Frequently Asked Questions

QAre they really made of fabric?  And can you really mail them without an envelope?

Yes!  They are small pieces of quilted art.  Some are fairly stiff, while others are flexible. They must be no larger than 4" x 6" and no thicker than 1/8" in order to be mailed.  The postage must be hand cancelled, and they require first-class postage instead of the regular postcard rate.  Note that some post offices may also charge a hand-cancellation fee, and embellished cards may cost more to send.

QIs the address side paper or fabric?

In most cases, the address side is fabric, usually fused to a non-woven stabilizer such as Decor Bond.  A few of the artists use heavy card stock (paper) for the address side.

QIf you use fabric on the address side, won't the stamps fall off?

We’ve found that if you use the self-stick stamps and rub them firmly onto the card before mailing, they stick just fine.

QWhat kind of pen do you use to write on the address side?

The best pen is one with pigment ink, such as a Pigma brand felt-tip or the permanent gel roller pens sold for scrapbooking.  Sharpies work as well, but after some period of time the ink will begin to spead, leaving an unattractive brown halo around the letters.

QHow do you make them?  Is there batting inside?

Construction techniques varied a little, but most of the cards were made in this way:  Decorative fabric, thin cotton batting, and muslin backing were sandwiched, quilted, and embellished, then trimmed to size.  A separate muslin, sometimes fused to stabilizer, was added to the back of the quilt to form the address side.  The edges were usually bound with zigzag or satin stitch, although some were left raw and one artist bound hers in copper tape.

QWhat about embellishments?  Can I use anything on them?

We stuck to flat embellishments.  Sequins, stitching, couched yarn, very small seed beads, and even feathers went through the mail with no problems.

QCan I make my own fabric postcards and call them “Art2Mails?”

Please make your own fabric postcards!  Lots of them!  However, the term “Art2Mail” refers specifically to this group of artists and is not a generic term for “fabric postcard.”  We are in the process of trademarking “Art2Mail” as a use mark for our group.  Please refer to the works of art themselves as “fabric” or “fiber postcards.”

QHow do I join the next swap?

  Click here  for more information.  So far we have organized 46 groups and are working on group #476!

QNo, tell me how to start my own group!

Then click here for tips on putting a group together.