As requested, here is my version of a fabric postcard tutorial. This is my very first tutorial so if you have any suggestions for improvement, or see any errors, please let me know.
Fabric postcards are made of three layers: the top (which is the art work), the middle, and the back. They are very similar to quilts in this manner, just stiffer and smaller. This tutorial shows how to make a fall themed postcard, but these same concepts can be used to create any themed postcard.
*Out of peltex, or similar stiff stabilizer, cut a 4 x 6 inch rectangle.
This is your blank canvas.
*Out of your base fabric, cut a 4 x 6 inch rectangle.
*Using a green leafy fabric, cut a 2 x 6 inch rectangle.
*Using a light brown fabric, cut a 1.5 x 5 inch rectangle.
*Using Scraps, cut out three leaf designs.
For this postcard I used my Sizzix die cutter to cut out my leaves.
*Out of muslin, cut a 4 x 6 inch rectangle. This piece is for the back of the card.
Cut enough Wonder Under, or other similar fusing material, to fuse on the back of all your fabric pieces.
Iron them onto the back of your fabric. I like to cut my wonder under the exact size as my pieces and then iron them on. It helps keep the iron and the ironing board cleaner.
If you are going to use a die cutting machine to cut your leaves, it is best to iron the wonder under on the back before you cut out the shape. It will save time by elimnating the trimming of the wonder under, and will help prevent getting sticky stuff on your iron.
Peel off the paper from the wonder under on the base fabric and the green leafy fabric.
Iron the base fabric onto the peltex.
Center the green strip of fabric on the base fabric and iron on.
Using thread to match, add some decorative stitching to cover the raw edges of the green fabric strip.
I used a close zig zag stitch.
The width was set at 3.6
The length was set at .6
Peel off the paper from the wonder under on the light brown rectangle fabric and center it on top of the green leafy strip of fabric. Iron it down.
Change your thread color and add some decorative stitching to cover the raw edges of this strip, just as you did for the first green strip.
I used the same zig zag stitch as above.
Place your three leaves how ever you like on the center of the light brown strip. Once you have them where you like them, iron them in place.
Since these leaves are too small for me to zig zag stitch around or use a blanket stitch, I decided to do some freehand stitching on top of them to make sure they stay on the card. Wonder Under usually keeps things in place, but I like that extra security, plus the stitching looks good. Put your feed dogs down, and "draw" some veins on your leaves with your sewing machine needle and thread. I used two different threads for this. For the orange leaf I used a light brown thread and the other leaves I used an orange thread.
For extra flair, I did some free hand quilting on the outer edge of the base fabric. This space is a good place to practice free hand quilting designs.
I didn't add any extra embellishments for this card, but If you wanted to add items such as beads or buttons to the card, this would be the time to do it.
We are almost finished. The hardest part, decorating the front, is complete. But now we need to cover the back of the postcard to hide all our stitches. Peel the paper off the wonder under and iron the muslin to the back of the postcard.
Trim off all the loose threads, fabric sticking out, or other fly aways.
You can use your rotary cutter and ruler for this or a pair of sharp scissors. I prefer to use scissors. In the past when using a rotary cutter I have cut the peltex slightly and then my card gets all wonky instead of being a true rectangle. It is these little things that make a fabric postcard look wonderful even if you only spent 30 min on it.
This step may seem super easy, but it is very important for a smooth edged card.
Choose a thread to accent the postcard
and set your zig zag stitch to:
Width = 3.6
Length = .4
Zig Zag stitch around all the edges of the card. When doing this, you want your needle to only enter the fabric on the zig, but not the zag. Take a look at the photo. When the needle comes down on the right, it is not catching any part of the card. It is resting right beside it. If you master this technique, your card will have a nice clean edge.
For the corners, gradually turn the card as you enter the turn. This helps give you nice smooth corners.
Add another round of zig zag stitching, with a stitch width of .2 to get a very dense filled in edging.
This photo shows my finished second round.
I don't like to clip my threads on a zig zag stitch. If I do they keep wanting to pull out from both sides and I don't like getting the fabric glue out to keep them in place. So to prevent this, without breaking the thread, I change to a straight stitch and stitch just on the inside of the zig zag stitch all the way around the card. At the end I tack the stitches and then clip the threads. This extra stitching also adds a nice touch to the finished card.
Using a pen that can write clearly and legibly on the muslin, I usually use an Ultra Fine Tip permanent marker, write the words "Post Card" on the back.
Address the card and put a stamp on it.
Flip the card over and admire it.
Don't forget to take a photo of it and then drop it in the mail.
