Variegated Thread Selvage Quilts

I'm at retreat. Well, not yet, but by the time you read this I will be yucking it up with my pals, sewing up a storm and sampling everyone's chocolate stash when they're not looking. Because my Krista Sista's have traveled so far to come (K2 from Seattle, K3 all the way from Anchorage via Seattle), I really wanted to show them how much I appreciate their friendship. So I made them each a 14" x 20" quilt in their respective colours.

This one will head home to Alaska on Monday with K3

Give me one good reason why I shouldn't bind every future quilt in this Joel Dewberry Heirloom print? It absolutely rocks for binding!!

I've made several Chinese coin quilts with my selvage collection, but ages ago I 'favorited' this quilt on flickr and asked permission to use it for inspiration. I made my spools slightly less wonky, but free-cut the angles on each side of the spool top and bottom. Those strips for the wooden spool were made using selvages from French General fabric (which I think has the most beautiful selvage that is totally worthy of using as a design feature!). I just love the idea of these 'variegated thread' spools functioning as fabric memory quilts - a sweet reminder of all my favourite fabrics. I will definitely make one for myself!

Here is K2's quilt, which I hope will reside in her Seattle studio.

I wanted to keep the quilts a surprise, so I've scheduled this post to go live after I've gifted the quilts. I'm so excited. Isn't it a great feeling to give someone a hand-made present? Even more so in this case because I am pretty sure they'll really like them!

I also have another teeny item for the three of us. I'll post a photo once we're all together with those ones, though. They have to do with identification. You see, with three Krista's in one room, there is bound to be trouble. When K2 visited me last year, my husband started the numerical reference (I think I got K1 only because he knew me first - NOT because I'm the, ahem, oldest). K3 is clearly the youngest by a longshot though, so in her case I'm sure being #3 is just fine with her!

I hope you're enjoying your weekend as much as weeeeeeee aaaaaare (gloat, gloat). I'm only doing that because your virtual smacking is having no effect on me whatsoever.