Princess Bliss of the Land of 4" x 6"
This photo shows the quilt as it was displayed in Houston. All postcards are made by me.
Click to show large version of photo (618 KB).

There are many ways to display the fabric postcards that we make and trade: individually framed, tucked inside clear plastic sheets of a binder, in a basket on a tabletop to name a few. I use most of these methods myself. However, the way I have found to be the most fun and enduring is on a quilt I named "Princess Bliss of the Land of 4" x 6"."

This quilt was inspired by a challenge set forth by a fellow Art2Mail member which stated "Claim a title for yourself and defend it in fabric." I immediately knew what I would do and here's how I did it:

1. Dig through the stash of black and white fabric and find a good background.
2. Create a pattern using my favorite metal art piece in the backyard. Select a high-contrast fabric and appliqué the pattern to the quilt top.
3. Layer, quilt and trim the piece to 6' x 4'. Bind the quilt.

4. Dress the Princess in her best jewels. While I usually dress when creating in the studio, the Princess needs no clothing. The flush of success and her fine jewels are all the cover she needs.

The Princess shares her message throughout the kingdom.

5. Create a special postcard from the Land of 4" x 6" and stitch it to the Princess's hand.

6. Cut thin mil plastic (found in the upholstery section of JoAnn's) for vertical orientation, 4.5"x 2.25", and horizontal orientation, 6.5" x 2.25". Arrange in rows, stitch to the quilt using clear nylon thread.
7. Insert postcards and ENJOY! Change postcards as frequently as you like.

Not counting the Princess's postcard, I can display 69 postcards at a time. This provides for a nice rotation of my postcard collection. My original layout was not as "lined up." However, when the quilt was accepted for the IQA Houston show in 2006 I had to create a layout which allowed me to fold the quilt for shipping.