Posted on by agilejack

Testing Out an Idea for Greeting Cards

I received a message yesterday from an old friend who had purchased some KFC fabric greeting cards from me a couple of years ago. She had used up all her cards and wanted more. So I dug into my supplies and had enough cards to make her 17. I quickly got them all done and packaged up for shipping.

And then today I started thinking about different ways to make fabric greeting cards. These insert cards are pretty expensive and I feel like I lose so much of the image of the fabric since the border is so wide.

So an idea came to me… What about using Heat and Bond to fuse pieces of fabric to blank 5×7 inch greeting cards. I immediately dug in and made a quick four cards and I LOVE how they turned out.

I just love this fabric cut in a random way like this. Someone on Facebook commented that it would be great to fussy cut the fabrics for the cards. But I really like the random and abstract look of these cards! I find the random cuts much more interesting than a fussy cut.

I was so happy with how these turned out that I hit the sewing room again tonight and made more of these 5×7 cards… until I used up all the blank cards I had on hand.

Then I remembered that I had some smaller colored cards that I had intended to paint on. These had been sitting in the closet unused for at least two years. These are about 4×6 inches… and I LOVE these fabrics on the colored cards!

Look at all the variation in this one fabric!

And oh my god… THIS ONE!!!!!

How amazing is that??? GAH!

I finished up with some pretty pink.

I’m definitely going to be making more of these!

It’s been year since the terrible fires we had last summer. We’ve been so lucky this summer and have not had to deal with fires close to Portland. We’ve also avoided all the terrible smoke that others are suffering around the west.

There was some smoke in the air today, however, and the light looked odd all day. But it didn’t seem to affect the air quality index. But it did make for a pretty sunset tonight.

We’re all keeping our fingers crossed that we don’t see fires again this year.

And wow! I’ve received so many Frankenbag photos since I headed out on vacation. I’m going to slam through them here so I can go to bed!

This first bag is from Maddy Pepe. And I have to say that this is one of my most favorite of all the Frankenbags made by my readers. I just love orange and think it gets a really bad rap. It’s an amazing color. I love how Maddy combined her fabrics. This makes me want to make an orange quilt. It’s just soooo good!

This next bag is from Andrea Cline. I just love her bold black and white piecing! And I love those peaks on the bag. Wow! Love this one!

This next two bags are from Anita Goodson. I love the purples and turquoises together and have been wanting to try this combo. I also love the doggie lining on the second bag!

Next up are these two bags made by Eileen Kane. I love that all black and white bag. I’ve been wanting to make an all black and white one. And the pop of color on the lining is fun. And I love the black and white checkerboard on the second bag… especially on the back of the bag.

Next up is this bag from Del from Hawaii. It’s so scrappy and comfy!

This next bag was made by Susan Stewart. I love all the red and the pops of black and white are great!

Next up is this bag from Jacqueline Frances. I just love the diagonal lines on this bag and the colors are so bright and fun. And that lining is one of my favorite Kaffe fabrics.

These next two bags were made by Sharon Galli. I love the dark fabrics in the first bag. And I love how Sharon incorporated her hexis in the second bag. She also did some fun quilting on both these bags.

This next bag was made by Mary Beth Henke. I love the limited fabrics she used on the wavy design. And that tag on the lining is just so good! I can’t stop laughing about it! I always say that I weave a little profanity into everything I make!

This bag was made by Britt Inger Johnsson. She’s made a few bags before this one. I love the dark tones in the first photo. And her reds are so bold an saturated. She’s also added more pockets and a zipper placket. I need to make more with zipper plackets!

This next one was made by Laurie McClennon. I love how scrappy this little bag is. What a great use of scraps!

This one if from Cherry Naylor. She’s been a Frankenbag making machine! This one is really fun! I’m seeing that green floral all over the place right now. Quilters are using it in some amazing ways!

This is another bag made by Birthe Aust. She’s been really productive too. I love the fabrics she’s used here. She’s probably able to make these in her sleep now!

This next one was made by Ingrid Cruz. She used one piece of fabric for the body of the bag and constructed it according to my tutorial. It’s really nice to see that gorgeous print all in one piece!

Next is a bunch of sports fan bags made by Sharon Marcum. What a fun approach to team fabrics. Someone is really going to love these!

This next one was made by Debbie Adding. This is just so cool! It feels like a moonlit night. It’s so dark and moody. And that NY beauty block is pretty spectacular! Love this bag!

And finally, this last one was made by Sylvie DuPont. And I love it. The deep reds combined with those graphic black and whites is really striking. And a little fussy cutting of that onion rings is pretty good!

Thanks to everyone who sent me photos of their bags. Phew! It feels good to be all caught up!

37 Replies to “Testing Out an Idea for Greeting Cards”

  7. Your card idea is awesome with Heat and Bond. I write probably 20 thank you notes a month for my chapter of Project Linus. I’m sure the quilters will appreciate my “scraps”. I know I’ll enjoy the fun fabrics as I write them. Thank you.

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  9. I love your greeting cards too! I have made them with Tersel and a glue stick. There is a YouTube video on it. But that is a longer process as you have to soak the fabric, let it dry and then iron it. A great idea for scraps.

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  12. I agree with Sue! Love everything you do and you are a great inspiration! I make all my own cards and envelopes and have for years. And thanks for showing all the wonderful Frankenbags…such different ideas. Keep up the good work! So glad you’re back from vacation as I’ve missed your blog and photos.

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  14. I am glad to hear that you and the “boys” had a great vacation. And that card idea … I am stealing that from you for sure. Still haven’t made a Frankenbag (or 10) but I will have to after seeing all the photo inspiration. And I “love” that you “love” each and everyone of them! I am really enjoying reading your blog. Not sure if I “love” your fabric projects or Rico and Bender the most but either way, I am really glad to have found your blog. It’s educational, joyful, and a great way to step away from the stuff that is going on in the country and around the world if only for a few minutes a day. Thanks for that!

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    1. Wow! Thanks Karen! It’s been a lot of fun to hear from people all over the world. It’s such a great and sharing community!

      You should try a Frankenbag! I’ve been having a blast making them!

      Thanks for reading my blog! And thanks for taking the time to comment!

      Anne

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  15. Love your Frankenbags! Made two of them myself so far but my daughter has made about 12 really super-colorful ones for gifts! Thank you for your clear instructions and wonderful website!

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  16. Just wondering if Maddie Pepe is related to Patricia Pepe. I used to pattern test for Patricia with her x-block patterns. And I think her daughter developed patterns as well. It was a fun time for me and seeing her name brought back many memories.

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  17. I love all the wonderful pictures of everyone’s Frankenbags. They are so inspiring!
    RE: greeting cards – For seasonal cards, some stabilizer and simple stitching / appliques could go a long way!

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