backtracking

Over a month ago I created my postcard for the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap.

I excitedly sent it off four weeks ago.  And I excitedly received a postcard in the mail about a week and a half later.  But I never heard from the swap partner to whom I sent my postcard.  So I don't know if it was lost in the mail or if something happened to keep my partner from being able to participate.  It makes me sad because I really liked my postcard and I was hoping it would brighten someone's day.  I did take some photos before sending it off and I thought I'd share them here because I really like how it turned out.  Here's the front:

The birds and the border were created with Amy Butler fabrics from her Love line (actually they were leftovers from the quilt I made).  I cut out the pieces of the birds and ironed them on with double stitch fusible web.  I love that stuff.  It's the first time I ever used it and it worked so nicely.  (I'd been wanting to use it for some other applique projects, but haven't yet gotten around to them yet.  I'm glad to know that it's so easy to use and works so well).  The birds' eyes are vintage pearl buttons.  Their legs and the vine-covered heart on which they're perching are all embroidered.  I found it really fun to do that embroidery.  I did do some sketches beforehand and I traced the heart onto the fabric, but the rest was just freehand. 

The crocheted rose

is a brooch

And here's the back of the postcard:

I embroidered the words freehand but traced the heart and the line in the center before embroidering them.  The heart on the stamp is a scrap of one of the Love fabrics (attached to that scrap of white fabric and then to the postcard with more fusible web).

I really became attached to this and, of course, immediately began dreaming up all sorts of other embroidered and appliqued wall-hangings I could make.  I haven't made any of them yet, but after making the crocheted rose brooch, I did make quite a few more and even put a couple in my shop.  My crafty to-do list is never-ending.  And I guess that's probably a good thing.  How awful it would be to finish a project and not have another lined up.

So there's my postcard.  Although it was disappointing that my postcard might not have reached its recipient, the experience of participating in the swap was a lot of fun.  Having an assignment and a deadline was a different way of creating for me and motivated me to try out some new techniques.  Take a look at the wrap-up post here.  Thanks, again, Beth, for organizing the swap.