Quilted Postcard Challenge

SewCalGal first learned of quilted postcards years back, when a friend was making them to send out for Christmas Cards.  Needless to say, I was absolutely delighted when she began sending me such a card every Christmas. Truly a treasure to receive a handmade quilted card at the holidays, or anytime throughout the year.

During the 2012 Free-Motion Quilting Challenge, Janet McElroy began hosting monthly FMQ postcard challenges.  These challenges are now supported through a group on Facebook, where participants, from all over the world, sign up for a monthly challenge that may have a particular theme or not (The May 2014 Challenge does not have a theme). 

Janet did an excellent job inspiring quilters to try creating FMQ postcards, as well as exchange them with quilters all over the world.  This group continues, now under the leadership of Tina Gilley.  And, today, SewCalGal hopes to inspire you to make FMQ postcards, as well as participate in the monthly challenges which Tina now hosts.  There are great fun to give, as well as receive.  And there are a small project that can help you learn/improve your free-motion quilting skills and other skills (e.g. mixed media, threadplay, pieced, applique', etc).

Here are some free-motion quilted postcards that have been created during one of the monthly challenges:


 
(above) Tina to Dorothy Matheson

(above) Brigette Rossetti to Liz Gates

(above) Susan Pierce to Mary Railsback Dicke

(above) from barbara Compton to Dorothy Matheson

(above) from Christina Wilson to Alice Ridge

(above) from Cate Barry to Carolyn Trezona

Here are a few quilted postcards made by Jan McElroy (Jansmusingagain), which are absolutely lovely:

Jan also created an excellent tutorial for making quilted postcards.  Here are the links:

part one
part two

Don't forget participants in the Quilted Postcard Challenge come from all over the world, so this is also a great opportunity to make new quilting friends around the world.....or even in your neighborhood!

Of course, SewCalGal is hoping to see some quilted post cards entered in the Make It A Handmade Christmas Challenge as well as the Year of Red and White Quilt Challenges.  But even if you don't want to enter these challenges, I hope you'll consider making quilted postcards to share with your family and friends.  And, of course, I hope you'll consider joining the Quilted Postcard Challenge group on Facebook and participate in the monthly challenges now hosted by Tina Gilly, where you could exchange spectacular quilted postcards with quilters from around the world. And, at the same time, you could make many new friends!

SewCalGal also wants to encourage everyone to join the FMQ Postcard Fun and Challenges Group on Facebook.  You can have fun being a member of this group and not participate in any of the monthly challenges, although it certainly is more fun for those that do.  Click here to join this group on Facebook.



Martha (Quilting to the Edge) has an inspirational post on making free-motion quilted post cards and bookmarks:

 http://quilttotheedge.blogspot.com/2014/04/having-fun-with-free-motion-quilting.html

For more info on the FMQ Postcard Fun and Challenges:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/534708129894079/

For more info on Tina Gilley

https://www.facebook.com/tina.gilley.90?fref=nf
http://www.quiltingforenjoyment.blogspot.com/

For more info on Janet McElroy

https://www.facebook.com/janet.mcelroy1?fref=nf
http://jansmusingagain.wordpress.com/