#quilted postcard

[creations-by-chaosfay]

Quilted postcards! Tell us more!

[flintandpyrite]

Working on my quilt again. Boots is helping.

[tj-crochets]

Friendly reminder that if a deal seems too good to be true, it might be! Also known as someone messaged me here, asked if they could make a painting based on one of my quilts (I am absolutely fine with that!), and then offered to pay me for doing so. When I said that was kind of them, but unnecessary, they insisted and kept pushing, trying to get my email, my discord, and then eventually my banking info. They insisted their "client" would mail me a check, and that since they and I were "collaborating" on this art piece, I'd deposit the check and then mail them their part. Many things about the whole pitch were suspicious, but two stood out from the very beginning: - for using a photo of my quilt as a reference, they said they'd pay $300 - the quilt they said someone commissioned them to make a 3 foot square oil painting of was the lumberjack quilt. Now don't get me wrong, I like my lumberjack quilt, but of all the quilts I've ever made I have serious doubts that the "various shades of denim" quilt is the one someone would want a painting of (Just in case they were not trying to scam me, I did make it clear that I was absolutely fine with them using my photos for reference. I even offered to take new photos of that quilt from different angles or in different lighting if they wanted! I said I had a ko-fi if they felt they really had to pay me! But no.)

[heaveninawildflower]

Forget-me-not silk postcard.

I recently acquired this unusual postcard from the early 1900′s. It’s called a ‘FAB’ Patchwork Card because it contains a silk patchwork square. The idea was to collect enough different designs to make a patchwork cushion or maybe a quilt with. It was manufactured by W. N. Sharpe of Bradford, England.

To remove the patch from the postcard you had to cut around the dotted line. There are many really lovely floral designs in this series. W. N. Sharpe produced many different series of cards - Edwardian actresses/personalities, views of London, heraldic crests etc.

Own scan from my own postcard..

[the-laridian]

The "postcard" style New Vegas block. My original intent was to make it part of another wall hanging (like the last one with all the applique blocks) but one viewer said it could probably stand on its own with the right border. I don't know what that border would be yet, but it's definitely a possibility. 

The interior of "large letter" postcard letters is usually illustrations about the state or location. For this one, I used leftover pieces of the "apocalypse" fabric blocks. The "E" is supposed to have the word "die" in it but I was off a little bit when I cut it, so it doesn't quite work XD 

Whether it stands solo or becomes part of a larger work, after it's completed, I'll add some hotfix crystals for the lights on the Lucky 38, and maybe some lights in the city. (While it's tempting to use rice lights, I only have a big string of those and the entire work would have to have a lot of lights to really make good use of it.)

[cyprinella]

Quilt finish three! Another modified Postcard From Sweden, using patterned fabrics and somewhat brighter colors on the whole. This one's so big I had to get J to hold it for pictures. But I did pretty simple quilting on it and used a thinner batting than usual so I didn't even need to drag my sewing machine down to the kitchen table.

[timebe1ng]

Random stuff art wall comin 2gether

[catnoli]

living fossil quilt

this is my postcard design featuring the frilled shark for october! join here before september 30th to get this as a postcard + sticker in october ^_^

[littlealienproducts]

Cat Lovers Victorian Postcard Quilt by FloralyCollective

[traintrainingmontage]

Let There be Light

This is my piece for Sodor Lightshow this year! I decided to focus it on Hannukah, as I am Jewish myself (but please note that I am VERY much anti-IOF/Israeli settlers/the Israeli government) and wanted to lean into the theme of light in dark places. Please enjoy.

Summary: On Christmas Day of 1946, Skarloey is left behind as Rheneas works. However, he soon discovers that a miracle has, perhaps, still found him.

Characters: Skarloey, OC, the Thin Controller, Mr. Ivo Hugh, Rheneas

Rating: T

Word Count: ~2,800 words

(Also on Ao3!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Day of 1946 saw the snow raining down in fat, heavy flakes, a far cry from the delicate snowfalls often depicted in the films and advertisements. It blanketed the rails in pristine, paper-white coverlets, soft yet deceptive in its pristine purity. Evening had fallen, the bleak blackness of the Sudrian winter all-encompassing, void-like in its reach. Not even the stars were out tonight, it seemed, the clouds too thick and quilt-like for such a delicate glow to pierce through. 

Despite the pervasive dim, however, there was still a certain brightness to be found, all across Sodor. As far as the eye could see, streetlights and lamps lit up the night, pushing back the darkness like a river of light, winding its way through Crovan’s Gate like an ephemeral twin to the Hawin Dooiey as, unimpeded by the winter weather, it continued its rush toward the sea. This picture postcard of a landscape was truly a sight to behold, especially as families dressed in their festive best made their way to church for the evening prayers, braving the snows to embrace the warmth of the soul’s salvation. It was a return to normalcy after many a difficult year, and the entirety of Crovan’s Gate—as well as the Skarloey Valley as a whole—was determined to do so.

For the Skarloey Railway’s No. 1 engine, however, a return to normalcy this was not.

“I’m sorry, Skarloey, but Rheneas will be solely responsible for pulling the Christmas train this year.” 

For a long moment, Skarloey thought that he’d misheard. He stared for several seconds at the Thin Controller, who was dressed in his best suit (an elegant navy blue) and overcoat, trying desperately to stand away from the blowing steam in his best attempt at preserving their color. Perhaps the longer Skarloey looked, the greater the possibility that the shrill creaking noise brought on by his hyperventilating might magically stop.

“Wha—what do you mean, sir?” Skarloey finally replied, trying desperately and failing miserably to keep his voice from warbling.

“I mean what I said, old boy. Ivo’s looked you over, and said that you should only be run in emergencies,” Mr. Peter Sam sighed, sharing a glance with Mr. Ivo Hugh, who was already standing at Rheneas’ footplate. The engineer looked on gravely, sorrow clouding his eyes even as his lips pressed shut in a firm, stern line. “The Christmas train is important, yes, but we can’t risk you damaging yourself in this snow.”

“But… I… Rheneas, please! Tell them that—”

But the protests died in Skarloey’s tubes at the sight of his brother, who was giving him the same sad expression as their engineer. “I’m sorry too, Skarloey, but our Controller is right. You’re already in dire condition; what if something happens to you? And if it did, what would we do about the passengers?”

“...”

Skarloey truly, deeply wished that he could come up with a retort, a rebuttal, or even a reply, but he had nothing. The resulting silence spoke for itself. 

“...Alright. I understand,” Skarloey managed at last, forcing himself to calm. “It’s for the best, really. With all this snow, it would just be an uphill climb, even downhill. Heh. I’ll just… wait here.”

“Thank you, Skarloey,” Mr. Peter Sam smiled gently, delivering a light pat to his bufferbeam. “Now, if you’re ready, Rheneas, we’d best be off. Let’s go!”

“...Right, sir,” the No. 2 engine replied somberly as Mr. Hugh eased off the brake and he began to inch forward, headlamp shining as he pushed his way forward into the storm. “I’ll be back soon, Skarloey! I promise,” Rheneas called, and his brother forced his lips to lift into a wan smile. 

“Please give everyone my best regards!” 

“I will!” With that last shout, Rheneas, bearing the last of the shed’s light with him, was soon out of sight, heading off to gather the coaches. The Thin Controller watched him go, then gave Skarloey one last pat. 

“You’re a good sport. Wait here, and we’ll be back soon. Merry Christmas.” Without another word, he quickly headed off, bustling toward the platform.

In his haste, he didn’t even hear Skarloey’s mechanical refrain.

~~~

Now alone in the shed, Skarloey had nothing to do but wait. More and more lights appeared, illusory stars dancing on the water until the ripples hurried them along. The warm golden lamplight, however, didn’t quite reach the shed, and so, the once-golden engine of the line had only the company of the long shadows carpeting the wooden walls. Outside, the storm had picked up in its intensity, howling in its triumph. Slowly, Skarloey allowed his eyelids to flutter shut, trying to push the tide of unrest at bay and perhaps indulge in a nap. 

Crunch crunch crunch. The sound of footsteps in the snow caused Skarloey’s eyes to snap open, darting all around as he struggled to pinpoint the source of the noise. Who in the world would be visiting now, at this time of night? Especially on Christmas, no less!

For a moment, his mind conjured the image of a burglar, coming to take advantage of the fact that the entire valley and a great majority of the town would be holed up in church. What could he do? He hadn’t the steam to whistle, and without his fire burning and air rushing through his tubes, his voice wouldn’t carry. His brake was securely set, meaning he had no hopes of moving anywhere either. Did he really have no recourse beyond bluffing his way through?

Steeling himself, Skarloey attempted to put on a brave face in the hopes that he might intimidate whoever was coming, but the sudden brightness of a lantern in his face caused him to flinch instead.

“Gah!” he winced, eyes reflexively closing in response, but at the thought of a possible burglary, forced them open once more, and tried to adopt the sort of voice that the Owner used when speaking with insolent Sodor Island Council members. “I don’t know who you are, but you are trespassing—”

“Easy! Easy, Skarloey! It’s me!”

The sharp lamplight finally freed Skarloey of its piercing glint as the visitor (likely no longer a vandal, in Skarloey’s estimation) set the lamp on the floor of the shed. As his vision cleared, the engine was left meeting the eyes of Jakob, one of the cleaners. Jakob was still in his work uniform and overcoat, despite the late hour, and his thick, bushy beard was rather unkempt, proof of a hard day’s work polishing both the engines and the coaches until they gleamed. “Oh, Jakob! I’m so sorry; I thought you were a burglar!”

The cleaner laughed, the sound light as it seemed to carry through the entire shed. “No harm done! I was planning on heading home a while ago, but this storm isn’t one I’d like to travel in.”

“Head home?” Skarloey questioned, eyes wide. “I’m shocked that you’re not at church already!”

“Ah, well,” Jakob chuckled, although this time, his laughter was slightly less bright. “I, uh, don’t actually celebrate Christmas. I was supposed to finish my work and be home by sundown, but given the weather, that wasn’t happening. I’ve already phoned my family, and I figured that while I wait for the storm to die down, I’ll just… wait here with you, if that’s alright.”

“Oh, yes! Of course!” Skarloey blurted out, looking around frantically for a chair or some other equivalent, until his eyes settled on a sturdy crate sitting in a corner of the shed. “Erm, there’s a crate over there that you can use. Please, you’re more than welcome to stay! For however long you’d like.”

The cleaner paused, then gave a quiet, grateful smile. He bent over, picked up his lantern, and hung it up on a hook halfway up one of the support beams, better illuminating the sheds before pulling over the crate to sit beside the old engine. “Well, thank you, Skarloey. Better to have company on a night like tonight than none at all, right?”

If Skarloey could nod, he would have. Instead, he did his best to channel the less-than-physical warmth sparking in his firebox into his smile. “I couldn’t agree more.” 

After a moment of comfortable silence, though, curiosity got the better of him. 

“So, Jakob, I will apologize in advance if this ends up being an awkward subject, but…” Skarloey took a quick breath, trying to think of how to word his thoughts. Beside him, the 40-something looked on, a slight tilt to his head as his eyes widened, waiting for the engine to continue. “If you don’t celebrate Christmas, then… do you celebrate anything at all? I mean, the Owner always talks about how the whole valley’s ‘Methodist,’ which I think is the same as ‘Christian,’ and I’ve also been told that ‘all good Christians go to church on Christmas.’ But you’re not going to church, so… I mean…” 

Skarloey decided that he really should have stopped talking a thought or two ago, so he let the words die off there. Jakob, however, didn’t look particularly offended, although he wasn’t quite in good humor, either; rather, his expression was one akin to thinking through how to explain something that people generally considered to be common knowledge. It was a face that Skarloey in particular was quite familiar with.

“Well, erm… I’m not a Methodist, or a Christian, for that matter. I’m Jewish, so my family and I celebrate Hannukah. Are you familiar with that at all?”

“Jewish… Jewish…” Skarloey chewed on the word a moment, trying to place it. He’d heard it recently, he was sure, but where? Suddenly, it dawned on him, and his eyes widened in grim horror as he stared at the cleaner, who was meeting his gaze with a guarded, yet resigned expression. “Oh, Jakob! The war! You… oh… I’m… so, so sorry. I—” 

“Hush! None of that now,” Jakob retorted sternly, cutting Skarloey off before he could say another word. The silence that followed was no longer companionable, but fragile, glassy. The lamplight loomed, the shadows lengthening.

Still, Jakob forced himself on. “It’s true that I lost family during the war. My parents came here when I was very young, and we left much of our family behind. But I still live. My daughters still live. We are here. And on this night, we are celebrating that fact the way my ancestors did during their war, by rebuilding and living and proving that life, and light, continue, even in the darkest of places.”

Skarloey wasn’t familiar with which historic war Jakob was speaking of, but he could hear the emotion thick in his voice, tears clogging his throat. The engine couldn’t possibly begin to relate to Jakob’s particular situation, but the desire to live, to celebrate living, all while mourning those who had passed—appreciating that he was still here, and still had family, amidst tragedy—that much he could empathize with. It made his own loneliness feel somewhat less overwhelming. “...I’m glad you’re here, Jakob,” the old engine murmured softly, and the cleaner, his shoulders shaking, gave Skarloey a wide smile as the lamplight glinted off the rivulets running down his cheeks. 

“Me too, Skarloey,” Jakob managed, reaching out a hand to pat Skarloey’s bufferbeam while wiping his face with the other. “Working on this railway is one of the best things to have ever happened to me.”

Once again, a breath of silence fell, not quite as easy as the first or fragile as the second, and Skarloey took the opportunity to change the subject, perhaps toward something a little happier. “Jakob, you mentioned that you celebrate something called Hannukah earlier. I don’t know much about it, but why don’t we… I don’t know, do something? To celebrate?” The engine’s eyes lifted to where the storm was still roaring away outside, seemingly unlikely to lift anytime soon.

With his tears finally stalling, the cleaner blinked the last of them away, his brow furrowing in thought. “That’s not a bad idea, but I’m not sure how.” Suddenly, Jakob gave a quick gasp and leapt to his feet, looking eagerly at Skarloey. “How about this? Let’s light some lights, hmmm?”

“Lights?” Skarloey echoed, a questioning lilt to his voice. “Whatever for?”

“Hannukah is also called the Festival of Lights,” Jakob answered, walking away from the crate and starting to search the shelves. “We’ll need nine of them for this, as tonight is, in fact, the last night of Hannukah!”

“Oh!” Skarloey exclaimed, his interest piqued as he watched Jakob bustle around.

With a triumphant grin, the cleaner finally found what he was looking for. The shed was well-stocked, and as part of its provisions, spare lanterns and a box of candles all stood ready, as if waiting for this very moment. “A-ha! Here they are! Although…” Jakob’s lips pinched together in frustration as he counted up the lanterns. “There’s only six of them here! And worse, we don’t even have a table to put these on!”

The cleaner’s disappointment was clear, and Skarloey felt a pang of anxiousness shoot through him. No! They were so close! The engine cast his gaze down, trying to think, when suddenly, the obvious solution presented itself. 

“Jakob!” Skarloey cried. “We can arrange them on my bufferbeam!”

Jakob’s head whipped around to stare askance at the engine, who was staring back at him with fiery determination. “Look! We can attach my headlamps alongside the ones you’ve found. That makes eight. And there’s also the one you brought in! That’s nine!” 

At the realization, Jakob’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “That’s brilliant! But… what if they topple over?”

“I couldn’t move a meter, even if I wanted to!” Skarloey replied, his voice brighter than it had been all day, his tongue almost tripping over his words in his excitement. “A-and, there’s no wind here! So long as you’re mindful of your elbows, I think we’ll be quite alright!”

Once again, Jakob’s lips lifted up into a blinding smile. “Well thought! Give me just a moment!” Quickly, the lamps were arranged on Skarloey’s bufferbeam, spaced as well as they could so that they’d all fit. Once that was done, Jakob took the lantern he’d initially brought off of its hook, bringing it over to the others as Skarloey watched on, absolutely entranced and, fortunately, quite unable to shiver with the anticipation he so keenly felt.

“I’ve never had the honor of seeing such a large menorah before. That’s what we call the candle holder that we use for Hannukah. But then again, I’ve never done anything like this before, so this is quite the honor either way!” A slight tremor had made its way into Jakob’s voice, nervousness warring with eagerness, but he forced himself to breathe. This too could not be rushed.

With all the solemnity of performing a rite, Jakob opened his lantern and pulled out the candle within. “This is our shammash,” the cleaner explained reverently. “It’s known as the attendant, and I’ll be using this to light the others, from the lantern representing the first day to the one representing the last.” His explanation concluded, Jakob then began to light the lanterns, from right to left. With each one lit, another flame sparking to life, the darkness fled a little farther until the entire shed was awash in light, brilliant and beautiful, just short of blinding.

Once he’d finished, Jakob returned the initial candle to its lantern, and set it in the middle of the beam, right in front of Skarloey’s face. Slowly, Jakob brought his hands to his own face, covering his eyes, and Skarloey closed his as well. 

“Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner Hanukkah.”

Skarloey didn’t know what the words meant, but he could hear the reverence, the gratitude, the sheer joy in Jakob’s voice. Skarloey knew that joy; it was the same joy that he could hear on church days when the parishioners sang loud enough that, as the pastor claimed, their very voices could reach Heaven. “My goodness,” Skarloey breathed. “What was that?”

“It’s a prayer of thanks,” Jakob replied simply. “A prayer of thanks for the miracle that is these lights.”

“Thanks for a miracle…” Skarloey mused, thinking that it was fitting indeed, given the events of tonight. “Is ‘amen’ used by Jewish people as well?”

“It is.” 

“Then… amen,” Skarloey replied, his voice delicate and reverent. Jakob simply smiled in response, both engine’s and cleaner’s expressions bright. 

The shadows would be back soon enough, of course; but by this small miracle, at least for tonight, their hearts were light, another flame on the river.

[creations-by-chaosfay]

I'm unable to do any sewing right now, but I know some of you may be interested in joining in on this postcard fun:

This is very beginner friendly!

[flintandpyrite]

I am sitting on the couch working on my quilt under the heated blanket and Boots and Frankie are both asleep on/under the same quilt. It’s like a free sample of quilt. A quilt sneak peek. I think I might take a nap too.

[tj-crochets]

Here's a cutting list for this quilt! I've never shared a quilting pattern that's this detailed before, so please let me know what I can expand on to make the pattern clearer I mean, it's just the cutting list, but it's pretty simple to see the pattern looking at the quilt? I can add a diagram of the pattern, though, if that would help?

Pride Quilt:

This quilt is based on 9" finished blocks in a 9x6 arrangement, so approximately 54" by 81"

There are four different sizes of fabric you'll need to cut out: 5" squares, 6" squares (to cut into HSTS for making 5" blocks), 9.5" squares, and 10" squares (to cut into HSTS for making 9.5" blocks)

For each stripe of the rainbow, you'll need three different fabrics, but a FQ of each will be enough

For the triangle section, you'll need two of each color (less than a FQ each)

Red 1 and 2: 2x9.5" squares, 4x5" squares Red 3: 8x5" squares, 1x10" HST

Orange 1 and 2: 2x9.5" squares, 3x5" squares Orange 3: 6x5" squares, 1x 10" HST

Yellow 1: 2x9.5" squares, 3x5" squares Yellow 2: 1x9.5" square, 3x5" squares Yellow 3: 6x5" squares, 1x10" HST

Green 1: 1x9.5" square, 3x5" squares, 1x10" HST Green 2: 2x9.5" squares, 3x5" squares Green 3: 6x5" squares

Blue 1: 2x9.5" squares, 4x5" squares Blue 2: 1x9.5" square, 1x10" HST, 4x5" squares Blue 3: 8x5" squares

Purple 1 and 2: 2x9.5" squares, 4x5" squares Purple 3: 8x5" squares

You will also need a 10" HST; ideally, to keep the pattern, it would be from fabric 1, but that would require more than a FQ. Alternatively, you can use fabric 3, but you will need a fourth color of purple for at least one (ideally 4) 5" squares to prevent having two identical fabrics next to each other. In my quilt, that fourth fabric is the space print fabric

Black: you'll need 22 HSTs to make 5" blocks, but you'll need 11 of each fabric, so cut 6x6" squares of each of your black fabrics to cut in half to make HSTs, and you'll have two left over

Brown: you'll need 18 HSTs to make 5" blocks, but you'll need 9 of each fabric, so cut 5x6" squares of each of your brown fabrics to cut in half to make HSTs, and you'll have two left over Blue: you'll need 14 HSTs to make 5" blocks, but you'll need 7 of each fabric, so cut 4x6" squares of each of your blue fabrics to cut in half to make HSTs, and you'll have two left over Pink: you'll need 10 HSTs to make 5" blocks, but you'll need 5 of each fabric, so cut 3x6" squares of each of your pink fabrics to cut in half to make HSTs, and you'll have two left over White: you'll need four HSTs to make 5" blocks with, so cut 1x6" square of each white fabric for HSTs, and 1x5" square of each fabric

The progress pride quilt top is done!!!

[heaveninawildflower]

FAB patchwork postcard from early 1900's with a satin patch of American stage and silent movie star, Maude Fealy.

Following on from the FAB forget-me-not postcard, I thought that you might like to see another of my cards, this time of an actress.

Maude Fealy was quite an interesting lady and very popular here in U.K. due to starring (as Alice Faulkner) with William Gillette in the stage production of Sherlock Holmes. I shall do another post in the future about her.

Own scan from own card.

[erwinsvow]

what would shy!reader’s room look like?

hi!!! tysm for asking <3 i know @princessbrunette did a post for deer readers room and i honestly see a lot of shy reader / myself in deer reader so this vibe is a little similiar to that !

for her bedroom i see something like this !! lots of quilts and blankets, i feel like she spends a lot of time in her room so it's her haven and really cozy. to me her vibe gives grandma's cottage

but i picture big windows and a comfy bed she can lie in all day if rafe doesn't specifically come get her or give her a reason to get up. she probably has a kitten or a sleepy older dog who will curl up right next to her while she reads in bed.

shes a kook and im projecting because i love those little window seating areas so maybe one of those where she can read and look out the window !! lots and lots of books! this bookshelf situation reminds me of my own room though hers is probably overflowing with her parents and rafe bankrolling. cute vanity situation for getting ready! i think she has an eye for collecting vintage things

collage wall moment !! shy reader is the type who can't ever get rid of birthday cards, notes people scribbled to her, gift tags with 'to and from' in pretty handwriting, postcards and ticket stubs. a lot of is stored in a memory box but i bet with rafe's stuff she starts a little wall like this ! he probably stares at it when he visits and feels dizzy at the emotions

trinket dishes ! scattered all throughout, filled with anything and everything. she'll be trying to get ready and running around trying to figure out where the watch rafe got her is and there's a million dishes to look through. hes like 'we're gonna be late do u even know what time it is?' she's like no i can't find my watch !

finally records ! the photo on the left is the exact set up for my record player. as we know they are expensive jawns but rafe def bankrolls her addiction to buying pretty colored lana releases. her ideal sunday is listening to music and reading in bed while curled up next to rafe. shes a simple girl

hope this wasn't too obnoxiously long ! i loved making this. staring around my room realizing i just projected my entire room + personality onto her. sorry girl

[cyprinella]

Due to a time crunch involving the guest bed that I use to layout my blocks needing to be used by a human guest, I got my modified Postcard from Sweden quilt top pieced in a week after I started cutting fabric. That’s blazing fast for me. And since I even have the perfect backing fabric in the house already, this may be my fastest quilt finish ever. (if I get it sandwiched and quilted in the next week or so.)