Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Valentine Fabric Postcards

I have all this fabric so what do I do with it?  Yes, I could make a scrappy quilt but I found another use for this fabric.  It's making fabric postcards that you can actually mail through the post office like a postcard.  I know a lot of you out there, including myself, love to make paper cards but this is another way of making a card. 

I got interested in making these fabric cards quite a few years ago.  I started making these type of cards for my grandchildren on most all occasions.  Some of them have a photograph album with slip in photo sleeves and to put the postcards in them to save.  

This is how I make them.  The inside of these postcards are made with a stiffener interfacing which is about 1/8" thick.  The size of my postcards I make are 4" X 6."  Then I cut the same size out of Double Stick Fusible Web, quantity 2 per postcard.  Then decide how you want to design the card and what occasion it will be used for.  Fabric, bling, ribbon, lace, buttons really anything can be used.  As you can see on my Valentines Cards that I used letters from a game that I picked up at a garage sale. 

TIP:  If you're a garage sale person keep this in the back of your mind because there are usually sewing remnants, ribbons, rick rack, buttons, jewelry, etc. anything you can imagine can be used on cards. 

Back to making the card.  Iron on the fusible web to one side of the interfacing.  Then start cutting fabric, ribbon or whatever you're going to put on the card.  Another point.  If you have something bulky wait and put it on last because your last step is sewing.  Such as my letters on my cards, they were glued on when every step was done.  Once you are done with the decorative side then we'll move to the other side (front).  Iron on the second piece of fusible web and cut out of muslin or white material another 4" x 6" piece.  This will be the side you write the name and address of who you're sending it to (just like you would on a regular postcard).  On the left side write your message or if you have a special rubber stamp that you'd like to use stamp it.  Don't forget your return address.  Once the postcard is finished you will go to the sewing machine and sew around the outside on all sides a decorative stitch.  Then paste or sew on your bulky embellishments to totally complete the postcard.

As you can see in the photograph above you can make any postcards for any occasion and use them to decorate.  I do this especially at Christmas time because there are so many Christmas fabrics and accessories that you can use.  Special note!  Can u tell I love to watch birds?  Cardinals this time of year just really stand out because of there bright red. 

Now if you're postcards are flat you won't have any problem mailing them in the post office.  I would suggest if you have bulk that you put it in another envelope and mail it.  Infact, when a holiday came around the postmaster was excited to see what kind of postcards I had designed.

Hope you enjoyed this post and you will try to make a fabric postcard for a friend, grandchild, family member or whoever.  Keep checking back cause there will be other fabric postcards once in a while.

Till next time, Keep on stitchin,
Connie