Winner!

Apparently there many, many aren't many people interested in receiving my selvage scraps. Only four people left comments, but one of those four should win.  Drum roll, please...

Number 4 is the winner! That would be Linda! Here's her sweet comment, which I do appreciate. 

Linda said...

I would make coasters, mug rugs, zip pouches, pot holders, etc. I have started saving selvages for the past few months. Thank you for such a generous giveaway.
Linda "Cookie" Lawrence
Mandeville Louisiana 

Interestingly, Linda lives in Mandeville, which is only about three hours from my home, right on Lake Pontchartrain. So it shouldn't take long for her to get it.

Linda, I've sent you an email. Please send your address so that I can get the selvages out to you asap.

To the hundreds three of you who entered this fabulous giveaway, thank you for your kind comments. Keep entering--perhaps you'll win next time! 

Happy quilting,

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: SELVAGES

Uhm, on Monday? Sorry all. We had a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, so no internet until, well actually, I don't know. Then this morning I had a doctor's appointment so I'm quite late in getting this post out. My apologies.

The exact selvage pieces offered in the giveaway.

Since I've been offering a giveaway of a bag of selvages, I thought I'd offer a few ideas of how to use them. I may have done this before, but it's such a popular item on Pinterest that there are lots of new projects, so hopefully I'm not repeating any. 

A few selvage quilts...

I hope this inspires you to start saving and using those selvages. There are many more ideas on my "selvage, projects" board.  And don't forget to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a bag of selvages. Not many people have commented, so you'd have a pretty decent chance of winning. I'll sent them where ever you are.  I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

Forgotten Selvages: a giveaway

I've been collecting a small bag of selvage junk trash edges for several weeks now. I'd read on someone's blog (sorry, I don't remember whose) that she cuts selvages before cutting into her fabric and collects these long selvages in a bag then sells them on Etsy. What a good idea, I thought. Then I thought of another a better way to use them.

Oh, not me, I don't want to start that! I already have enough fabric to keep me in quilts and other sewing for years many, many more years. So I've been collecting them for you! I know, I'm such a good person! I wonder how many yards of selvages I've thrown away in my lifetime. 

Anyway, here they are. All nice and neat, ha! at least somewhat rolled up into little packages and stuffed into a quart zippy bag. (They all but exploded when I took them out of the bag for a picture!) 

The bag is full and I've started another. Before you ask If you're interested in why I'm using this size bag: well, it fits into this size envelope, which I have many, many of. (That's another story.) 

Yep, here we are, a zippy bag full of stuffed with trash selvage edges and a giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me how you think you'll use them. I can't fathom why you'd buy selvages by the yard when you could buy beautiful fabric, but that's your business. I am just curious about what will happen to my these selvages, which btw are FREE! 

I imagine that by Monday a few people will have come around and left a comment, so I'll announce the winner then.  Good luck!

Little Things ~~ Finishes

I've been on a "little things" kick! All day has been spent on making little things--shorts for a couple of grands, a skinny pincushion, a box cover. 

Interestingly, all six of these little things were made in one day.  First, I started off making this box cover from some of the chevron fabric Preeti sent. Isn't it cute-cute? You know, it takes more than one cute to describe such a sweet idea. 

So here's how it happened: I bought these fancy little clips at Hancock Fabrics just before the closing. There was very little left, but I found them as I was walking toward the counter to pay. At 70% off they were still a bit expensive, but heck, I splurged!

The binders come in a nice plastic box with a lid, but you know while the box does a great job of keeping them contained, it's not very pretty. I thought about making a small basket to put the clips in, but it would have needed to close and I didn't want that bother. Eventually, I thought to make a box shape that just fits the cover, so it opens easily but looks good closed and the binders are not going to go spilling everywhere. 

The left over bits of fabric just would not go into the scrap bin! No, really, they insisted on being used. So I thought about Amanda Jean's skinny pincushion and decided to do something like that. This is what I managed. Not as cute as Amanda's, but sweet enough to donate as part of a door prize at our guild meeting.

And now, the girls' shorts. I made this yellow pair that is much too big for their skinny little butts! So I went back to the drawing board and tried again. The thing is I don't know their sizes, so I had to look at a completed pair to see if maybe I was close. I think I got it with the second pair, so I made another. 

Since their mom likes to dress them conservatively, I decided to make the legs just a bit smaller. Enter a new pattern and two more pairs.

I'm hoping the little elves on these shorts will appeal to the girls even though they have odd faces. Regardless, Richard and I mailed all of the shorts off with a note to give any that don't fit to one of their cousins.

There we are all of the "little things" that are happening around here. The only other thing to discuss in this place is politics and the heat index that's up to 115 degrees. (Neither interests me very much.)

Linking up with

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts
Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts

Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Edited to add: When I wrote this post, I forgot to add the selvage giveaway that I've been planning. I know, right? Some "plan"! Anyway, if you're interested go here and leave a comment.

Modern Monday Material

Not really...it's fabric, but you know that alliteration just had to be!

I do remember my mom and so many other seamstresses of her day calling it material.  I must have been in my 30's before the word fabric stayed in my head. Now when I hear a little lady of a certain age say material, I can't help but smile.

For starters, here's a really nice little glossary of fabric patterns. 

I'm betting that if you know fabric, most of them are likely familiar with the terms, but look all the way down.  What is vermicular, I've only ever known as loops or stipples. I seems I could be wrong: vermicular is the correct name, but only because that is the scientific word for worms.  Hmm, I think I'll stick with loops.  

These photos are all from the same Pinterest board by Modern Quilts Unlimited.  

Mama.Said.Sew.by.Sweetwater

Pink chalk fabrics

Chicopee by Denyse Schmitt

Jenn Ski

Camelot Fabrics Mint to Be

Minimalista collection by the Art Gallery Fabrics

Modern Quilts Unlimited Magazine offers quilt, accessory and home decoration patterns and publishes quarterly, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

Milestones
Fact: The most popular post of all time is LSU Rural Life Museum published in July of 2011.

Hint: modern material

Memories: The cutest little sewing machine I'd ever seen is at the Rural Life Museum and put me on track to getting my very own. 

I'll see you tomorrow for the giveaway announcement...let's celebrate Fleur de Lis Quilts' four years of blogging together!

Blogging Milestone: 4 YEARS!

Hard to believe, isn't it?  It is for me...four years of blogging!
Not that it hasn't been fun, of course.  No, the hard to believe part is that I've really stuck to it.  Remember my ADD?  (I think I've mentioned it a few times.)  Somehow I've managed it enough to keep writing and, I hope, entertaining you.  

Not that I have that many followers, but a few of you are faithful and true. Which means I certainly, absolutely, unequivocally send you heartfelt thanks and armloads of hugs. 

Thanks for sticking with me. Thanks for reading my silliness. Thanks for not telling me off, especially when I've said something goofy or inappropriate or worse.  

I'd like to celebrate in a few different ways: first I'd like to look at the numbers I haven't even considered in a long time: those stats that are easy to ignore and are sometimes a worrisome, mind-boggling concept.  One a day is more than enough, don't you think?

Second, I'd like to say thanks by offering you a special gift in the form of a giveaway.  I have something sweet in mind, but I'll ask that you give me a chance to make sure I can pull it together.  

On Tuesday I'll make the big announcement.  Until then I'll give hints and you get to guess.  If you guess correctly, you'll automatically get two extra entries in the drawing.  So come back each day for a hint.  Tell your friends because the more people we have playing the more fun it will be.


Finally, let's skip down memory lane with of some of our favorite posts.


Fact: Fleur de Lis Quilts has had over 90,000 views!

Hint: famous Louisiana mix

Memories:  the photos in this post are from this Autumn Splendor of Natural Kind written back in November of 2010.

Silly String Sunday

Do you know about Silly String?  That toy, of sorts, that allows children to shoot not-so-sticky stuff from a can onto something or someone?  It's really not sticky but it does stick to the target person--and anyone or anything else it touches.  

It reminds me of sticky notes that stick to a wall or paper or book, then releases when you want it to.  The best part of both is that neither leaves a sticky residue.  The worst part of both is that they are unbelievably messy if you find yourself with too much.

 One Sunday afternoon while the children and grandchildren were visiting, Richard came outside with 10-12 cans of Silly String.  He'd bought it for me for a school project but we weren't allowed to use it.  Figuring that the grands would run off and play, he gave each a can of not-so-sticky.  Apparently he had no clue.

The kids started spraying each other, but adult laughter was more than the oldest could take.  A shot in her dad's face was especially funny and, when he retaliated with a shot of his own, the entire herd of young turncoats faced down their elders. 

It feels pretty good to mark all of the grands in one fell swoop, but it means running out of string pretty quickly.  Once out of defenses, I tried hiding behind Richard who had quickly fashioned a shield with the cardboard carrier the cans were in.  

Within 10 minutes the goop was completely exhausted and all that was left was the cleanup.   Grandmay didn't mind the cans but the sticky mess was another problem.  I combed it out of hair, picked it off of clothes, scraped it off of furniture.

The joy on the kids' faces says it all, though, clean up is a little thing after the many smiles and the laughter.  The look on Poppa's face when the first squirt of silly string went splat on his cheek was pretty priceless.  So if you're looking for a cheap, fun way to entertain the masses, run by the dollar store and pick up enough cans of Silly String so that every thumb-bearing member of the family gets one.  

If you want to extend the fun a bit and add a touch of creativity into the mix, give them each a piece of cardboard with directions to make a shield.   You won't be able to defend the stash of ammo, so don't tell them why they'll need it.  Do prepare yourself: the fighting will be fierce. 


REMINDER

Have you entered the giveaway for the AMB tote yet?  There's only one day left and you can enter as many times as you'd like.  All you have to do is tell others about Clothworks Farm to Fabric Challenge through your favorite social media.

Everything you need (rules, info, and entries) are on this link.