Summer Fun – Quilted Postcards!

Quilt Lab did it again – now they’ve got me working on quilted postcards. It is the perfect little project for summer time. I’m nibbling away at my scrap pile, both fabric and batting. I’m experimenting with different techniques, but on a super small scale that is almost guaranteed to be finished in one sitting. This is the most fun I’ve had in the studio this summer.

I’ve been looking into quilted postcards for a while – I picked up a book at a yard sale several years ago, and even went so far as to buy some Peltex (the interfacing that keeps it firm) before I lost the whole lot into my stash.

Last month, Paula, our Quilt Lab Leader got us to agree that postcards would be the perfect little project for summer. I was excited to get the boost to try something I’ve thought about doing. Sometimes I just need a little bit of motivation.

For my first piece, I made a kawandi-style piece. It was so much fun, and I was delighted with how it turned out. I’m quite taken with this bundle of Cherrywood Fabrics I have, and I had been planning to do some circles with my Applipops. That project fizzled out, but I used some of the circles here, and they were perfect.

As I was working on this one, I wondered what would happen if I stitched in a grid, rather than in the squared spiral of the Kawandi, but with the same folding and layering technique.

That made me wonder, how would it look and feel if I made one by hand?

I realized that I missed the circles, but enjoyed the hand stitching.

The even stitches made me think about the Sashiko projects Mom has done. I used some little stencils I had to make a hexagonal pattern. The stitches are a little too small for this to be really successful, but I like it.

Finally, we went to visit High Point State Park on Monday. While there, I admired the landscape and took a photo. This little postcard is so cute! I’ll be doing more landscapes, and probably trying to do some of the view from my yard.

All of these pieces finish at 4″ x 6″. I have heard, but not confirmed, that they can be mailed with a normal postage stamp. I plan to visit the post office and see what the employee says. I will ask to have them hand-canceled, too, in hopes that they don’t get mangled. My first ones to be mailed will be a test to see if I should be putting them into envelopes. That kind of defeats the purpose for me, though. I can just imagine how fun it would be to find one of these in the mailbox.

Are you tempted to try quilted postcards, too? I’m going to put together some little tutorials for the projects I’ve been doing. My goal with these is to have a project that I work on every day that leads naturally to the next day’s project. Like my watercolor explorations – I just want to relax and explore my creativity. I spend so much time working on projects with constrictions from other people. This is just for me.

Honestly, I think the hardest part of this project is going to be mailing these little pieces of myself away.

14 thoughts on “Summer Fun – Quilted Postcards!

  1. It would be great if you did a tutorial, Jen! I’d like to try them. All of yours are so fun, but I’m especially drawn to the ones with the Applipops (on my list to get).

    1. Thanks, Wendy! I’ll definitely be doing some tutorials, and I have plans for some videos, too.

  2. I like that each day’s project seems to flow naturally into the next with these. I really enjoy small makes like these as they come together quickly, even when there is a fair amount of detail.

  3. Those are lovely. I would be interested in your tutorials. Debby Brown https://debbybrownquilts.com/ used to sell the plastic mailing envelopes. I don’t see it on her website now but she might be able to tell you where to go for that. I bought a kit from her for making postcards but that is as far as I got. Maybe you can inspire me?

  4. Hi Jen ! Your postcards are lovely! Warning though, the are addicting , several years ago I made a lot of them and mailed many! Just stamp as usual and ask to have them hand stamped! Try to make then thinner, I put a yo-yo on one once and it didn’t look too neat when it was received! I really like the kawandi style ones you made! I think I may have another go at them!
    My family and friends really enjoyed them!
    Thanks for all your lovely inspiration!

    1. Yeah, that warning has come a bit too late, as I am now having a hard time limiting myself to making just one per day. I’m off to the post office tomorrow, I hope!

  5. Love your postcards, something I’ve wanted to try, but since I’m fairly new to sewing I e been hesitant. A tutorial sounds great.

  6. This is a fun little project. I need to do some for our guild, so I will bring some cut up peltex next week. I have some in Medford! I do believe you can mail them – I did an exchange once and mailed mine – sadly never got one back. Anyway, lots of fun!

  7. Your postcards are beautiful! On the landscape one, did you use a fusible behind each piece of fabric first before stitching it down?

    1. Thank you, Kathleen! I did not use any fusible behind the fabrics. I’m super lazy, and these just have to survive one trip from my house to the recipient. I actually despise using fusible – it doesn’t cooperate for me. I always iron too much or too little. I prefer to use other techniques.

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