A Postcard Collection

Have I yet admitted my real passion for postcards? Well, I collect them! To the point that when we used to go on family vacations, we'd send one to the cat. Yes we would! And now that the kids are grown and the cat (miss you Blackie) is gone - well we send them to "Home Sweet Home". haha. It's true!

So when the thought of a postcard quilt came to me last summer, I just had to make it right up.

Then I made a quick and easy block tutorial {here}, shared it, and in response to the positive comments, started up The Postcard Quilt Along flickr group a few days later. Over 30 Postcard Block quilts and other projects are currently in some stage of completion, but today I'll show off all the completed ones so far! {Name/flickr name are below each photo. I've included links to blogposts when available.)

Ellyn/Ellyn Z; bloggged

 mimi'sdarlins 

Katrin/makatrin

 Tiffany/t.anne

Lynne/pieceful1; blogged

coasters by M-R Charbonneau (Quilt Matters); blogged

M-R Charbonneau (Quilt Matters); blogged

M-R Charbonneau (Quilt Matters); blogged

Jennie/Jennie's Threads; blogged

Debbie/aquilterstable; blogged

Ginny/Ginny F; blogged

Karen/mrscummings2u

Debbie/aquilterstable; blogged

Eileen/Di Pietro Eileen

Carol/carol.funicelli

Letty/Lettyb; blogged

QuiltdivaJulie; blogged

Mathea/Crafty Mathea; blogged

Marta/Polka Dot Classic

Wow! Isn't that something?! I love how folks made it their own - with fabric choices, block placement, and other design details. Perfect! Thanks to everyone that joined in The Postcard Quilt Along! Feel free to keep adding your finished projects to the flickr group, and I'll share more another day.

All Call for Postcards

When I started The Postcard Quilt Along back in June, I was just having fun. I'd only shared my original Postcard Quilt a few days before, and several folks said they wanted to make one too, so why not?

So it's been a few months and time for a full-fledged show and tell! If you have a finished Postcard Block project - quilt or otherwise - link it up now in the flickr group! I'll be sharing all the finished projects right here on Monday!

Meanwhile, a random fun bit about this pattern . . . Windham Fabrics saw it and liked it well enough to mock it up to show off at Houston quilt market last month. Kinda crazy but fun just the same.

They used it to promote their new line, Little Tinies, out early next year.

So that's all about that! Let's share those postcards!

Postcards do.Good

Though I had already made two postcard quilts {here and here}, they both used large-scale prints as focus fabrics. I still wanted to try one more quilt that used solid postcard blocks, so I asked the FAITH Circle of do.Good Stitches to help me out.

We started with this palette from design seeds.

I asked my group to use my Postcard Block tutorial and make:

• Postcard 'fronts' out of solids within the palette. Some of my bee-mates didn't have the solids, so I asked them to use tone on tone fabrics. 
• Postcard 'backs' using any shade of gray for the vertical line and text prints for the 2 'halves'. If they didn't have text prints, I asked for 'blank' postcards, using solid white or cream, or white on white. 
• 6 of each type of block sewn together to make 2 - 12 1/2" unfinished blocks

 Here's one of my sample blocks.

This was a pretty simple top to put together, even though I ended up unpicking 2 blocks down the center, due to my own little design error. An easy fix.

For the back, I had chosen and purchased the purple texty stripe from SUCH Designs before I even got my blocks back. It just seemed the perfect choice for this quilt's theme and mix of colors.

I continued the theme with the quilting, "scribbling" across the quilt using one of my machine's zig-zag stitches widened and stretched. Aurifil 50wt #2021 (Natural White) was a good choice, considering both white and off-white were used in the blocks.

I decided to keep the binding kind of subtle and went with a small-scale text print

Finishing at 48" x 60", this quilt will be sent to Restore Innocence, FAITH Circle's chosen charity, where hopefully it can provide some healing and hope.

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday and Fabric Tuesday.

2014 Finish-A-Long: Q3 Finishes

Three out of four finishes for me this quarter. I shoulda, coulda, woulda that last one, but I didn't quite make it. OH well. If you missed them, links to project posts are below finish photos.

With the blocks all pieced, it didn't take much to get my next Postcard quilt sewn together and finished.

So here's the completed quilt. I was curious about the pattern as a larger quilt. This one's 1.5 times wider and twice as long as my original. And I'm liking is just as much. 

Duo (click for block tutorial)

On my Q3 list were also 2 table runners inspired by a pattern by Susanne Woods in We Love Color.

Since I was making these runners in custom sizes, there was a fair amount of math figuring out sizes and placements, but they went together really nicely. 

Stone-Stepping

And finally, I really took my time on my latest Spiraled quilt. I was building it on my design wall as the quarter started.

But just in the nick of time, I finished it up.

Spiraled Underground

The last project on my list was another Postcard quilt with blocks made by FAITH Circle. Here's a photo of the completed top, and just yesterday I got it basted, so it shouldn't be long now.

So it could have been much worse. Now to look ahead to the last quarter of the year.

W.i.P. Wednesday

Finally I'm feeling that yearning to get sewing again and I know exactly what I need to work on . . .

All the Postcard Blocks from FAITH Circle have been stitched into a quilt top. I have fabric for a simple but special quilt back, and a quilting pattern in mind. So all ready to get going on this one.

My latest Spiraled quilt top is pieced and basted even! Still debating the quilting on this one, but it won't take too long once I get going.

My project for Selfish Sewing Week, a Brookfield Bag, is coming right along and I'm pretty excited to finish it up! After a brief frustration installing the swivel clasp, all the hardware is set in place, and basically I just need to sew the lining in. yay.

So that's where I am. Hoping against hope to have all of these completed in the next week or so and see where October takes me!

Linking up with W.i.P. Wednesday.

Afield

If it seems like I've been off the grid, that's not far from the truth!

Internet is spotty, time warps are confusing, and days are full but I wanted to send you a greeting from Italy in the form of a postcard quilt. This photo was taken right outside our hotel in Venice where hubby and I spent the last few days.

We braved the crowds, saw the sights, and explored all over Venice before heading on to Padova where we are now. I know I'll just have to share more in the weeks ahead but here's just a little snapshot of some tasty treats found here in Padova....panini and tremazzini (sandwiches), a spritz - the afternoon beverage of choice both in Venice and here - and a most delicious espresso beverage - caffeine pedrocchi - espresso with mint cream on top and sprinkled with cocoa. Oh yeah!

So I'll check in now and then but no sewing for me for a bit . . . small price to pay for the experience we're having.

Oh and in case you missed it, my latest post on Sew Mama Sew went live yesterday. I shared 12 Fundamental Quilting Skills, good helpful links from gifted quilters, which I'm sure you'll enjoy perusing.

So take care dear friends, and I'll touch base again soon...

Postcards Keep Coming

Here's a couple more postcard quilts to show off, plus a really clever adaptation of the pattern!

First up is this sweet thing by Tiffany/t.anne. I love the 'postmark' quilted up in the corner, as well as those wavy lines between the blocks that are reminiscent of curvy postcard edges.

Lynne/pieceful1 made this one, and I really like her simple palette. Read more about her quilt on her blog, pieceful.

And lastly for today, M-R Charbonneau (Quilt Matters) made the postcard block her own by making these darling postcard coasters. Find out more at Quilt Matters.

I know there are more fun postcard projects in the works, so stay tuned!
If you feel like joining in, here's the block pattern, The Postcard Quilt Along flickr group, and #thepostcardquiltalong hashtag!

Duo

As soon as I was done with the first postcard quilt, I knew I wanted to do it all again. Besides, friends have been creating their own postcard quilts with The Postcard Quilt Along, and I definitely wanted to sew along with them.

In Duo, I used all Tula Pink prints for the postcard 'fronts' and a variety of text prints and gray solids for the 'backs.'

Quilting was done with vertical organic straight lines, much like the first time, with matchstick quilting down the gray solids, all with Aurifil 50wt #2021 (Natural White). Tula Pink's aqua chevron strip from her Salt Water line made a nicely coordinating binding.

The quilt finishes at 36"x48", and I took the last stitch on the binding while on a car trip to Eastern Washington last weekend. It seemed apropos to do a quick little photo shoot at a winery along our route.

Seriously, postcard blocks are a quick sew! Feel free to nab the tutorial and join us!

This project is on my 2014 Finish-A-Long Q3 List. Linking up with Fabric Tuesday and Finish it Up Friday.