Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Modern Selvage Quilting - A Book Review and Giveaway



While I have not had the chance yet to meet Riel Nason in person, I have seen one of her quilts in real life - at Quilt Canada - and it was fantastic. Riel is creative and playful in her designs, and reading about them on her blog - The Q and the U  - has always made me smile. Riel is a Canadian, living in a small town on Canada's east coast in New Brunswick.


When Riel asked me if I would share a review of her new book, Modern Selvage Quilting - I jumped at the chance. Riel is not just a quilter, she is also a published fiction author too. Her quilting book is full of her own voice and her own stories. It is a pleasure to read and funny too. All the photos in this post are from the book.


Riel points out that selvages are just another kind of fabric scrap. Modern Selvage Quilting provides you with advice on how to save your selvages and how to select and use them in projects. Riel provides three different methods for effectively piecing the selvages and each is clever, fully illustrated and easy to execute.


There are instructions for several projects in the book as well, from pincushions to pillows to placemats to quilts. Riel shares many tips as well, all of which focus on using selvages easily and effectively. While Riel gave me a copy of her book for this review, I would have bought my own copy if she had not. If you are interested in selvage quilting, this is the book to get.


Now I have to admit to not saving many selvages, although I have a few jars of the prettiest ones. But, armed with this new book, I might just have to change my practices - the projects are just so appealing.



Riel asked me which quilt I would make if I had an unlimited supply of selvages. I have to say that I am in love with that giant star and it might just be the push I need to save my selvages.


As part of the blog hop introducing Modern Selvage Quilting, I get to give away one copy of the book. If the winner is in the U.S.A. they will get a hard copy and if the winner is from the rest of the world they will receive an e-copy. To win, leave me one comment letting me know if you save your selvages or might start doing so and what you have or plan to make with them.  The give away will be open to enter until 10 pm MDT on May 22 and I will draw a winner randomly after that.

Please, please, if you want to win a copy of this lovely book, make sure that I can find you. If you are not sure that your email is connected to your comments, put it in the comment too, or your instagram handle or your blog location. If I can't find the winner I will draw again.

You should check out the rest of the book reviews on the blog hop:

May 10 Riel at C&T Publishing Blog
May 11 Cindy at Live a Colorful Life
May 12 Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl
May 13 Diane at Butterfly Threads Quilting
May 16 Krista at Poppyprint
May 17 Casey at The Studiolo
May 18 Leanne at She Can Quilt
May 19 Sandy at Upstairs Hobby Room
May 21 Riel at The Q and the U

Best,


Leanne

120 comments:

Cheryl said...

I have about three glass ja r s saved and have never used any of them! I agree, the star us fabulous.

swooze said...

I don't save selvage a because I'm not sure how to cut them to use them. I sure could use a book like this!

Anna brown said...

Yess i save my selvage...I hope to make a tote bag out of some of mine soon.... happyness04431@yahoo.com

Kim said...

I'm starting to save them and am thinking big. The pictures from the book are inspiring.

VA said...

I've been saving mine for several years with no firm plan. This book sounds like the push I need to get sewing with them!

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I do save my selvages and have only made a mug rug so far with them. I have enough to make a quilt.

Rike Busch said...

I'm saving them but for a good ftiend of mine until now. But maybe, the book wouöd certainly change my behaviour. ;) It looks really amazing.
thanks for the chance! Rike

Vicki in MN said...

What a fun quilt that star is! I have never saved selvages either, but who knows if I had the book for inspiration I might just have to!!

elizabethdee said...

I love the pictures from the book. The projects look wonderful.
I have been saving selvages for a long time but have never designated them for any project. However, once in a while I will stitch or glue one to an otherwise blank greeting card and voila-- fun stationery!

Sandy said...

I have saved and am now starting to use my selvages thanks to this book and blog tour! My day is tomorrow!!

Lori Smanski said...

these projects are so cute. i just started saving them recently, so I will have to wait to make something. But would totally love this book. Thanks for a chance.
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

Lynda said...

I do save selveges and I really love that star as well - I think I would stick to making minis....

Unknown said...

I've only recently started saving selvages. I'd love to have enough for a whole quilt - guess I'll have to start buying more fabric with pretty edges ;)
telltalethread@gmail.com

Kathryn said...

I do have a few baggies of selvages just waiting for a project.

Danette said...

Originally, I did not save my selvedges, but I have been saving them now for at least a year. I have only sewn them to one project so far. Thank you, peterstankovich@comcast.net

Charlotta said...

I have tons of selvage so saved. Probably more than I can ever use! I've started one project, where I'm sewing salvages to a foundation - 12" x 12" foundation blocks. I've made about 18-20 blocks and need 35, for what I think will be a table cloth. I only work on it at retreats, and have had lots of other projects, so it's been on a back burner for a while.
I save all my salvages and give half of them to a friend in my guild, who has made two beautiful selvage quilts. She's now the guild selvage keeper, and anybody who wants to use selvages can get some from her.

Donna said...

I've been saving selvages for quite a while but with no clear idea of what to do with them. I would start by making that pillow - I love it! quiltfairy33@yahoo.com

Janie said...

I have been quilting for more than 25 years and I just started saving my selvages. I would of had a great collection. I would love this book. I can be found at janie(dot)mccombs(at)yahoo(dot)com

cynthia said...

I love these creative ideas for all the selvages I've saved!

fabart3440 said...

I have saved selvages for several years and made a jacket and working on a big block version.

Cathy L said...

I have recently started saving selvages because I love the look of these types of projects but I'm not sure if I'm cutting them correctly. I would love to learn more!

STH said...

I'm saving my selvages, though I haven't decided how I'm going to use them yet. I'm all about getting the maximum value out of my fabrics!

livingincolorblog (at) outlook (dot) com

Unknown said...

I have been saving salvages for a while. I love the arrow quilt. I think they all look fascinating.
\

Heidi said...

I have been saving selvedges for four or five years now, and the slippers I made with them did not make a dent! Riel's book looks fantastic!

Katherine McNeese said...

love these quilts; have given all away that I've saved, but its time to start saving for myself!

Jen said...

I was saving my selvages for the longest time, but I gave them all to a fellow quilter that was working on a project and needed them. I haven't been saving them since then. I look at them each time I cut them off and think, "oh what a pretty bag this would make". I would love to make a nice tote with them for all of my travel quilting supplies.

Quiltsmiles said...

I have been saving my selvages and not sure what to do with them or where to start. Should chosen, this would be a nice nudge.

Dyann said...

I started saving selvages a while back after I had seen some things made with selvages.....I would LOVE this book! The Selvage is small but packs a punch :) prismsaz@cox.net

Ann Petersen said...

I started saving selvages after a blog hop I saw last year, but I don't save them reliably. I'd love to do one of these projects. I'm on IG at @brownpawsquilting. Thanks for doing the giveaway!

Kathryn said...

I save some selvages, but I have to say that seeing some of these will inspire to save them A LOT MORE! These are just beautiful designs. I also love the giant star, but also the arrows... everything is just stunning! Email is katbyrne79 at gmail. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

artsycraftsyivy said...

I always save my selvages. I have a 2-gallon ziploc bag filled with them. This book is on my list, but it would be awesome to win it.

jellybean said...

Loving all the selvage projects and yes I save all mine in a plastic tub just waiting for a great book giveaway like this

clemonssarah7 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I'm a new recruit to saving selvages. I absolutely love the star quilt but I think the possibilities are endless.

Leila said...

I do save my selvages. I almost got rid of them while purging for our move this summer but just couldn't bring myself to do it. This book looks awesome.

Archie The Wonder Dog said...

I don't usually save selvedges (unless they're very special) because I tend to need as much width of fabric as I can get; and I also seem to always get the FQ without the pretty selvedge! I may start collecting them!

JANET said...

I started saving them when I ran across this blog hop! Love the Medallion Quilt, as well as some of the other quilts in the book. For me, the book is a must have!

Prairiesummers said...

I actually started saving selvages after I stumbled upon her blog. I do not have enough to do a quilt but maybe a pillow case or a Mini is on my to-do list :-) jen.neef@web.de

Unknown said...

I bought some scrap bags at Hancocks of Paducah. They are all strips and a lot of them have the selvage on. But I don't know how to cut them. I'd love this book to help me figure it out!
Thanks!
Stlkeeler@yahoo.com

Joy said...

I've been saving. I'm looking for the right project. Riel could help me with that.

Anita said...

I have 3 large zip lock bags full of selvedges. I just can't throw them away.

Anne said...

I do save them most of the time, especially if they are pretty. Would love to win the book.

Jessica said...

I love my selvages and I made my Selvage Rainbow Bookcase quilt last year. I also love using them as pillow backs!

Julie Ethier said...

Hello!

I didn't even think about saving my selvages until I read this post! What a brilliant idea .. I would definitely make the giant diamond quilt as I have had my heart set on a pattern like that for a while now. ethierjd@gmail.com

judys said...

I have been trying to remember to save the selvages recently as I saw some of the selvage projects a few months ago and fell in love; now I just need to learn how to deal with them! This book looks wonderful, thank you.

Robby said...

Saving selvages is a new idea to me in the last few months. The more I see of this book on this hop, the more I'm feeling like I might need to be saving my selvages. Beautiful stuff.

Unknown said...

I save selvages for a friend. She may get a book too!

Blue dragonfly5 said...

I started saving my salvages about a year ago. I usually cut 1 inch width including the selvage before cutting out the project pieces. Quilts ideas in the book look great.

Nancy J said...

I didn't have any selvages till this week, when I bought a metre of cotton fabric, usually I get batiks.This would be a fabulous book to own, and with international readers included, a really wonderful give-away.

Lisa England said...

I've saved a small number of selvages but have plenty of fabric that has them intact, so I could amass a decent collection if I spent some time slicing and dicing! Riel's book looks very interesting and might be just the push I need to try a selvage project! Also, I loved her first novel, and I'm looking forward to reading the second one.

memmens said...

I have approx 2.5kg of selvedges! I use them from time to time in projects but I think having a book of inspiring projects would really motivate me to get them out and sew a big project - thanks for the chance
mary(at)emmens(dot)co(dot)uk

Sue said...

I have been saving selvedges for abouts year, but haven't attempted using them yet. This book looks extremely inspirational!!

Cynthia's Creating Ark said...

How interesting. I haven't save mine but I have a friend who will rescue mine if she is sewing with me. I would love to know how to use them and really like the idea of a star quilt but I am a sucker for stars.

Sandyzoo said...

I do collect all my selvages but havn't made anything with them yet! My goal is a wall hanging!
Carol S.
sandyzoo45@comcast.net

Karen in Breezy Point said...

I've been saving my selvages for years, but have yet to do anything with them. It looks like the book is full of fun inspiration!

Susan Stanton said...

I do not save my selvages, but after seeing the quilts in your review, I think I'll start as they are so neat! I think I'd start with something small, in a makeup bag or a tote.
yoyopattycakes at hotmail dot com

cjmont said...

i have saved my selvages for the last 3 years and i have a lot more selvages than projects, can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Anonymous said...

Beginning quilter,so not so many selvages yet>working on it. Thanks for sharing! msstitcher1214@gmail.com

gigi said...

I've been saving them for over a year. I will need to have a look at this book!

Monica said...

I don't save my selvages but I plan to start now. once I get enough maybe I'll make a wall hanging.

jo said...

I save them and have a couple plastic bags full.....was not sure how to use up, but now I do. Would love the book.
jsorensen794 at yahoo dot com

Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge said...

I do save my selvages and have made a number of small projects with them. I like keeping them around as a reminder of all the fabrics that have come and gone from my stash!

Jill said...

I started saving my selvages a few years ago after seeing some selvage quilts online. I want to make a lap quilt with them eventually, but I also love the pincushions and pillow that you've shown from the book! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of this book!

maureen said...

Wish I had known this years ago! Oh well, I'm started to save my selvages now!

Lesley said...

I save my selvage a and maybe some day I will do something with them!

JC in TX said...

I have about 7 1-gallon bags stuffed tight with selvages! If I win this book, first quilt made will be donated!! The reviews on this have inspired me to 'get 'er done'!!

mb-RI said...

I just started saving selvages! Now I'll know what to do with them!! Thanks for the giveaway!

Heather J said...

I do save my selvedges and hope to have enough for a wall hanging soon!

Camilla said...

I have a collection of selvages which I'm beginning to think about making into something, so this book would be just the ticket!

Mommajo said...

I'm so intrigued by this use of selvages! I've always saved them for a friend & now I want to try a project myself. Would love to have the book for guidance. Contact: mjstitch@gmail.com

Linda B said...

I'm in love with the photos from this book. I've only recently started saving my selvages, so I think I'd like to start with a pillow.

Sarah J said...

I have been saving selvages, but don't have a big stash of them yet. I love the arrows and the pillow (which would be doable with my current supply!). Thank you!

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

Oh my...what awesome projects. I like the giant star as well.

Kathy H said...

I save selvages for a friend. I might have to keep some for myself. I love the red quilt with the arrows.

Rozz01 said...

Who knew you could make something so clever with selvages. Yes, now that I am enlightened I am saving selvages for a quilt. Love the star quilt.

Allison C said...

I have just started because of this blog hop! I could use a book for inspirational projects...

quintuplicatemom said...

My jar of salvages is overflowing; I need some good ideas on how to use them!

Greta said...

I have a few saved since I saw some really cool ideas at a guild meeting recently. I would really love to have a book and get some more great ideas.

Auntiepatch said...

I've always been sorry to throw away the selvages because I couldn't think of a way to use them. Now I know! Thanks!

Anita said...

I save my selvages but I have not yet used them for any projects. Let's hope this book will give me some good ideas!

I'm Feelin' Crafty said...

I never save mine! But I've never been inspired like these quilts inspire! I love these!

Anita Nelson said...

I have been saving selvage a for quite awhile now. So excited to see this book! If I don't win I will buy it. anita77466@gmail.com

ljeanne said...

I have a ton of selvage and need ideas for sewing them. I hope I win!

claire ross said...

I have a small stash of selvedges so maybe a pin cushion would be a suitable project.
Iain.ross30 at gmail dot com

Beth said...

I don't save my selvages. To be honest, I have the tendency to go overboard with the things I save, so when I saw this selvage-saving begin, I decided not to join in. But I have a dear friend who has "wished" for this book, so I've been saving my selvages for the last month or so, and I'm going to give her a copy of this wonderful book along with however many selvages I have saved by that time, and that will be it for me and selvages. Or at least, that's the plan.

rappy said...

I started saving them a few months ago, but used them for the first time this past weekend, when I made a bookshelf mini-quilt. I used the selvages for the book titles and I just love how they look!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

she does wonderful work, and is a fantastic writer...we live not too far from each other and have never met!
can you believe that?????

Paige said...

I have been saving selvages without a plan to use them! I could really use the book! The sting quilt with the aqua is my favorite!

Cecilia said...

I have been saving my selveges and I want to make a quilt with them. I love that Star quilt, too! It is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the pictures from the book and for the giveaway.

Nancy L said...

I just started saving my selveges. I'm not sure what I will use them for, but I'm sure I will find something and think, ""I'm so glad I have saved these!!"

sisylyn2 said...

Would love to win such a wonderful book. I am teaching myself quilting and it would help.
gandn74@ymail.com

Havplenty said...

I started saving my selvedges ever since I saw the Red Zinger quilt by Karen Griska. I have not made anything with them yet but will keep saving them. I really like the projects that have been shown from Riel's book. She is so creative. I follow her blog also.

tushay3 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Diane Beavers said...

Hi Leanne,
Indeed I've been saving my selvages. Since reading a review of Riel's book a few months ago by Anita at Daysdreams of Quilts, I started cutting my selvages wider. Plan on making zip pouches and more pinnies for now. Thankyou.

schimmel(dot)db(at)gmail(dot)com

Jayne said...

I have a very tiny bundle of selvages saved. After seeing some of the quilts and projects it makes me want to save more and finally make something! I use a lot of solids, no selvages there!!

Linda said...

I have been saving my selvages, but have yet to try making anything with them! I'm sure that this book would help. My Instagram name is lindabick E-mail is loudog 91301 at AOL dot com

Crystal_235 said...

I haven't saved my selvages, but after seeing these I might have to.

Crystal_jordan_235 (at) hotmail (dot)com

BrendaM said...

I have only recently started saving my selvages, but , to be honest, I never really had any selvages worth saving. Within the last year or so, I have being buying designer fabric, just because I fell in love with the designs or colours, with no real real projects in mind. At the beginning of this year, I was bit by the quilting bug and have started to learn to quilt. I started saving my selvages after following the blog by Crazy Quilt Mom. Now when I start cutting into my fabric it is from the plain side selvage and now I save the pretty selvage. (bjmaxwell@sympatico.ca)

Unknown said...

Yes I save them and I won a basket of them last wknd at my local guild's show! jbscraps at yahoo dot com or IG jbscraps

patty a. said...

I do have some selvages that I have saved. The ones from my Dutch Wax African fabric are very cool and I had to save them for something.

mangozz said...

I just started saving them when I saw this book. I went through a bunch of fabrics and cut off the selvages so I could see what I have to work with. I don't have too many, but more than I thought. I will start off making a pincushion and maybe a needle book. I would love to win this book. chocolatewiskers@aol.com

she said...

Thanks for the chance to win the book, I started saving selvages last year. Would really come in handy.

Thanks.
Michaela
shwill2432@aol.com

Lesley Gilbert said...

I only have a few, but everybody has to start from the beginning, right :)

the running hare said...

I have a ( large) boxful of selvages, but have not got round to making them. The projects in this book look fabulous and would definitely give me the push I need to get started.

Unknown said...

I save them, but now I definitely will! Those quilts are stunning

Kathy Pitts said...

I have been saving salvages for years. I have made tote bags with them and some small quilts, but nothing like what I just saw on your blog. I would love to have this book.

Soapstone Quilts said...

I've been saving my selvage for several years now. The patterns in the book are amazing. Thanks for this chance to win a copy! Mparry1001@gmail.com (at) gmail dot com

SarahZ said...

I have been saving selvages for a few years, after seeing Krista's Color Block selvage quilt during a bloggers quilt festival! I love those selvage HSTs I see in that big star! This looks like a wonderful book!!!

IdleHandsinAlabama said...

I have 2 boxes of selvages (hoarder? who? me?) I have one quilt in progress but I know I won't stop with one, I can't wait to see what ideas there are in store. Thanks for the chance to win :)

Unknown said...

I haven't been saving the selvages, but I didn't throw them away either. They've gone into other non-quilting projects. I'll have to give these wonderful ideas consideration for future selvage trimmings.

janequiltsslowly said...

I do save selvages and I'd love to make a star quilt or medallion with them.

Unknown said...

I haven't saved any selvedges yet but looking at these beautiful projects, I definitely will now! I just need the book, which looks awesome! Thanks so much for the giveaway!

tdkcarpenoctem@hotmail.com

Joye with an e said...

I have starting saving selvages in a jar but haven't sewn with them yet. I love the red arrow one. Thanks for sharing.
joyecox@yahoo.com

Vicki said...

I've been saving salvages for quite some time and every once in awhile, I make a small project. This book looks great!

Lee Ann L. said...

this looks pretty cool. I've been saving selvages from my latest project I am working on and I am sure I would learn a few things from this book.

Cathy C said...

I do save selvages, but as a relatively new quilter, don't have a large collection,yet! Looks like a really fun book.

Karyn said...

I save my selvages & others when I meet up with someone who doesn't save theirs. I don't have a project in mind just yet, but I have a feeling I will after I get my hands on this book!

Kathy E. said...

I have saved my selvages for quite a while. I've made a few small projects with them, but still have plenty more to make something big!

Michelle M said...

I've just started saving my selvage recently, so I don't have a ton saved up, but I'm sure it won't take long. This book looks fabulous!

QuiltingU said...

I've been saving selvage for about three years now. Oh, when I think of the selvage I've thrown away over 20 years of quilting, I have a moment of dismay! But I have quite a pile ready to be sewn up into beautiful quilts, the patterns in this book would be just perfect! I'd love to win -- a free book equals more fabric money! Kathy, mail@quilta2z.com

Dee said...

Yes,I am going to start saving my selveges.....begin by cutting from my stash. ...and maybe make a pillow!

Beth said...

I have been saving mine for a while and this book looks full of inspiration!