Quilted Postcard Tips

I use a lot of silk flowers and leaves as embellishments in my quilted postcards.   These don't ravel and they come in a wide range of styles and colors, thereby adding a lot of interest to the postcards. (Note: if you use them, then you'll need to mail the postcards in an envelope so that the machinery the PO uses to sort mail does not cause damage to your card.)

When you look at them in the store, you'll see that there is a plastic structure that is fused on them.  This is easy to peel off, and removing it makes the leaf or flower much easier to work with.











Once you pull off the plastic structure, then this is what the item will look like.
















It's always a question of what do you want to put on the back of the postcard where you'll write a message and/or the address of the person it is for.

In my stash I have a lot of the pre-printed quilt label panels that I haven't been using for quilts.  I have found though that a lot of them are the perfect size to be used for the back of the postcards.

Normally I've been using just stripped fabric for the backs, but I like the effect with the quilt labels.




Gratitudes:

1. Working from home means I don't have to fight traffic on the way to work (it can get pretty ugly here).

2. Long holiday weekend coming up....woohoo, extra time to sew and make progress on commissions.

Memory Bears Commission

The men's shirts for the memory bears commission arrived this week from my niece.   This commission will be worked at the same time as the other two big commissions I have at this point (a king size t-shirt quilt and an XL- twin quilt) and the other little ones (at least 4 different ones....).   Think I'll have enough to keep me busy and out of trouble?  Ok, busy at any rate....

 And this is what the box of shirts looked like before opening.....I'm told it took my niece and a clerk at the PO both to tape it closed and I believe it!

 Carefully opened the box.  And the shirts started expanding out as if they were trying to escape.

The thirteen shirts unpacked.....if I hadn't pulled them out of the box I'd never have believed they all fit in the box and that it could be closed....lol.   My niece knows how to pack!

There are three short sleeved shirts and the rest are long-sleeved.  A mixture of mediums and larges.  Mainly assorted plaids, but also some striped ones in there.

Gratitudes:

1. For the one paycheck received this week (still three behind).

2. For all of the commissioned work I've been blessed with this year.

Postcards are multiplying

I've finished up a bunch of quilted postcards over this past weekend. 

These three postcards are 4" by 6" in size.  the silver items are spring ornaments from Joann's, and the words are scrapbooking stickers.   I used a satin-stitch to stitch all of the items on. 

 This is a 5" by 7" postcard that used up a couple of scrapbooking goodies - the butterflies and the BD ribbon, a tag from the jewelry findings, and a silk flower with button center.   This will be going to a friend who will be celebrating her 60th BD in September this year.

 6 fall themed ones were completed today.  Silk leaves, printed ribbons and a couple of rhinestone leaves were used as embellishments.   The brown fabric was a scrap and has now been used up.

Backs of the fall themed postcards.   I used quilt labels for the backs of the 4" by 6" ones.

And a friend from church has asked to be able to put out a display of the postcards that I'v made for sale in her salon.   I'm hoping tht they do well.

More postcards will be coming, am thinking ahead for the holidays and things like BD's, anniversaries and new babies.

Gratitudes:

1.  For having somewhere to have them displayed for sale.

2. For the paycheck that we got today at work.

Newest Commission - Basketball Quilt

My newest commission is an extra-long twin for my cousin to give her grandson.   It will be personalized and be basketball themed.   And will finish at 70 by 90".

This is what I'll be using for the focus fabric (where the brown is) and will be using black Kona with it.   Backing has not been decided on yet. 

Timing - due before Christmas


Gratitudes:
1. For fabric that's on sale and is just what the customer wants.

2. For easy designs that won't take long to piece.

Scrap Apocalypse

So the disaster zone that my sewing "room" had become finally got to me this week and I had to deal with the scraps that were all over creation in it........

First up was sorting thru and putting away all of the scraps which had multiplied around my sewing area............the piles NOT in bags were from my scrap bins under my cutting table, the bags were scraps that I'd bought a few weeks ago and probably a couple of months ago........sigh......

 And yes, there was still more to be dealt with in a bag....

Got it all sorted out and put into the proper ziplocs and in the scrap totes.....well sorta at any rate.   Top two large totes here are filled with scraps, the smaller one (new!) is filled and there are 5 ziploc bags that don't have a home, plus a stack of larger chunks of scraps.........sigh, I  need to sew faster.









Now lest you think I never get rid of any scraps, you'd be wrong.   It hasn't been that long since I sent a bunch to my friend Susan.   And when I was putting away things this round, I also too the time to go through all I had and sorted out all of this.  That is 1 full 2 gallon ziploc, and 6 1-gallon bags.   Over 14 pounds of scraps total.   Mainly strips of various sizes but there are also some larger chunks and hunks in there.

Now to figure out what to do with them....sell or ?????

Gratitudes

1. For the blessings of a couple of financial gifts from my church family in the last couple of weeks, esp. as I head into week 8 of not being paid at work.

2. For the blessing of the many commissions that God has opened the door for this year, including the newest one.

Placket Pin Cushion

Ever wonder what to do with shirt plackets when cutting up shirts for quilting or other projects?   I wondered this very thing recently as I was working with a men's shirt to test making memory bears for a coming commission order.

The front plackets on the shirts are typically not used when cutting them up for use in various projects, but I hate to just toss stuff that could be re-purposed into something useful.

I started by trimming back any of the body fabric so that it wasn't visible under the shirt placket.  I then wove them together on top of a 5" square of cream fabric much as you would strips for a lattice pie crust.

I trimmed the sections as needed to be able to get the buttons inside the seam line.  Placket with buttons went one direction and the buttonhole placket went in the opposite direction.  And then pinned everything down.

I ended up moving the strips as close as I could together so that the buttons were well within the seam allowance.  I then stitched both sides of the plackets down to hold them in place.

And then stitched the front to the back, leaving an opening to turn it right side out.  Stuffed it with polyfil stuffying and stitched the opening closed. 

I'm happy with how it turned out. 

I'll be doing this on a bigger scale for a pillow when I'm working on the memory commission that is coming in.


Back was a leftover piece from the shirt.


Gratitudes:

1. the pattern I'll be using for the memory bears is easy to sew up.

2. for having been able to work from home and save on what I've been spending on gas while not getting paid

UFO Weekend Progress

This weekend was UFO weekend for a group that I'm in where all that want to or can participate work on moving UFO projects along towards completion.

This time I worked on one of the campfire quilts that I'm finishing up from some UFO tops that have been in my stash for what seems like forever.

Quilting is now complete (just did stitch-in-the-ditch) and it is ready for binding.

First thing completed this weekend was this teddy bear made from a men's size M shirt.  This was made as a sample for 12 memory bears commission coming sometime this fall.












And once the bear was finished I took the front plackets from the shirt and made this pincushion.   It is 4" square and the back is a piece of the plaid shirt. 



Gratitudes:

1. Summer may still be here, but the eczema that I've been fighting has cleared up.

2. The flat tire that I found this morning (yes a flat new tire!) was found at home and didn't happen on the interstate.

Mid-August Update of To-Do's

Made more progress this past month than I thought I would since I was house-sitting for friends for 2 weeks.

Current commissions-

1. Pair of custom Christmas Stockings (Due by the end of July) - Finished and Delivered!!!!
2. Target T-Shirt Quilt (due at end of Sept) - Quote given to customer, ready to start processing the t-shirts
3. Wedding Dress Pillow (no due date) - Wedding dress has been cleaned.  Need final say from customer on whether to replace lace that lightened but didn't fully come clean
4. Ring Bearer Pillows (no due date) - see #3
5. Purse (Due end of July) - Finished and Delivered!!!!
6. Blouse (4) and Jeans Alterations - Have clothing in hand to make alternations to
7. Men's Shirt alterations (multiple, not sure how many at this point) - 

Coming Commissions-

1. T-shirt Quilt for friend in an online group (no due date, waiting for shirts and specs)
2. Multiple memory quilts from friend at church (no due date, waiting on shirts/clothing; they are in the middle of wedding prep at the moment)
3. Memory Teddy Bears from button-down shirts (12 of them)

Possible Commissions -

1. Airplane quilt - need to make sample blocks before getting back with friend to see if she's interested (most likely for Christmas if she decides to do it)
2. Music Quilt - long time possibility....rumblings about it happening again - Designed, waiting on down payment
3. 2 "Floor" mats - 24" by 18" size, same person as #2 rumbling about these, time will tell if they happen - Designed, waiting on down payment from customer
4. Second purse for same friend as first one
5. Enhanced tote w/pockets - cats #1 - Designed, Need to find fabric to show customer
6. Enhanced tote w/pockets - cats #2 - Designed, Need to find fabric to show customer
7. Enhanced tote w/pockets - dachshunds - Designed, Need to find fabric to show customer

Other projects that need to be done -

1. 2019 Row by Row quilt - Finished and turned in for a win
2. Final snail block onto the wide backing for snail quilt so I can use it as a label
3. Mini Wallhanging for adoption shower gift - Hanger arrived, sleeve added and gifted!
4. Additional work for the PT job - Ongoing work......
5. Memory Bear Sample from size small shirt - Finished
6. Finish 4 UFO's that will be headed to the kids of a family who lost everything in a forest fire in CA - two of four quilted and ready for binding, backing pulled for the remaining two and needs to be pieced before being basted

Gratitudes:

1. For having been able to work from home (aka where ever I've been staying) instead of having to drive into the office,  Makes saving money when there's no income easier.

2. For the cooler temps the last few days.

July One Monthly Goal Recap

July's goals for my One Monthly Goal with Elm Street Quilts was accomplished yeah!!!!!

Border is on.   But can't afford to mail it off for quilting at this time.   One of these days that will happen.

Commissioned stockings were finished up and mailed out and delivered.

All info needed to start these has been determined, and the layout decided on.  Still need to give $ figure to customer.

Gratitudes:

1. For unexpected gifts from friends at church.

2. For the "cold" front going thru the area today.

August ScrapHappy Days

First thing scrappy I finished off were these commissioned Christmas Stockings.  Made from scraps for the front and remnant pieces for the lining, backs and cuffs.  Names were satin stitched onto the cuffs.  These have now been delivered to my customer.











My friend Susan had sent me a gallon sized bag of lots of triangles a while back.   And then more recently some packs of little pp'd patterns.

These patterns are 3 1/2" finished in size.  they'll use up a few of the scraps but not a lot.  =)

Here are the first three completed blocks.   I'm still debating about how many blocks to make.....will decide that eventually.













To check out what everyone else has been working on this month, check out the following links -
Kate (me!), Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki, Pauline and Sue L.


Gratitudes:
1. For the job possibility that my resume has been submitted for.

2. For the help I've received in getting my resume in shape for job hunting.

Goings on

I house sat for friends that previous two weeks.  And during that time I was able to get a number of projects further along in the process, if not finished.

This UFO quilt is now quilted and will eventually be going with three others to a family who lost everything in a wild fire.  this will most likely be bound in the black.

Backing fabric of the quilt.

Wildfire quilt #2 and backing.  Most likely will bind in black altho I do have more of the border fabric.

Thrifted little candle holder that I added a pincushion too.

And these Christmas stockings were a commission that was finished and mailed off.

Gratitudes:

1. AC is back after 24+ hrs of being out.

2. Service call on AC was doable even tho not in the budget since I'm still not getting paid at work.

August One Monthly Goal

It's that time again -  I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts with my one monthly goal.

This month I'll be focusing on a large goal finished up this month.   I have 3 UFO quilt tops and one top given to me that I will be finishing up so that they can be given to a family with 4 small kids who lost everything in the Campfire wildfire last year in CA.  Tops are all pieced, so I just need to get them quilted and bound so that I can ship them out.

Gratitudes: 

1. For the blessings of answered prayers in friends lives (remission from leukemia and good response to immunotherapy.

2. For the knowledge that Christ is Lord over my battles.