Surface Design Techniques for fabric postcards

Redwork by machine embroidery

Fabric postcards lend themselves to many sewing and embellishment methods, and sometimes a combination of surface design techniques.   Since they are simply a small canvas, it gives you a chance to experiment with unique sewing techniques on a lesser scale and in a shorter time frame.

Here are a few links to explore from some talented bloggers:

• Alcohol Ink
• Applique
• Batik
• Beaded embroidery
• Bleach discharge
• Bobbin work
• Chenille
• Couching
• Crazy quilting
• Decorative machine stitches             
• Foundation piecing
• Free motion quilting
• Fusible Fussy cutting
• Hand embroidery
• Machine embroidery
• Marbling
• Needle felting
• Paper piecing
• Patchwork
• Photo transfer
• Pin weaving
• Pleating
• Quilting by hand or machine
• Red work by hand or machine
• Reverse applique
• Rubberstamping
• Rusting
• Shadow work
• Smocking
• Stenciling
• Sun printing
• Thread painting
• Tie dye
• Weaving
• Yo-Yo’s 
• Zentangle

           

Applique

Needle felting on wool coating

I will continue to find creative links and update the list above, so stop back and visit again.  I would love to here about the methods you enjoy using for your FPC projects?  Please leave a comment below!

ShereeSews in M!ch!gan

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Made it this morning

February 2014
Sheree McKee
sewfabsew.blogspot.com

Sometimes I just feel like sewing.  I got up early and headed down to my sewing studio.  It was Valentines Day and I was in the mood to play with something pretty or some pink and red fabrics.  Sewing can lift my spirits!

                                                                                      

A little bit of hankie, lace, and rick rack by ShereeSews

I owed a swap member, M.L.C. a postcard made from recycled linens, lace, or doilies.  The one she sent to me was very beautiful.  It had lace from an old dress bodice and lots of tiny, detailed hand embroidery and the tiniest of yellow seed beads.

It took me a few hours of play.  This is what I ended up with.  This postcard actually has the rick-rack sandwiched between two layers of Peltex.  It is real firm and will withstand a mailing to Canada. 

by Mary Lou Curry 2014

ShereeSews in Michigan

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A KISS for Valentines Day

February 2014
Sheree McKee
sewfabsew.blogspot.com

Recently, I was involved in a swap over at PostCardMailArt - titled "One Word".  Since Valentines Day was just around the corner, I decided to stick with a heart felt theme.

Here are a few of my "kiss" postcards being sent to other members of this swap group.

I'm not sure you can see it well in these pictures, but I layered some glitter tulle over my base fabric before appliquéing the letters.  I also tossed a few metallic threads under the glitter illusion.

The perfect button were these little red lips!  My first edge stitches were a bit weak looking, so I did some bobbin work on the third postcard.  I like it better because it stands out.

I love holiday fabric postcards and I love to decorate around the house with them.  Right now I have a  windowsill full of Valentine postcards, each one a labor of love, made by my swapping friends!

Happy Heart Day to you!

ShereeSews in M!ch!gan
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Let’s Start with Postcard Structure

February 2014
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:  

HTC Handler Textile makes Fusible Fleece

Often contains a stabilizer, interfacing, canvas,

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 three choices above will determine the final outcome of your FPC.  Everything is held together either by fusing, stitching, quilting or gluing.  Maybe all of them at once!  It’s up to you, whether you like fusible products or not. 

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”.

Have fun experimenting!  

ShereeSews in M!ch!gan

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)

• Fast2Fuse Heavy

• Fusible Fleece by Handler Textile ~ Two layers, fused to both the top and backing fabrics.

• HeatNbond or StitchNsew by Therm-o-web 

•  71F Ultra Firm Peltex by Pellon - one sided fusible. This is my favorite!

• Teslin paper by PPG

• Therm-o-web interfacing chart pdf

• Timtex stabilizer   (sew-in only)

• Tyvek envelopes

• Tyvek paper sheets by Dupont

VISIT THESE PELLON PROJECTS PDF

1. Patchwork Heart Postcard Project
2. Black & Pink Postcard Project

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