I signed up to participate in the Project Spectrum postcard swap for the month of May, and now that the postcard is off across the world, I'll post a little bit here. I must admit that I was more than a wee bit intimidated when I discovered my partner for the May swap was the incredible craft force that is Hilda of Planeta Hilda. I wasn't sure how I could possibly create something that would hold a candle to her beautiful stuffed and sewn creations. I finally decided to go forward with what I know and do best - sewing. I rummaged through many bags of green scraps and settled on an assortment of reproduction fabrics from the 1930s. I was hoping that their sweet, innocent aesthetic would appeal to Hilda.
Having gotten a lot of practice recently in improvisational piecing (thanks to the Unfinished Business quilt!), I decided to use that technique on a small scale for a postcard-sized mini quilt. Here is the finished quilt:
After piecing the top, I trimmed it and the backing fabric to size and then sandwiched a cardstock postcard between them. I stitched in the ditch through all 3 layers and then did an intentionally rough (for that homey look) satin stictch around the edges. Here is the back:
Now that it's done, I think that maybe I should have done the "quilting" through the top and postcard and then attached the back. I thought that the quilting lines would look interesting on the backing fabric, but now that I've seen the finished product, I'm not so sure. At any rate, this little green postcard quilt is on its way to Portugal.
P.S. I must give credit to the amazing work of Gerrie, Lisa and Stephanie's mom, for the inspiration on this project. Her quilted postcards are amazing! Can you imagine what it must be like to be from such an incredible, crafty family?!?
Sweet card.
Lovely idea for a card.
Ulla
Posted by: Ulla | May 31, 2006 at 11:04 AM
That looks really cool!
Posted by: Madeline | May 31, 2006 at 03:16 PM
i love the card. i just did something somewhat similar for a gift tag swap. sewing on cardstock is definitely hard on the needle, though. I love the satin stitch around the edges. is that with a serger?
Posted by: molly | May 31, 2006 at 07:19 PM
oooh, those look great kelly! i do like the stiching on the back, it is interesting. i also really like the sound of "many bags of green scraps"...hmmm, perhaps i will come rummage around?
Posted by: hannah | May 31, 2006 at 09:51 PM
It looks great! Those fabrics are gorgeous. I'm sure Hilda will be thrilled. :)
Posted by: Fiona | May 31, 2006 at 11:12 PM
That looks awesome! I love the kitty with the polka dots! I have a dumb question, though: can you mail it like that? Do you jut put the address on a label? I'm just confused. I'm sorry.
Posted by: Scribbles & Bits | June 01, 2006 at 12:50 PM
That is so pretty! I want one just like it to hang on my work blah cube walls.
Posted by: Rhiannon | June 01, 2006 at 01:57 PM
Beautiful card! I am always happy to see the creations that people come up with for the swap!
Posted by: Lolly | June 02, 2006 at 07:45 AM