The Quilted Greeting Card Story
As of this writing, I have been posting a quilted greeting card per day on social media for about 450 days in a row, starting January 1, 2024. I often get asked what I do with them! I still make some, but most of the photos are from the 10-12 years where I sold them regularly. Almost 6,000 over that time span! So I thought I would tell more of the story here.
I have done lots of sewing since I was in college, but I didn't do much quilting at all. Mostly apparel, home dec, and outdoor clothing and equipment. When my family moved back to Fairbanks, AK in 2006, my favorite fabric store was gone, and the only ones were JoAnn's and quilt shops. Around the same time, I was taking my kids to the library a lot, and that's when I discovered Quilting Arts magazine. I was instantly hooked, and I haven't looked back, almost 20 years now!
I wanted to try every technique I saw, so I started making mini quilts. (Still my preferred method for teaching, as they are so quick!) I realized they were about the right size for a greeting card, so I started making them a more standard size, instead of the willy nilly I had been doing. 😂 (Many people suggested making them a standard frame size instead of envelope size so people could frame them more easily. But selling them as a functional, consumable item turned out to be a good idea. As artwork, people would buy one, but as a greeting card, they would buy handfuls.😊)
I have done lots of sewing since I was in college, but I didn't do much quilting at all. Mostly apparel, home dec, and outdoor clothing and equipment. When my family moved back to Fairbanks, AK in 2006, my favorite fabric store was gone, and the only ones were JoAnn's and quilt shops. Around the same time, I was taking my kids to the library a lot, and that's when I discovered Quilting Arts magazine. I was instantly hooked, and I haven't looked back, almost 20 years now!
I wanted to try every technique I saw, so I started making mini quilts. (Still my preferred method for teaching, as they are so quick!) I realized they were about the right size for a greeting card, so I started making them a more standard size, instead of the willy nilly I had been doing. 😂 (Many people suggested making them a standard frame size instead of envelope size so people could frame them more easily. But selling them as a functional, consumable item turned out to be a good idea. As artwork, people would buy one, but as a greeting card, they would buy handfuls.😊)
|
|
|
|
|
After I started having a stockpile, I took some to a local bazaar, and sold about 100 of them. I decided I was onto something, so I kept making them. Soon I did several bazaars per year, and had them in a few shops. I was also having some health issues, so after a year where I sold 600 of them, I decided I needed a break. I raised the price, and the following year I sold about 950. So much for that plan!
At that point I decided to make some patterns, so people could make their own! They were very popular, but quilt shops really wanted kits. I didn't want to do kits, as that's a whole different level of investment of supplies, and I would need more space. But, I also realized my designs had lots of tiny parts, including things like card stock and interfacing that quilters don't always have on hand, and therefore were really well suited to kits, so people didn't have to round up 10-15 fabrics and parts for a 5" quilt. 😂 (Great for scraps though!) Once I made kits, I sold about 100 times as many as patterns!
Quilted Card FAQ answers:
The mini quilts are 4 x 5 1/4" before mounting on card stock. They are attached with fusible web. The card stock ends up a standard invitation size, 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" (1/2 of 8 1/2 x 11" sheet before folding). The card stock is folded in half, so they open like a normal greeting card, and are blank inside. So of course they go in envelopes. There are many people who like more of a postcard version, but I prefer the kind that open. They usually don't require extra postage unless there is a thick embellishment.
Fast forward to today...
I eventually added some wall hanging designs, and many of my kits have been in the Keepsake Quilting catalog! Now I have a large line of greeting card and wall hanging kits and patterns, (shop online tab above) and have added some online classes as well, (online classes tab above). I love to do live classes too when I get the chance!
I discovered that I love teaching at least as much as creating, so that has been my biggest focus lately. But I still make greeting cards, and use that size or a little bigger as a teaching tool. I want students to have quick success, without investing a lot of time or supplies. So they are still a big part of my world.
My cards and quilts have also been in magazines several times! Including Quilting Arts, which is how this whole thing got started. 😂 Something I never would have imagined at the beginning for sure. And a cover even?? (raven, below) But my favorite part is still seeing what students create when I give them a bit of a launchpad and my simple tricks, and these little cards are what started it all! I always hope something in my crazy world of art quilting will inspire other people to create, and I love to provide information and confidence builders to help.
Happy sewing! Beret
At that point I decided to make some patterns, so people could make their own! They were very popular, but quilt shops really wanted kits. I didn't want to do kits, as that's a whole different level of investment of supplies, and I would need more space. But, I also realized my designs had lots of tiny parts, including things like card stock and interfacing that quilters don't always have on hand, and therefore were really well suited to kits, so people didn't have to round up 10-15 fabrics and parts for a 5" quilt. 😂 (Great for scraps though!) Once I made kits, I sold about 100 times as many as patterns!
Quilted Card FAQ answers:
The mini quilts are 4 x 5 1/4" before mounting on card stock. They are attached with fusible web. The card stock ends up a standard invitation size, 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" (1/2 of 8 1/2 x 11" sheet before folding). The card stock is folded in half, so they open like a normal greeting card, and are blank inside. So of course they go in envelopes. There are many people who like more of a postcard version, but I prefer the kind that open. They usually don't require extra postage unless there is a thick embellishment.
Fast forward to today...
I eventually added some wall hanging designs, and many of my kits have been in the Keepsake Quilting catalog! Now I have a large line of greeting card and wall hanging kits and patterns, (shop online tab above) and have added some online classes as well, (online classes tab above). I love to do live classes too when I get the chance!
I discovered that I love teaching at least as much as creating, so that has been my biggest focus lately. But I still make greeting cards, and use that size or a little bigger as a teaching tool. I want students to have quick success, without investing a lot of time or supplies. So they are still a big part of my world.
My cards and quilts have also been in magazines several times! Including Quilting Arts, which is how this whole thing got started. 😂 Something I never would have imagined at the beginning for sure. And a cover even?? (raven, below) But my favorite part is still seeing what students create when I give them a bit of a launchpad and my simple tricks, and these little cards are what started it all! I always hope something in my crazy world of art quilting will inspire other people to create, and I love to provide information and confidence builders to help.
Happy sewing! Beret
My current classes
The collage one is on this website, the other two (and more coming soon!) are on a new and much improved one! The Simple Secrets has a self guided version available all the time, and a 'live online' version about twice a year.
The collage one is on this website, the other two (and more coming soon!) are on a new and much improved one! The Simple Secrets has a self guided version available all the time, and a 'live online' version about twice a year.
|
Framed Collage Class
|
Crazy Quilt style greeting card class
|
Magazines I have been in! Both of these magazines are a wealth of inspiration and instruction for art quilting.
|
|
|
|
|
