Sheree McKee
sewfabsew.blogspot.com
Fabric postcards (FPC) are basically layered sandwiches. They need to be firm enough and durable enough to withstand mailing in the US Postal service.
Top layer:
Consists of fabric, fibers and embellishments. As your design layer, the sky is the limit! Most people don’t have any problems deciding on what to use on top!
Middle filler:
Often contains a stabilizer, interfacing, canvas,
There are also colorfast inkjet fabric sheets that you can run through your printer. This allows you to format text and fonts anyway you like! Most of these must be “set” by ironing the ink and images on the fabric sheets.
Cardstock is another backing option, and yes, you can sew through it! Tyvek and Teslin are non-tear, durable, specialty papers that also make nice backings. Personally, I like using an occasional cardstock and feel it hides some of those imperfections, making it easier to write a neat greeting and mailing address. Occasionally, I recycle a nice Tyvek envelope to use as a backing.
Consists of fabric, fibers and embellishments. As your design layer, the sky is the limit! Most people don’t have any problems deciding on what to use on top!
Middle filler:
 |
| HTC Handler Textile makes Fusible Fleece |
fleece or batting. The filler will add substance
to your FPC. Middle fillers can be sew-in or
fusible.
Backing layer:
This should be a smooth or fine weave fabric,
which is suitable
enough to allow writing or
rubberstamping.
Some fabrics are difficult to
write on, and I have experienced this on
many
projects. Some muslin fabrics are too rough to
take the ink evenly. And often there are lumps
of thread or bumps
from embellishments.
There are also colorfast inkjet fabric sheets that you can run through your printer. This allows you to format text and fonts anyway you like! Most of these must be “set” by ironing the ink and images on the fabric sheets.
Cardstock is another backing option, and yes, you can sew through it! Tyvek and Teslin are non-tear, durable, specialty papers that also make nice backings. Personally, I like using an occasional cardstock and feel it hides some of those imperfections, making it easier to write a neat greeting and mailing address. Occasionally, I recycle a nice Tyvek envelope to use as a backing.
Final Structure:
 |
| Fleece or batting fillers result in plush, soft postcards |
Your fabric postcards will take on a personality! Since variety is the spice of life, your
experiments with stabilizers and fillers will lead you to a signature look. Your resulting postcards might
appear very soft and “quilt like” or stiff and “art like”.
HELPFUL PRODUCT LINKS
- Artisyn synthetic paper (aka Teslin)
- Batting ~ Cotton, polyester, or wool
- Canvas ~ Try a double layer!
- Craf-Tex made by Bosal (sew-in or fusible)
- Fusible Fleece by Handler Textile ~ Two layers, fused to both the top and backing fabrics.
- 71F Ultra Firm Peltex by Pellon - one sided fusible. This is my favorite!
- Timtex stabilizer (sew-in only)
VISIT THESE PELLON PROJECTS PDF
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