Quilted fabric postcards are tiny quilts that can fulfill many roles.
Quilted fabric postcards are quick and easy to make. Whether you actually mail them to friends or loved ones, or use them for decorative purposes, these miniature quilts are irresistible.
Often, these can be made from scraps left over from other quilt projects. For beginning quilters, fabric postcards are ideal projects.
Just like any other quilt, they consist of three layers—a backing, and a quilt top with batting or stiff interfacing in between.
Their tiny size is what makes these fabric quilts so unusual. For mailing, they’re typically four inches by six inches. However, they can be as small as 3½ inches by five inches. If you plan to mail them, keep the thickness to ¼ inch or less.
All sorts of fabrics, washable or not, can be used for fabric postcards. For these projects, don’t bother preshrinking your cottons.
The front of the fabric postcard is where you’ll put the message, address, and stamp. If you plan on mailing these, keep this side pretty simple in order to make it easy to read.
Your design will be on the reverse or back side. This can be pieced or appliquéd to suit your personal preference. The two techniques can also be combined if you wish. The trick is to find a small-scale design that works for these tiny quilts. Add sashing just as you would for a regular size quilt.
For a traditional, soft quilted look, use batting. Stiff interfacing—either fusible or non-fusible—can also be used. Some crafters prefer this as it gives the card more body.
For embellishment, add decorative stitching along the edges of the pieced or appliquéd design. Hand or machine embroidery are other possibilities. You could also use sequins or other trim. If you plan to mail the card, avoid large, thick buttons and beads since they can suffer damage during the mailing process.
Once you’ve completed the design side of your card, add the sashing. Next, assemble the three layers and finish the edges either with seams or binding just as you would with a regular quilt. If you plan on mailing the cards, use a narrow binding that won’t add bulk. Now, add the quilting stitches.
Fabric postcards can assume many roles. They can be used as gifts, gift tags, holiday and greeting cards, invitations, and coasters. For formal dinners, make a personalized postcard for each place setting. You could also give them to guests as mementos of the event.
To announce the birth of a child, use your computer printer to print the baby photo and announcement on fabric printer sheets. Then, make the cards from the printed fabric.
