Sheree McKee
sewfabsew.blogspot.com
You won't always need a sewing machine to create a fabric postcard. A little hand sewing along with some iron-on fabrics can make for some interesting creations.
The popularity of fusible webs and stabilizers can make the job quicker and easier.
I recently made this "Springtime in San Diego" for my swapping friend Sue B., during a vacation in SoCal. There was no sewing machine to assist me.
On hand, I had small scissors, thread, beads and Peltex stiffener. A site seeing trip to the local fabric shop is where I purchased fusible webbing and a couple fat quarters of cotton. The city scene was my motivating fabric, and all the other colors were planned around it.
In an hours time, I fused the gold swirly sky and green geo grass fabrics directly to the Peltex. Then I fused web to the back of red sun and colorful city fabrics and easily fussy cut around some buildings.
After ironing the sun and city onto background, I knew I would need to secure it somehow. So I used a feather embroidery hand stitch to make bare spring trees along the left and bottom edges. Several windows were highlighted with seed and bugle beads. These layers of thread and beads were intended to hold together the top, and middle layer of postcard. After the detailed (but quick) embroidery was complete, I fused on a flat backing fabric to reverse side.
Since I didn't have a sewing machine on vacation. I decided to use larger bugle beads along with a hand sewn blanket stitch to finish the perimeter edges. All in all, it might have taken a total of 3-4 hours over a couple relaxing days sitting near the pool.
While I don't intend to make many more hand sewn postcards..., I know it is possible to take a postcard project along on vacation and practice my patience with hand stitching.
ShereeSews in M!ch!gan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment