Creative Envelope Swap

Handmade Envelopes

December 2017
Sheree McKee
SewFabSew.blogspot.com

Made by Sheree McKee - my ten creations

I joined a unique swap, this past fall, that was recommended by a swapping friend, Sue Balchak, Admin of the PostCardMailArt group on Yahoo. 

This involved creating your own envelopes or embellishing pre-made ones.  I didn't know what to expect, since I hadn't seen any examples beforehand.

There was no limit to sizes and shapes.  Send in ten, and receive ten.  Some type of surface embellishment was required.  The envelopes were not related or intended for fabric postcards.

I drafted a rounded template shape that I was fond of.  But it had to fit on an old calendar I'd been holding onto.  This calendar was full of colorful Kaleidoscope images that I enjoyed.  I'm glad I saved it since 2007.

I glued shut the flaps but covered intersection with a sticker

The sentiment "Just Because" seemed like a nice addition.
If you look closely, I signed each envelope on the interior calendar.

I added a label for addressing

Embossed with metallic touches

The ten colorful envelopes I submitted made it worth saving that calendar for ten years!

And here's what I received in return!  A large manila sized envelope full of Wonderful SURPRISES!!  Next time I will keep better records of each contributor.  Their unique workmanship was thoughtful and amazing!  Sadly, many did not contain signatures or information on their creators.  Each participant contributed $5 for return postage... I would definitely play along again.

#1 and #2 Manilla Envelopes Front

#1 and #2 Manilla Envelopes Back

#3 and #4 Fronts

#3 and #4 Backs

#5 and #6 Fronts

#5 and #6 Backs

#7 and #8 Fronts

#7 and #8 Backs

#9 and #10 Fronts

#9 and #10 Backs

Winter Mittens in 12 Steps

Winter Mittens in 12 Steps
December 2017
Sheree McKee
sewfabsew.blogspot.com

Winter mittens are a pretty easy postcard project.  There's a lot of opportunity for customization to make them unique.  These mittens are made using an easy facing-technique rather than a single layer. They were also mailed in traditional envelopes.  Email a photo of your mitten version and I will post it here, along with your name and state!  sewfabsew@aol.com

1. Draw a mitten shape on paper to fit within a 4"x6" postcard size then Trace it on a muslin or lining fabric
2. Select a mitten fabric, I chose a metallic chevron cotton from a remnant
3. Right sides together, pin the two fabrics then sew using a scant 1/8th inch seam but leave the bottom wrist area open for turning.  Also use a close stitch length.
4. Trim the shape closely, using pinking shears and snip into deep thumb area
5. Press mitten shape lightly
6. Prepare a postcard front base.  I fused a holiday candy fabric onto a long piece of fusible stabilizer
7. Trim postcard to 4 1/4" by 6" size
8. Pin mitten to postcard base.  I skewed my mitten layout in different directions for interest
9. Use a favorite machine stitch to appliqué the mitten in place.  Experiment ahead of time because some overcast stitches do not work well on sharp curves.  You can leave the wrist open if you want to add a small amount of stuffing to make your mitten puffy!
10. Then I added and fused my backing fabric to each postcard, knowing the cuff would have dimension and be difficult to fuse once it was applied.  I perimeter stitched the edges.
11. Finally a remnant of real fur was cut into a simple cuff shape, but you could use synthetic sherpa, feather boa, or wool batting.  This was centered and glued over the open wrist area of mitten.
12. Embellish as desired.  I glued a metal tag and ribbon loop.  If you notice, I tried a different spot for each one.  I get very bored making everything the same.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7 #8

#9

#9 Back

#11 #12

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My Merry Mittens in Ribbon is another post you might enjoy!

or

 Cute Camper themed postcards