Alice's Postcards

These fabric postcards are great for any occasion and they are so easy and fun to make. My mom, Alice, has been making these for years and my son loves getting them in the mail.  

Here she is with all four of her daughters in front of her fifth blue ribbon winning quilt, which earned her Master Quilter status. While she was visiting a few weeks ago, I made her walk me through the steps. Here they are:  

You can use anything for the back (picture side) of the postcard: selvedges, Whimsical fabrics, pieced blocks, scraps, etc.

It’s the perfect excuse to fussy cut that cute fabric you’ve been holding on to.

There are two different ideas for the front (writing side) of the postcard: fabric or cardstock.

Alice Says- If you ask Alice, she’d firmly encourage that fabric is the way to go. Here she is trying to tell Damon, but he isn’t listening.

You’ll need

4 ½ x 6 ½” both back fabric (picture side) and front fabric (writing side)
Fusible Fleece –Pellon 987F

Décor Bond- Pellon Fusible 809

Picture side- Piece together whatever you’d like for the back (picture side). For this example, I used some cute Christmas fabrics.

Keep in mind that you’ll be trimming ¼” off the outer edges later AND that the final stitching around the edges will use up another 1/8-1/4” of the outer edge, so if you’re fussy cutting, make sure to allow for ½” all around.

Press front (writing side) fabric with starch…

Alice Says- “Git that sucker flat.”(Direct quote.)

Fuse Décor Bond onto wrong side of fabric.

 

You can use standard white like a regular postcard, a solid color or anything you’d like to write on. I used a white on white pattern for this Christmas postcard.

Trim to 4 ½ x 6 ½” and set aside.

Take the back (picture side) and fuse fleece to wrong side.

Now quilt this piece however you’d like. This is a great chance to practice your Free Motion Quilting, use decorative stitches, different colored threads, ribbons, small buttons, whatever you like.

Lay your two pieces wrong sides together (picture side and writing sides out). I use spray basting, spray adhesive or a glue stick in the center. From here on out, you’ll only be stitching around the edges so don’t worry about your needle gumming up with the glue. Once these have been put together, trim to 4x6”.

Time to do the final stitching: I use this stitch here

mostly so that it stitches along the outer edge but it also grabs a bit of the pieces further in. These stitches also work well and you can always satin stitch around if you want (but not with cardstock).

Stitch all the way around the perimeter.

Alice Says: Mark the center line, addressee lines and square for the stamp on the writing side. When asked why, she replies “Because that’s what you do.” I'm pretty sure the postman will deliver it without these, but DON'T tell her I said so.

When you’re using fabric as the writing side, fine tipped Sharpies or Micron pens work great without the ink bleeding.  

For the cardstock, any pen will do.

One thing we thought of: don’t use the Frixion pens we quilters love so much. On a hot day in a hot mailbox, the ink is likely to disappear before the recipient can read it.

When using card stock for the front (writing side) 
rather than fabric:

Piece and fuse the back (picture side) and quilt as usual, then add your fusible fleece.

Omit the Décor Bond for the writing side and baste or glue the cardstock to the back (picture side). Then cut everything to 4x6”. 

For cardstock, I use a zig zag stitch at a long length

and go around twice so it’s secure without perforating the cardstock too much.

Finished Product, cute, huh?

Again, draw the center line, addressee lines and stamp square,  

unless you want Alice coming after you.  She takes this very seriously.

She’s been known to chase people with brooms. (True Story)

In one resource, Quilters Rewards Postcards, the directions are the same until the end where she tells you to finish the edges with binding. ** Insert great big, “Yeah, right” here. ** Although, I always seem to have leftover binding because I make way more than I need, paranoid I’ll run out. So really, why not use it for a postcard if you’re so inclined. Let me know how it goes.

These postcards are great for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines, thank yous, invitations, announcements for birth, weddings, moving, etc.

You can use the Printing on Fabric technique from my other post (CLICK HERE) to combine the two tutorials and get a completely custom, adorable postcard. Here is a mock-up of a birthday invitation.

 I pieced and quilted the back and printed the front with the details of the birthday party. I also printed on the center line, addressee lines and stamp square, so I wouldn't have to draw it on afterward.

 

and another of a Save the Date. This one, I printed the front with the details and the addressee information and for the back, I printed this gorgeous tree and lovebirds picture by Vivera Design onto the grey and white fabric. Easy Peasy.

 

Alice Says:  When it comes to postage, your best bet is to take it into your post office because the weight will vary for each postcard. It’s fun to see their reaction and hear them ask about what you’ve created.

United States Post Office’s 
definition of postcard-

First-Class Mail Postcards-Maximum size: 6 inches by 4 ½ inches by .016 inch thick-$0.35

First-Class Mail Stamped Large Postcards- Maximum size: 11 ½ inches by 6 1/8 inches high by ¼ inch thick- $0.49

Resources (In addition to Mom)

  Buy Quilter's Rewards Postcards on Amazon

  Buy Positively Postcards on Amazon

***I have no affiliation with these authors, Vivera Design or Amazon.com***