Handmaids Postcard Challenge & Tutorial

Janet at Joy Studio and creator of some awesome fabric lines like She Who Sews, and Draw Near, and Angel Band, to name a few, is having a Handmaids Postcard Challenge and Exchange.  I jumped off the deep end and decided to participate.  What was I thinking?  I'm right smack dab in the middle of a move.  I barely know where my sewing machine is let alone some of the She Who Sews fabric.  But it sounded fun and there were prizes involved.  I only needed to make 2.

You might remember from my Facebook posts or Quilt Market posts that I met J. Wecker Fresch at Quilt Market last fall in Houston.  It was so exciting and something I'll not likely forget.  You can read about it here.

 Now I've never made a fabric postcard but how hard could it be?  I was pleasantly surprised.  It was pretty darn easy.  The hardest part was finding my supplies and deciding what I was going to do.  I decided on a crazy quilt theme.

Here's what you'll need to make a fabric postcard.

2 - 5" x 7" fusible web (like Wonder Under or Steam A Seam 2)
1 - 5" x 7" Pellon Peltex (very stiff fusible interfacing)
1 - 5" x 7" light colored fabric for the address side of the postcard
Scraps or 5" x 7" fabric for the front of the postcard

I started by arranging my scraps on top of one of the 5" x 7" pieces of fusible web.  When I was happy with them, I ironed them to the fusible web.

Remove the paper backing and adhere (iron) to the Peltex.  Now go to the sewing machine and play with your decorative stitches.  I don't use my decorative stitches very often so it's fun when I can.

Trim to the size of the Peltex.  Set this aside and begin working on the back of the postcard.

I used a muslin for the back so the address would show up better.  According to the US Postal Service, you will need to write the word "postcard" on the postcard somewhere.  Not sure why that is, afterall, I would think it would be pretty obvious.  But never the less, I went to my embroidery machine and obliged them.  Then I embroidered my "theme"  Sew Crazy to be your friend.   I added a "divider" with some of the fabric by fussy cutting a piece of the tape measure and applique-ing it on.

I was a little disappointed after I ironed the backing to the wonder under.  I later figured out that the stablizer I used "shrank" when I applied steam to it.  Once I figured it out, I was able to fix it on the second postcard.  I could have embroidered my message and signature but I wanted to personalize it with my handwriting.

Now you're ready to fuse the front and the back together.  Trim the postcard to 4 1/2" x 6" (a standard size for post cards).  I used a satin stitch zig-zag around the outer edge to hold the 2 pieces together and ensure the fusing doesn't come apart with all the handling the postcard might go through at the post office. 

Here are both post cards after I signed them and addressed them to the recipients.  I used a pigma pen marker to write my message and addresses.

See that was pretty quick and easy.  I can't wait to get my postcard from the Handmaids Postcard Challenge and Exchange in the mail.  I wonder if I'll get it before I move?  I guess if not, the post office will forward it to me in IL.