Dixie,  he made a cross country move and welcomed a furless pup named Effie in the last year.

Harley struggled with several chronic health issues, but his decline was very sudden. We we all shocked by news that he had passed away.

Our group felt his family would be too saddened by a large quilt.  The decision was made instead to present them with a pillow in his honor.  Taking my design cue from his mother's wedding scheme, I created a custom pillow with a favorite photo on the front, and a custom label with all the donors on the back. This allowed a large donation to be made in his honor to his pug rescue group, Kentuckiana Pug Rescue.

And here's how it turned out:

I had the opportunity to hand deliver this gift.   While I wasn't able to smuggle Miss Effie home in my purse as hoped, I enjoyed meeting her in person!

Effie:   Wanna play Sophie?
Sophie: NO!

Photo label including all donors