I have fallen in love with creating quilted greeting cards. I mean, who doesn’t love a little quilty goodness? It all started several years ago when the isolation of the pandemic began to impact my extroverted friends the hardest. Most of the people I know live out of state and I wanted a way to send love to them and to know I was thinking of them. I made these silly valentine cards, cut by hand so they’re full of imperfections, but the response I got was overwhelming. People loved these cards and frankly, I loved making them. Thus, a new tradition was born and has been expanding ever since! This photo was the only one I could find but it’s from 2021.

Free motion quilting, for me, is the most challenging modality I have attempted to learn. Every year I set some skill building goals for myself and go at them; FMQ topped my list for 2023, along with thread painting. As you likely know, FMQ requires a LOT of practice! And if you’re anything like me, you can’t bear to throw away your practice pieces. But what to do with them, especially when you see inconsistencies or mistakes in your stitching? CARDS PEOPLE! Lots of CARDS!

Ever since the laser build completed I’ve had fun snatching silhouette vector files (free ones) off the web and cutting them out of my FMQ practice pieces but you don’t need a laser to have fun with them. Sizzix and AccuQuilt dies, cookie cutters, or shapes you trace onto vellum, cut out, and trace onto your quilt sandwiches to cut out all work just fine! You’d be surprised by how much people love them. Or if you have an embroidery machine you can use it to tack down applique shapes and letters. Lots of options! The most important things are that YOU have FUN while developing your FMQ chops AND you put your practice to good use by making people smile with your truly one of a kind quilty cards.

Below I have some examples of appliqués made from my own practice pieces as well as some completely quilted cards with cardstock backs or interiors. I’m always exploring different ideas, many of which come to me during the zen of FMQ. I make no claims to being good at it; in fact I think I will be a lifelong student of it, but I do truly enjoy the improvisational aspects of it. Take a look.

I’ll post my 2023 Halloween cards once they have reached my recipients 🎃. Hopefully at least one person is inspired to try their hand at a quilty card! It’s so much fun and a nice break from long term projects.

One hot bobbin wishing you sewing adventures!