The bags of scrap cloth are piling up. I've made some cards in the past by laying out pieces like a collage and just free-motion stitching them to a folded card. But I had an idea for a postcard, one where the free-motion stitching would be more secure and with a way to write on the back, no stitching visible.
Leftover from papermaking and from suminagashi (Japanese paper marbling) I have a stack of interfacing, or Pellon, if you use the brand name. The interfacing is stiff yet flexible to stitch into.
Materials: Interfacing cut to 5" x 7"; metallic thread; white or black or other color thread for the border hem; fabric scraps; thick printmaking paper or card stock cut to 5" x 7".
Tools: good fabric-cutting scissors; pinking shears (optional); sewing machine or needle
2. Attach the free-motion foot, slide the feed-dogs down, thread some metallic gold thread, and randomly stitch away on each collage. You will need to hold down some of the pieces; notice that they are likely to shift. It may be helpful to wear those quilting gloves I wrote about.
3. Add a stiff card for a backing, change out the free-motion foot for a regular foot and stitch the edges of the interfacing and the card together, about 1/4 - 1/2" into the collage.
4. Pull the exposed threads to the back by tugging gently on the thread at the back and pulling the loop out so you have the front thread as well. Sometimes I tie them in a knot back there, sometimes not.
5. Trim to the outline stitching, 1/8 - 1/4". I have a sharp and heavy duty paper cutter, but a pinking shears or other scissors would work.
And there is the card, roughly 4" x 6", depending on how you worked it. In this photo it is sitting on a white background, but perhaps you can see that most of the collage now goes all the way to the edges. Here's another.
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