Quilt Builder Christmas Card

I have sewed only a few things in my lifetime–a blouse for home ec in grade 9, a dress for my wedding social, a dress for my daughter's first photo with Santa and some bibs.

Sewing is not something I truly enjoy possibly due to the way my mother tried to teach me how to lay out a pattern. Though I first learned to sew at school, in practicing my skills at home, my mother tried to get me to adopt her way of laying out a pattern on the fabric.

This method did not involve mimicking the pattern layout from the pattern itself. Instead, it involved folding the fabric in several different ways to find the most economical use of the material so as to end up with fabric left over for some future project. I simply could not wrap my brain around this method and it left me totally frustrated with the sewing process and I hadn't even got to the sewing machine yet!

Regardless, I have an appreciation for those who possess sewing skills and who can work wonders with a length of fabric, my daughter being one of those people! One year, she was able to measure, design, and sew a tuxedo for our dog, Brandy, to wear on Christmas Eve!

I have an even greater appreciation for those who create magnificent works of art in the form of quilts. The new Quilt Builder Framelits allow non-sewers like me the chance to create quilted cards. With so many lovely DSP choices, how could quilting cards not be fun?

For my first quilted card, I chose some of the lovely black paper in the Merry Music Specialty DSP as well as a red gingham paper from the Quilted Christmas pack as well as Basic Black and Whisper White card stock. Using the star dies from the Quilt Builder Framelits, I used the two dies together to cut the black outline of the star.

Using a method from Klompen Stampers I placed the outline on a piece of Press and Seal paper. I then cut the inside star shape three times using the Whisper White and the two DSP choices. After choosing the appropriate pieces from each, I filled in the quilt, sticking the pieces to the Press and Seal paper.

Once the quilted star was complete, I folded the Press and Seal over the design and turned the piece over. After carefully peeling back the Press and Seal, I applied glue to the back of the star piece and then lifted the star piece and adhered it to a Basic Black square of card stock.

After die cutting a Basic Black stitched square, I layered and then adhered the star design with the black square turned 45 degrees, using Dimensionals. I adhered a matte of the Merry Music DSP to a Real Red 5 x 5" card base and then added the quilted layers using Dimensionals. Because the card front was so busy with all the patterned DSP, I left the sentiment for inside the card.

I used a stamp from the Quilted Christmas stamp set to stamp with Basic Black on Whisper White and then die cut it with the matching die. I also cut an outline of the shape using Basic Black. These shapes were layered together and placed on top of the star piece. A Clear Faceted Gem was colored with a red Sharpie and adhered in the middle. To complete the card front, a length of the 1/8" Real Red Ribbon was wound around the card and tied with a bow.

A Whisper White matte for the inside was stamped with a sentiment from the Snowflake Sentiments stamp set using Real Red. A matching shape with a stitched outline was also stamped. Basic Black on a Sponge Dauber gave a fine inked line around the matte.

I know I'll be playing with the Quilt Builders agains soon–so many possibilities, and not just for Christmas!