Say it with Selvedge

I've been collecting selvedges for years. So when our son Pete turned ten I decided to make a space table runner to go with our space themed party.

We had lots of fun with bright colours, costumes and glow-in-the-dark toys.

I decided to 'go for modern' and straight stitch the table runner. I used glow in the dark NiteLite Extra Glow thread from Superior Threads and then some brightly coloured variegated threads from the Rainbows range. I like how the straight stitches showed the one inch colour change.

By choosing different words from the selvedge labels I was able to write a birthday message to Peter.

Did you know that selvage can be spelled two ways? Since I started following Karen Griska's selvage blog I've been saving selvages. When we decided to have a Space themed party to celebrate Pete's 10th Birthday, I wanted to make a table runner. I had some great fabric that would be fun to work with. I also had a pile of selvedges that I'd been saving. I've been wanting to use them but wasn't sure how.

Then I got an idea. Peter was turning 10. I thought that I could use the colour dots on the selvedges that went up to 10. And, of course, count downs from 10 went well with the space theme.While I was counting dots I started finding some fun words and it occurred to me that I could piece them together to make a message. Martha is such an unusual name, I couldn't believe my luck when I came across it on the edge of some Rowan fabric.

In the end I was able to 'say it with selvedge' just for fun.