Graduation in the 'hood": security blankets and more

click to enlarge

      Days are wildly full now, but I wanted to make something festive to take to a graduation dinner on the harbor. Good friend and neighbor,Jean and her daughter Anna, were both graduating...Jean with a Masters in Public Health and Anna with an undergraduate interest in international health.
      First I made graduation cards using Comic Life and then added quotations on commencement to the backs of the envelopes. I learned this afternoon how to used the embroidery attachment on my sewing machine so I could put their names on "security blankets." I had many missteps in my education but succeeded after using a stabilizer ironed on the back of the fabric. I wrote the names and class and then made "pillow cases" with batting. turned and stitched on gold wings and around the edges. Of course the Kaffe Fassett fabric "made" them; and I listened to the graduation speeches as I sewed.The back was a complimentary exciting fabric by the same designer. I picked up some light-up rings for the graduates to be easily identified and had little gifts to pull out of my bag.

Easy Fabric Postcards

The easiest fabric postcard to make, IMO, is what I created today. I made eight of them and took them to the PO to be hand-stamped after I had afixed a self-adhesive stamp and rubbed it in with the back of my nails. I know, from experience, some will arrive locally, tomorrow. (click on both photos to view)

I sent the sparkling fairies to thank my grandchildren for my birthday gifts, the pencil prints (Kaffe Fassett design) with the cakes to thank for other gifts or to wish a happy birthday to people here and far away, and the baseballs to Evan who put up our paper when we were gone.

First, with a rotary cutter, cut a front, a back and a piece of flannel, all 4 1/2" x 6 1/2."  I used an antique stamp to print Post Card, but writing it is equally nice or better. I ironed on the cakes with something like Wonder Under. Next,  stack, the pieces and pin:  the flannel on the bottom, then the back and front, their good sides together.  Stitch all around 1/4 " from the edge (leaving a two-inch opening mid-end so that you can turn the pieces after clipping the corners). Press after turning. Now stitch 1/8" from the edge all around which will close the opening. I used white thread, and Sharpies to color where I did not want white lines. I used a gel marker to write without the bleeding of ink. I wish I could move more slowly to give the ink time to dry!