hey, don't throw the selvages away...they make great quilts...I just made one...you do have to cut about 1 1/2 inches in from the edge of the selvage if you are going to use them...I had quilters saving just the decorated edge( the selvage with a name, numbers, circles that are colored) for almost a year...A gal wrote a book on "how to use selvages".....sorry, I am traveling so don't have her name or that of the book...go google Quilts made from selvages.....I bet it will come up...