I've been collecting fabric selvages for quite a while, intentionally including about 1/2" - 3/4"of the pattern when I trim them. Some of my friends who quilt have also been saving them for me.
In the past, I've made little things with fabric created from the selvages - like my batting-lined, thread-catcher 'tacos'.
Today I made a larger piece of fabric for a project bag.
I cut a piece of muslin (or it might have just been white broadcloth) slightly larger than the usual dimensions accounting for some shrinkage due to the amount of stitching I'd be doing on it.
I then drew guidelines every 3" at a 45º angle. Starting in a corner, I placed a piece of selvage with the finished edge at the point. The raw edge would be covered by the finished edge of the next piece of selvage and so on.
I tried to highlight the colour markings (register?) and at least a little bit of the printed fabric. It took a while selecting and sewing the selvages and a lot of thread. My starting point was the bottom left corner.
The foundation fabric did pucker a little but the good side smoothed out nicely when ironed with Flatter - a pressing spray. It was important to just lay the selvage strip down rather than pulling it at all - which would have created big puckers.
The edges were trimmed off and the 'fabric' was squared up and cut into the two 3" pieces, to be sewn onto the 5" vinyl window then sewn to the zipper, and the remaining larger piece.
Any colour zipper would have worked so I just picked one I didn't think I'd be using any time soon.
The lining is a white on white paisley.
All went together smoothly.
The zipper pull is also made from a reused item.
Skip pointed out that I was making something with items that normally would get thrown away so I guess it's my little contribution to not junking up the planet quite as quickly.
I would definitely consider making smaller items out of fabric made from selvages. More cross stitch clutches would be perfect for that.
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