Silk Flowered Fabric Postcards 


I (was) volunteered to head the Spouse’s Craft room at AAW (American Association of Woodturners) conference in Portland Oregon, June 2007. This was the first year for the formal Spouse's Craft Room and I decided we needed a project. I had always wanted to make fabric postcards so here was my incentive to get started. We had a great time and I've posted pics of some of the postcards. Below are my instructions for making these postcards.
Click here to look at more pictures of postcards.
Here's  a new one of my cousin's dog
Click here for pdf version of instructions.
Marje Rhine

Supplies:

  • Silk flowers and leaves–remove as much of the plastic from these as possible....you will want them to lay quite flat on your postcard.

  • Optional: small paper flowers available in scrap booking area of craft store

  • Optional: Decorative ribbon and threads

  • Optional: Fabric motifs (like flowers and butterflies), paper motifs or stickers.

  • 1 piece Timtex or heavy weight interfacing 6½" x 4½"

  • 2 pieces fusible interfacing 6¼" x 4¼"

  • 1 piece muslin 6½" x 4½"

  • 1 piece postcard background fabric 6½" x 4½"

  • 1 piece wedding weight tulle 7½" x 5½" - I like black for dark postcards and gray for light to medium value postcards–white seems too white.

    •

Tools:

  • Scissors–don’t use your best fabric shears!

  • Rotary cutter, ruler and mat (you could use scissors instead)

  • Sturdy pins with ball heads

  • Iron & ironing board or mat

  • Pressing cloth or appliqué pressing sheet (I sometimes use baking parchment paper)

  • Sewing machine with light color bobbin

  • Threads–clear nylon or polyester thread and a colored thread (variegated is nice) for stitching around the outer edge of card

Instructions: (click on image for closer look)

  • Fuse one piece of fusible web to Timtex or interfacing.
    Marje's Note: I used hat brim weight interfacing.

  • Cover with background fabric and fuse (this can be one or more pieces of fabric).
    Marje's Note: This was a great fabric to use as a background. I should make a series of city garden postcards.

 		Figure 1
  • Arrange flowers, leaves, motifs, threads, and ?? on top
    of background fabric fused to interfacing. Remember these need to be as flat as possible. Some people had luck using glue to keep elements in place.
 Figure 2

  • Cover flower arrangement with tulle.

  • Secure tulle and flower arrangement with pins. Tip! First secure by simply poking pins into interfacing at an angle almost parallel to face of the card. After enough pins have secured the elements, pick up the piece and push the points of the pins on the backside back into the interfacing.

 		Figure 3

  • Thread the sewing machine with clear thread–loosen upper thread tension on sewing machine.

  • Straight stitch or free-motion stitch along edges or right next to elements so that they are secure and will not shift. Add additional stitching as desired.

    •
Figure 4
  • Trim the card as desired. Standard postcard size is
    4" x 6".
  • Apply last piece of fusible web to back of postcard. Fuse muslin to postcard back. Trim as necessary.
 Figure 6

  • Thread sewing machine with colored thread and satin stitch (small zigzag) around edges of postcard.

  • If you plan to mail the card, use an existing postcard as
    an example of how to layout areas for addressing and message. Check post office website for postage to attach to your new postcard.

 		Figure 7

FINIS!
©2007 Marje Rhine - Quilt Design NW
www.QuiltDesignNW.com

Copyright 2007 Quilt Design NW. All Rights Reserved.