Posted on by agilejack

It’s All In the Presentation

I took a few minutes this afternoon during my lunch break to package up the colored KFC fabric cards I’ve made over the last few days. I sorted them all out so each design was distributed well in my stack, and counted off sets of ten cards. Then I got each set packaged in a cellophane bag with a pretty little “thank you” sticker on the front.

I ended up with thirteen sets of ten cards with only one lonely little card left over.

It’s always fun to see something packaged up nicely. It really elevates an item when it’s packaged in a way that says someone cares.

After our evening walk tonight I decided to dig in and see what I had in the way of scraps of my border collie fabric. And I found a bunch of pieces that were almost the exact size I needed for the front of a 5×7 card. Look how fun these are!

I made enough cards to put them into three sets of four cards. Got them packaged too.

These will make a really nice gift for someone who loves border collies!

These went together so quickly that I dug in and made some cards from Aboriginal fabric scraps. And wow… I Love these!!!

I have a lot of Aboriginal scraps to play with. These will be fun to make as more colors and designs make their way onto cards.

I’ve developed a pretty good process for making these cards but was having some frustrations getting the paper to peel off the Heat and Bond. It was taking a lot of time to get the corner to separate so I could pull the paper off.

While I was making these Aboriginal cards I had a brainstorm. I cut slits in the Heat and Bond with my rotary cutter before I fused it onto the fabric with my iron.

I made the slits about every two inches. I thought that would insure that at least one slit appeared on each piece of fabrics once they were cut.

Here’s the Heat and Bond being adhered to the back of the fabric.

These slits are a complete game changer! These last cards tonight went together so much faster! And I’m not shredding the corner of the fabric trying to get it to separate from the paper. I just love little things like this that make a task easier and more efficient.

I’ve received photos of more Frankenbags in the last few days.

This first one was made by Niki Sager. I LOVE her fabrics, and those strips of fussy cut row flowers in the first photo are so wonderful. I just love the serious red in this bag! And there’s a really nice lining! You know how happy a lining makes me.

This next bag was made by Connie Newton. How much fun is that mini black and white cow print on the front of the bag? That little detail just makes me so happy. Connie made this bag from scraps that her friend gave her. It will be a gift for that friend.

This next bag came to me from Helen Pettit from Bordertown South Australia. I love her wonky improv blocks and I love that she really committed to purple! It’s such a great color.

This next bag was made by Helen Proctor-Brown from Esk in Queensland, Australia. Here’s what she wrote about this bag:

“I was very taken with your Frankenbags… the colours, the randomness and the freedom such a simple idea can provide. So when my granddaughter asked me to make a bag with the Superb Fairy-wren on it, it was an opportunity to try out your method. But, what to put on the reverse? Then she rang to tell me that while she was taking a photo of the Sturt’s Desert Pea, her fella got down on one knee to ask a special question! So, there you have it! Superb Fairy-wren appliqued on one panel and a pieced Sturt Pea on the other. “

I had to Google it, but a Sturt Pea is a flower, and Helen’s version of it is pretty spectacular!

I just love this bag… the little bird and it’s quilting, the bold and graphic Sturt Pea, and the story. What an amazing gift this is going to be!

And finally, the last bag tonight comes with a really touching story. It’s amazing to me how our creative endeavors are such a part of our lives… the joys and the sadness.

Karen Huntoon sent these photos of a bag she made during a difficult time. Here’s what Karen wrote to me:

“I wanted to thank you so much for sharing your pattern for the frankenbag. Friday I received the news that my best friend’s cancer has taken a turn for the worse and we will lose her by Christmas. I couldn’t focus on anything. The only thing I could do is sew random pieces of fabric together. I did that for eight hours Friday. It was so calming and meditative. I am calling this 1st bag my “bag of grief” It will sit in my quilt room and hold all the little notes I write about how I am feeling.”

This bag is made even more beautiful by all the love and pain that is woven among its threads. What a wonderful tribute to Karen’s friend and a testament to the role our creative endeavors play in our lives.

Thanks to Karen and Helen for sharing their stories, and for everyone who sent photos. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to hear from so many people from far and near. Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing!

24 Replies to “It’s All In the Presentation”

  2. Anne, what do you do with the raw edges of the fabric that you make cards with? I absolutely love them all. The border collie cards are very special.

    Sent from my iPad

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    1. I use Heat and Bond to adhere the fabric to the cards. It’s almost like a thin layer of soft rubber. I adhere the Heat and Bond, then cut the fabric to size. So all the threads on the edge are held in place by the Heat and Bond. It works really well!
      Anne

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  5. I love the cards you have made and am going to give it a try. Kaffee fabrics look so great on the cards. The pictures of the bags are very inspiring. I have never made a bag and have never seen that pattern.
    Thank you for sharing your skills and the projects from your followers.

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    1. The cards have been really fun. They are quick and easy and so gorgeous with the Kaffe fabrics.

      And do try a bag. If you have basic sewing skills you should be able to pull it off!

      Anne

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  6. Where did you get the wonderful border collie fabric? I love it and I want some too! (a fellow border collie enthusiast) I think I’ll be making some of the cards from my stash. Thank you for the wonderful idea.

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    1. I’ve purchased this fabric several times: the first time at a local quilt show about 8 years ago. Then I found some online. Most recently I found it at a local quilt shop. Center Diamond in Cannon Beach, Oregon, probably still has some. They have an etsy site but don’t have much of their fabric on that site. You can call them and see if they still have it. I called them and had them ship it to me. YOu can find them through a Google search.
      Anne

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    1. One of the best things about putting my tutorial for the Frankenbag on my blog is that it’s connected me with people all over the world. Such an amazing thing while living such an isolated life during the pandemic.
      anne

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  9. Another tip for removing Heat and Bond is to score it with a straight pin starting near the center and runing to the edge of the fabric. Remove the h and b from the center out. Piece of cake? It works with even small pieces.

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  10. All so gorgeous, can’t wait to do some with Christmas fabric. Thank you for sharing your posts, I look forward to them. You are so energetic and motivate a lot of us. Helenx

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  12. I forwarded your email about these cards to my sister and she loved them! She then reminded me that her birthday is coming up. I can take a hint! I’m going to start making them this weekend as they are the perfect gift for any occasion. Keep inspiring us Annie and yes, the internet is a wonderful thing.

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    1. I’ve made over 70 just from Aboriginal fabrics! I would have made more but I’ve run out of Heat and Bond… again! I’m waiting for more to arrive.

      These would make excellent gifts! And we all need to send more cards and letters!

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