Monday, September 5, 2011

Scrappy cards

A couple of years ago I was part of a Christmas card exchange with a group of quilters from all over the US and Australia. I wanted my card to be something quilt related. I never learned how to make cards where you cut out the center and sew the fabric onto the cardstock. So this was the method that I came up with using my scraps to make a fabric card.

I used lots of different fabric scraps and snippets.
First thing first - iron all the little pieces so they are flat and smooth.


Take all of your pressed scrap pieces to the sewing machine.


Start sewing pieces and strips together. You can use as many different ones as you like. This is a great way to use up some of those little pieces of fabric that you just can't bear to throw away.

Press the seams. It's sometimes easier to use my little wooden presser, or just the iron, whichever is handy. I do sometimes try to press the seams open, but there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rule. Do whatever works best for you.


I keep sewing pieces until I've got a fairly nice size to work with.

Next I draw my pattern. I really like how the heart shape turns out.

It was easy to find a nice size heart in one of my quilting books, but you could make your own by folding a piece of paper in half and drawing 1/2 of a heart. You can also do a wonky heart, or a star, or a leaf, or wherever your imagination takes you. Copy or trace your pattern onto HeatnBond (I like the ultrahold) on the smooth side. It's easy to copy several patterns and then cut them all out. Seems to save time and materials.

I position my shape on the sewn piece of fabric.





It is VERY important that you position your pattern to the wrong side of the fabric. (ask me how I know this :-)


Press the pattern onto the fabric following the instructions from HeatnBond.

Here you see two different heart patterns that I've pressed.

Now cut them out and turn them over. Voila! Patchwork hearts!


Tomorrow I'll show you how I finish my fabric card.

Happy Quilting!

14 comments:

Barb said...

I will be by tomorrow then!!

Anonymous said...

Oh wow I'm going to be excited about this, I'm loving it already and I still haven't seen how you finish your card. I am so totally going to do this, what about Christmas cards, how fun would that be?!?!

Please visit my blog today and comment about what I'm doing wrong with trying to make a table runner quilt after 15 years away from quilting - it's giving me a nervous collapse! :)

Thanks,
Mary
http://Redo101.blogspot.com

Rosa said...

Thanks for the tutorial.Tomorrow I`ll come then.

Impera Magna said...

Oh, what a cool idea... will be back tomorrow to see what you do with these...

Unknown said...

Anxious to see the finished creation, Jocelyn. Love the fabrics.
Have a beautiful holiday ~
TTFN ~
Hugs,
Marydon

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

What fun and a perfect use for scraps too!

Kelly

Loris said...

Love it! Will be eager to see the next steps. How cute these will be!

Sewconsult said...

Great little tutorial. See you tomorrow.
Beckie in Brentwood, TN

Dena said...

What a great idea for using up all those scraps. Can't wait to see how you finish up your cards. Since going back to work I have't had extra time to participate in blog world, including keeping mine up to date. Hopefully I can change that... Nice to see what you've doing.

Anita Diaz said...

What a wonderful idea!! I so wish I had learned to quilt from my great aunts, but sadly did not. What an incredible art. Thanks for stopping by, and I apologize for not getting here sooner:-)

Crispy said...

Thanks for the tutorial :0) I'm wondering, did you throw the sewn together scraps away? LOL

Crispy

Amy, a redeemed sheep said...

Very cute!!

Cyndi said...

This looks so cool.... I have been wanting to make some fabric Christmas cards for a long time. I'm popping over to your next post now to see how to finish! :o)

XOXO,

Cyndi

Cyndi said...

This looks so cool.... I have been wanting to make some fabric Christmas cards for a long time. I'm popping over to your next post now to see how to finish! :o)

XOXO,

Cyndi