MAKE A UNIQUE QUILT BLOCK GREETING CARD FOR MOTHER’S DAY
In this project, I’ll show you how to transform a standard greeting card into an elegant, personalized greeting card using a house quilt block. In part one of this two-part project the House Quilt Block was created, trimmed, and sewn to the floral fabric. In this blog you’ll learn how to assemble a lovely greeting card, add the letters for a Happy Mother’s Day greeting card, wrap the greeting card with fabric and personalize the card.
Finished Mother’s Day House Quilt Block Greeting Card – Front and Back
Finished Mother’s Day House Quilt Block Greeting Card – Front and Back
Just in time for Mother’s Day, this two-part project was inspired by the beauty of pieced quilt blocks and the fun of making custom greeting cards. It is a smash-up of two very popular crafts!
Checklist for the Quilt Block Greeting Card
Be prepared for this project. See “Supplies”, “Fabric” and “Getting Ready To Sew”.
Supplies and Tools
These are the tools and supplies that I used to make the greeting card.
• Quarter Inch Quilting Foot With Guide for piecing the block
• Walking foot for sewing the perimeter of the greeting card
• A 90/14 Sewing Machine Needle
• X-Acto Knife and a permanent marker
• Sewing Stiletto and Rolling Seam Presser
• Long Flower Pins or Sewing Clips
• Rotary Cutter, 6 X 24 inch Ruler, 6-inch Square Ruler and a Rotating Cutting Mat
Fabrics
You will need a 6-inches wide by 10.5-inches deep scrap of floral print fabric and a 7.5-inches wide by 10.5-inches deep quilt block
Fabrics
Instructions: Four Easy Steps
You’ll need a quilt block to make this unique greeting card. If you want to use the House Quilt Block I’m using, go to my previous blog and find all the instructions and printable template. The finished dimension for the quilt block including the border, is 7.5-inches wide by 10.5-inches deep.
Step One: Assemble the Greeting Card
Piecing The Quilt Block And The Floral Fabric
Piece the floral fabric to the left border of the House Quilt Block. This will create the fabric length needed to wrap around the greeting card.
Pressed House Quilt Block And Floral Fabric
Press the seam between the house quilt block and floral fabric open . And press flat the front of the block. This will prepare it for the final trim that will even all the edges.
Trimming The House Quilt Block And Floral Fabric
Trim to even up the perimeter. A nice and even edge will make the last step of folding the perimeter easier.
Finished House Quilt Block And Floral Fabric
Please lay the finished House Quilt Block And Floral Fabric in your work area with the right side up.
Step Two: Create The ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ Greeting
Creating The Vinyl Lettering
The ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ greeting lettering will be created from easy-to-use heat transfer vinyl. Hand-draw “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY” directly on the vinyl and then follow the manufacturer's instructions to do the heat transfer. Use an X-Acto knife to cut out the tiny pieces.
Lettering Applied To House Quilt Block
Audition the vinyl letters in the space before adhering them to the greeting card front. Once you have the desired positioning, then do the heat transfer.
Allow the vinyl letters to cool for a few minutes before going to the final step in assembling the card -- sewing the perimeter of the card.
Finished House Greeting Card Front
Great job! The front of the greeting card is finished. Now you are ready to wrap the paper stock greeting card with fabric.
Step Three: Wrap The Paper Stock Card With Fabric
Fabric Positioned On The Card Stock
Lay the fabric in your work area with the wrong side of the fabric facing you. Then position the paper stock greeting card stock on top of the fabric. Center it on the fabric.
Folded Perimeter
You are moments away from finishing your House Quilt Block Greeting Card. Just double-fold the fabric of the perimeter greeting card like self-binding a quilt. You can hold the ‘binding’ in position with binding clips.
Sewing The Perimeter
Definition: Self-Binding a quilt is when the backing fabric is folded twice and then over the raw edge of the quilt. This binding is sewn into position with a straight or zig zag stitch.
Sew the ‘binding’ with a narrow zig zag stitch. Your beautiful House Quilt Block Greeting Card is complete. All that’s needed is your personalized greeting inside.
Sewing The Card Fold
A simple straight stitch to the right of the center fold of the card will secure the fabric to the middle of the card stock. Use a walking foot and a straight stitch to achieve this.
Tip: Stitching directly on the fold could cause it to separate with use. Moving the needle to the right secures the middle without interfering with the functioning of the fold.
Handwritten Note
Step Four: Personalize the Card
Your handwritten note inside the card is the finishing touch for this project. Believe me, this final step is the most creative part of the entire project. Ask me how I know this.
Finished Mother’s Day House Quilt Block Greeting Card – Front
Finished Mother’s Day House Quilt Block Greeting Card – Inside
Finished Mother’s Day House Quilt Block Greeting Card - Back
Your Mother’s Day House Quilt Block Greeting Card is complete. It is simply elegant. Wait until you get the reaction. You may never give Mom a standard greeting card again!
Would you like to try another creative project? Apply your creativity and skill to these Madam Sew amazing projects:
• Make A Potholder With The Churn Dash Block
May your quilting always bring you joy!
Ernie Grant
Guest Blogger For Madam Sew
Ernestine “Ernie” Grant is an avid quilter with over 17 years experience and is the owner of the custom baby quilt business kalibabyquilts.com
As an African American living in Harlem, NY her view of quilting is shaped by her heritage and the elders who taught her–Quilting is not just thread, fabric and stitches. It is art, it is love, it is community.
