Valentine Post Cards: part two

Valentine Postcard Project: part 2

You'll need some card and a printer. We've made a pdf file for you to download for the paper side of your post cards. A thicker card works better than regular paper. It's fun to play with colored paper too. Print your postcards and bring them to your cutting table.

Did you know that graphic designers used rotary cutters, mats and rulers before quilters did? For this part of the project we're going to do the same. Use your OLD rotary cutter or the one with the dull blade. We're going to be cutting through card and you'll ruin your blade if you use the new one. Use your ruler to cut round the postcard images. I like to leave an 8th of an inch all the way around.

Once your cards are cut out, place the card over your quilted sandwich and cut round it. You'll want the fabric part to be a little bit longer and wider than the card.

Take it to your sewing machine. Holding the card in place with the card side up, stitch around the postcard. I start out with a straight stitch following the edge of the image. Then I come around again with a zig-zag to secure the edges. Worried about stitching through card? Don't be. All you need is the right needle. I use a 90/14 Titanium coated Topstitch needle from Superior Threads. The titanium coating makes the needle extra strong so it stays sharp, even sewing through card.

                                     Finally cut around the card to get rid of the extra fabric.

                                         Once I've done one, I can't wait to do more!

In no time at all you'll have a lovely stack of fabric postcards. Treat them just like ordinary postcards. Write your message and address them. Once you've added the stamp...

                     these little quilts can go through the post to surprise your friends and family.

Click here to view and download the Valentines Postcards pdf.  
You can use this to make your very own postcards.
Happy Valentine's Day! 

Valentine Postcards

 Here's a section of my  machine quilted  post card fabric panel just off the 4 foot Art Quilter frame. To keep the postcards light weight, I skipped the batting and only used two layers. So perhaps this project comes more under the free-motion embroidery heading. The exciting thing is that the line between machine quilting and free-motion embroidery is fast disappearing. The Art Quilter frames are fantastic for anyone who wants to draw with the needle.  

Rosie, my clever daughter, designed these post cards using computer graphics. We printed them on card and used my dull rotary cutter to cut them out. Then using my good sharp cutter we cut the fabric to fit the postcards...

...and zig-zagged around the edges on the JUKI Exceed 600. The titanium coated Topstitch needle from Superior Threads easily stitched through the fabric and card. Then we wrote on the back and popped them in the post. 

The post mistress thought that our Valentine postcards  looked lovely. This was so much fun that we'll be making more! There are lots of other excuses for a postcard. We could create postcards for all sorts of special occasions. Birthdays, Spring, Easter, the list goes on...