Fabric Postcard Tutorial

Updated Fabric Postcard Tutorial

You can see all the fabric postcards I’ve made over the years in my Flickr album here.

There are many ways to make a fabric postcard.  I’ve made this updated tutorial to show how I make them.  They are a lot simpler to make than you might think.

The supplies you will need are as follows:

4”X6” front base fabric

Fabric scraps for your postcard front design

4”X6” piece of stiff Peltex

4”X6” light to medium wight fusible interfacing

4”X6” piece of paper or cardstock (not too thin) for the address and message side

You can also use a tightly woven fabric for your message side, but I find it easier and more fun to use paper that can be decorated also.

You will also need a bit of Transfer Webbing if you decide on a pictorial design.  There are a variety of transfer webbing available, I use the light weight Wonder Under.

Trace your design on the paper side of the transfer webbing.  Loosely cut outside your traced lines.

(Your design will be backwards from the way you trace it, so be sure to trace any alphabets backwards to begin with.)

Fuse your traced designs to your fabric choices.

Then cut them out on the lines.  Allow the pieces to cool until they will release from the paper easily.

I press my design base fabric to the Peltex.  It is not fused, but the layers will stay together better until you begin sewing on them.

Trim the interfacing a smidge before fusing it to one side of your paper.  You don’t want any hanging over, it will fuse to your ironing surface.  Set the paper message side aside until needed.



With the paper removed from the back of your cutout pieces, arrange them on the base fabric and Peltex where you want them and fuse them to the base fabric.

Be sure to leave 3/8” around all sides as that is the space the binding will cover.



Now you will stitch around your design as desired.  You can fuse all of your design at once or you can fuse the pieces as you are ready to sew them.

This method is raw edge appliqué.  It is my favorite to use on postcards.  Pull your thread tails to the back on the Peltex side and tie them off.

My next pieces on this postcard I fused the webbing to the back of fabric scraps, then cut them with a cutting die through a cutting machine.  

When the papers were ready to release, I fused the flowers where I wanted them on the base fabric.  I then stitched the stems and the flowers.

Once you are finished with your postcard design, align the front and back and stitch them together roughly around the very outside edge.  This will hold the loose fabric edges in place while adding the binding.  It will be covered later by the binding.

Most people will just zigzag (satin stitch) around the outside of their postcard to finish it.  You can do that now, or follow my binding method that I show following.

I like my binding method as it finishes the edges as well as giving the design a framing.

Choose your binding fabric and cut a 3/4” strip long enough for all four sides of your postcard.

Press this strip in half lengthwise.

I measure and cut the side lengths first then the top and bottom.  I do this no matter whether my postcard is landscape or portrait mode.

With a glue stick, run the glue along the edge of the paper side of the postcard.  You don’t need a lot of glue, just enough to hold the binding until you sew it down permanently.

Lay that paper side down on one side of the binding.  Just a tad away from the fold.  Each end of the binding should meet each edge of the postcard.

Now run the glue along the front edge of the postcard.



With your fingers, wrap and press the binding to the front.

Repeat these binding steps for the other side and then the top and bottom.

Your front will look like this.

The back will look like this.

Choose a thread color to stitch your binding.  I have started choosing a color that blends with my base fabric...but not always.  It is a personal choice.

I’m sure you are thinking the glue will gum up your needle, but it will not.  I sew through this glue and paper and then with the same needle I will sew a quilt.

Begin with a straight stitch sewing backwards on the overlapping binding to just off the edge then forward to the inside edge of the binding.  With your needle up, switch to a zigzag satin stitch.  I choose a medium stitch width and a length that makes the stitches sit nearly side by side.  Use a scrap of the Peltex to decide on your satin stitch length.  No two machines are alike.

Pull your thread tails forward and slightly to the left so that they will get caught inside the satin stitching.

 This now is the reason I fuse interfacing to the back of the paper backing.  The satin stitch will perforate the paper.  The interfacing assures you that your backing will continue to remain connected to the postcard.

Secret to your binding looking straight:  Rather than following the inside edge of the binding that you are sewing down, find a spot on the outside edge of the postcard to follow.  This will keep your binding looking straight.  Sometimes the satin stitch will catch a lot of the binding and sometimes just a bit of it.  But if you use the outside edge as a guide, the binding will look even and straight all the way around.

Once you catch the thread tails in the satin stitch, hold them straight across the edge of the binding.

Satin stitch for a couple of inches, stop with your needle down on the inside, lift your presser foot and move the thread tails to the right side out of the way to trim later.

Continue stitching across to where the binding meets again.  Switch to a straight stitch and stitch to just off the edge then backwards to where you stopped where the bindings meet.

Turn your postcard, set your machine to the zigzag again.

Align your needle at the back edge of your previous satin stitch to stitch over the top of it.  Don’t forget to find your outside edge guide to follow as you stitch.  Sew the remaining sides in this same way.

When you reach the beginning, satin stitch to the outside edge of your first satin stitching.

One last time, turn your postcard, change your stitch to a straight stitch, align your needle just inside the first row of satin stitching, change the needle length on your machine to a very close stitch length and stitch several stitches along the edge.  This will keep your stitches from coming loose.

Trim all the thread tails from the front and back close to the stitching.

The back sometimes looks like this.  That means there is a little bit more binding to the back than to the front.  It’s difficult to get it exact, but it does happen occasionally.

  

With very pointed tip scissors, pull up on the thread ravels and trim them close to the backing.

All nice and neat now.  Sometimes there is a thread or so on the front that might also need trimming.

I use Fray Check for the postcard corners, but a thin, very small amount of glue can work also.

And actually, you really don’t need to do this last step if you don’t want to.

I will put a very tiny amount of Fray Check on the binding ends to keep them from raveling.  Put a bit on then wipe it with your finger.  You don’t want too much, it will make the corners hard.

And, DONE!



With a paper backing, adding some extra fun on the address side of the card is simple.

Fabric postcards can be mailed at the rate of a first class stamp (not a postcard stamp).  If extra doodads are added to the design, an additional 20cent stamp is required for non-machinable.

Most of my postcards arrive to their destination as if they were hand delivered.  Other times they occasionally arrive with the usual postal marks.

I am more than happy to answer any questions you may still have or help out with any fine tuning details you have questions about.

Happy Mail Day!

Annie

Fun Fabric Postcards

I’m so excited to have new fabric postcards to mail out!

I don’t know what I’d do without Pinterest inspiration these days.

I hope this bright cheery flower brings a smile to my recipient’s face, and joyful feelings whenever she looks at it.

 This artsy collage has arrived at it’s destination.  It made it’s own story as I found scrap pieces to create it.

It said to me, which I in turn said to Tera...

And this test design block turned postcard was sent to an acquaintance quilter who could not believe my fabric postcards could go through the mail.

And more to come.

Happy Mail Day!

Rubber Stamping Laundry Test

I've done a Rubber Stamping
Laundry Test

I've stamped with rubber stamps on fabric for some of my small projects.  I've used StazOn ink for this technique even though it states on the ink pad that it is NOT for fabric.  It is a permanent ink and has not washed out or run when I have dampened it (usually to remove the purple air soluble ink quickly). 

The projects I have stamped on have not been ones that will ever be washed (fabric postcards) and ones that would seldom, if ever, be washed (wall hangings).  Because I've been questioned about the permanency of the ink on fabric and during laundering, I've stamped a test piece of muslin and laundered it 6 times.

This piece is my original stamping.

This piece is after the 1st washing in a regular heavy duty laundering.

This piece is after the 6th washing in regular heavy duty laundering and about three times with a good dose of stain remover added to the load.

It definitely has faded some.  Mostly with the first wash.  There isn't much noticeable difference from the first wash to the 6th wash.

 

I know that it's rather difficult to photograph all these tests on different days with a variety of lighting although I placed them always in the same place and used an on camera flash.  The facts are still visible in the stamping in any case.

For the projects that I use this technique on, I'm completely satisfied with the results that this ink is waterproof on fabric.  I wanted to know that when I mailed my fabric postcards and they got wet from rain, or what have you, that the ink wouldn't run. 

I will say that I have heard that VersaMark Ink is better on fabric.  I don't know that this is true, and I was hoping to have been able to get a pad of this ink to test it with the StazOn, but I have not found it locally yet.  However, I will find it and I will test it.

In the meantime, for me, StazOn ink works perfectly for my purposes.

Still happily stamping along,

Annie

Fabric Postcard and Binding Tutorial

This tutorial has been updated and can be found here:

https://freezeframe03.blogspot.com/2021/07/fabric-postcard-tutorial.html

I've had several requests to explain how I bind my fabric postcards.  So I'm finally getting around to posting a tutorial of my process.

You really aren't going to believe how simple this is!

But first, you need your postcard front design, a layer of stiff sew-in Peltex, a light to medium weight regular fusible interfacing and a backing to write your message on.

Step 1:  Create your postcard front design  This ice cream cone is paper pieced.  When I raw edge applique a design, I use Wonder Under for fusing the pieces together.  Lay your design on the Peltex.  Pressing them together helps keep the layers together while you top stitch on your design through the Peltex.

Now do ALL your stitching before you add the backing.

I use a paper backing because I really do mail my postcards and I like that it's easier to write on paper.  I also like the security of knowing the stamp will remain on the postcard.  However, you certainly can use fabric as your backing.

 

I use Post Card rubber stamps on my backings.  You can  also just use a marker and write "Post Card" or print the words on your printer. The backing can even be left blank. It's totally a personal preference.  Then I fuse the wrong side of the paper with a piece of interfacing.  This insures that your paper backing will not fall off after satin stitching the binding.  (The sewing perforates the paper)

Now lightly glue stick around the outside edges of your backing just enough to stick it to your completed card top., wrong sides together.  Edge stitch close to the edge just to keep the layers together while you add the binding.  (You don’t see that in the photo because I didn’t use to do that.  But have since learned it is very helpful to keep your design from bubbling while gluing the binding on.)

Choose your binding fabric and cut a 3/4" strip long enough for all four sides of your card.  Press this strip in half lengthwise.

 I usually cut the short lengths first, then the longer lengths after the short lengths are attached.

With a glue stick, run glue along the edge of the paper side or back side of the card.  Be careful not to get the glue out farther than the binding will cover.  It's just to hold the binding in place until it is sewn down.

Place the glued paper side down on one half of the binding.  Repeat for the other short side.

On the front of your card, run glue along the edge being careful not to extend the glue farther than the binding will cover.  Fold over the binding to the front and press it into the glue.

Cut binding lengths for the long edges and repeat the glue process first gluing to the back and then to the front.

When all the edges have binding glued on, just run the iron over both sides lightly to melt any little glue globs that might have happened.  I know you're thinking this is going to gum up your needle...nope!...your needle will not have a clue that it was anywhere near glue.

Now we're ready to stitch that binding down permanent.  With a straight stitch, back tack to just off the edge.  Then stitch forward just to the inside edge of the binding. 

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Change your stitch to a zigzag.  You'll have to find the best satin stitch length for your machine.  I set my machine for a width of 3 and just a smidge longer than my preset satin stitch.

This now is the reason to fuse interfacing to the back of the paper backing.  The satin stitch will perforate the paper.  The interfacing assures you that your backing will still remain connected to the card.

Satin stitch all the way across to where the binding meets again.  Straight stitch to the edge, back tack to the satin stitch, turn your card, repeating the stitching for the first three sides.

When I get to the last edge, I pull my starting thread tails across the binding so that they will get stitched into the satin stitching.

When I get to the end, I sew several tiny straight stitches along the inside of the satin stitching to finish the sewing.

Keep the raw edges at the corners from fraying by adding a tiny bit of fray check along the edge.  Not too much, mind you.

If the satin stitched binding edges leave little frays sticking out, trim them close.

WhaLa...all done!

You can view all my fabric postcards displayed as a set in my Flickr photostream here 

Lots of people like to just satin stitch the raw edges of their layers together.  I like the way the binding and contrasting satin stitch frame the little art work within.  I'll be happy to answer any questions you may still have.

Good mail day to you,

Annie