Selvedge
The Selvedge is the outer edges of woven fabric. The Selvedge is usually tightly woven and can be 1/2" wide or wider. It often has pin holes in it where the fabric was held in place during manufacturing. The Selvedge is not usually included in the pieces cut for a quilt as it is too thick and too wide for piecing and often includes information about the designer, manufacturer and colors used while priting.
Benefits of the Selvedge
- The Selvedge runs lengthwise along the edge of the fabric, following the warp thread in woven fabric.
- The lengthwise grain is the most stable, with the least amount of stretch, so the Selvedge makes it easy to see which is the lengthwise grain.
- The Selvedge may be printed with the name of the manfacturer, the desginer, the name of the collection it is part of, and the year it was designed.
- Color dots that show the various colors used in the print may also appear on the Selvedge.
- All this information can be helpful if the quilter is looking to acquire more of the same fabric.
- Lots of fun projects can be made with selvedge strips that would normally have just been thrown away!
Supplies and Tools of Selvedge
Rotary mat and Cutter, Scissors - trim the selvage off or be sure not to include it when cutting fabric for a block
What I Wish I Knew When I Started Selvedge
Interesting, fun projects can be made from the SELVEDGE removed from fabric. They are often stitched flat as they don't work well in piecing. I wish I had saved lots of the colorful Selvedges on fabrics I've used over the years.
