Tag: Fabric Business Cards

Ready to toss? Don’t. Rethink How to Use.

Quilters are famous for reusing fabric in their quilts. Yet, for quilters there are several other ways to reuse and not toss materials. Let me share a few of the ways that I have taken this a bit farther. I am very passionate some might say obsessed about not throwing fabric or other materials away.

Desert Trees in the Wash landscape art quilt
DesertTrees in the Wash, 25″ x 24″ 64 cm x 61cm 2021 Just one example of how I use small bits in my art quilts.

Business Cards

I use bits of batting and fabric to make my business cards. They are like mini art quilts. Some people benefit from a visual example of what an art quilt is. The fabric cards are about 4″ x 4″ 10 cm 10cm.

Therefore,it would be a real challenge to use these small materials for anything else. Each fabric business card is unique. People are thrilled to choose a small piece of art to take with them. https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/12/artful-fabric-business-cards/

fabric business cards
My fabric business cards

First, I write out my contact information using a fabric pen on a light colored solid piece of fabric. Next,I sew several small pieces of leftover fabric together. Finally, I make a small quilt sandwich with a small piece of batting inside. Then I stitch the three layers together. Trim and zigzag the edges.

a fabric business card- a work in progress
a fabric business card- a work in progress
a fabric business card -a work in progress with batting and backing
a fabric business card -a work in progress with batting and backing

Short Pieces of Decorative Threads

Pieces of decorative threads add texture and dimension to my art quilts. They could be birds or twigs in the wind. I prefer to create a more impressionistic view in my landscape art quilts. I leave it up to the viewer to decide whether the small piece is a bird or a leaf blowing in the wind. Reuse, don’t toss.

a bin of decorative threads
A textile friend gave me lots sof small pieces of the decorative threads she had left over from making scarves.
a closer look at some of the decorative threads
a closer look at some of the decorative threads
a plastic container of yarns and decorative threads I use,reuse don't toss
Here are some other yarns I use.
decorative threads and details I take apart to use their threads
Decorative threads and decor details I take apart to use their threads

Small Pieces of Fabric

Small pieces of fabric become abstract art quilts or fabric landscape collages. I have written several blogs on this topic. Here are links to two.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/the-making-of-an-abstract-quilt/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2017/07/fabric-layering-technique/

Sew Batting Together

Pieces of batting can be sewn together to be used like a larger piece. Make sure the weight of the batting is the same. Cut straight edges. Sew by zigzagging straight edges together. Make sure to create no gaps. Often there is a narrow long piece of batting let over when quilting a large quilt. These are my coveted pieces for this technique. Quilters,Reuse,Don’t Toss

two pieces of equal weighted batting can be sewn together,reuse don't toss
Two pieces of equal weighted batting can be sewn together.

Reusing items in Mixed Media

During the pandemic I turned my attention to mixed media or assemblage. I searched for small yet unusual items. These items would add interest to an art piece. Everything does not need to be a broken piece. Repurposing items also counts. My daughter brought back a small sewing kit from a trip to Europe. She never used it. I found a new use for them.

art in a box with blue tiles and buttons,9" x 6" reuse don't toss
Blue EuropeanThreads, 9″ x 6″ 23 cm x 15 cm

I am not sure if buttons would be considered unusual items. Yet, when I stacked them up with contrasting colors the effect was unusual.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/recent-attempts-at-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/08/sewing-room-minimalist-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/12/artful-fabric-business-cards/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/05/five-mistakes-new-quilters-make/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/01/frequently-asked-questions/

Reuse, don’t toss. Sometimes I have to give myself permission to throw something away. But with some thought, it is easy to consider another way to use something.

https://annbmayartquilts.etsy.com/

Check out these One of a Kind Artful Fabric Business Cards

fabric business cards, about 3″ x 4″

Artful Fabric Business Cards

My Artful Fabric Business Cards reflect my art quilt business. Business cards generally give basic information about a business; location, phone number and email .  Yet, I take my business cards a step further. They are small art quilts. For people who do not know what an art quilt is,the business card gives them an actual example to choose and take with them.

Reducing Waste

Reducing waste is a major motivation for me. My cards are made of fabric that most people would throw away. I use a fabric pen to write on a plain piece of fabric. The batting inside has no other use either. I also found that as my business grew my info changed. Because I hadn’t printed out my cards, I was able to adjust easily without wasting paper.

Artful Fabric Business Cards
I started with this info on one side.
Artful Fabric Business Cards
Later I needed to add more information as my business changed.

Each card is unique. Most people enjoy choosing their favorite colors or patterns. My cards are a committment statement about my work.

Making the Cards

People often say ,”Doesn’t it take a lot of time to make the cards?” I use the assembly line approach to production. First, I write the info about 20 times on white or plain fabric. Then, maybe at a different time, I sew small pieces of left over fabric together. At another time, I baste the three layers together with a glue stick. Followed by sewing two curvy lines, horizontally across the pieces. Zigzagging the edges comes last. I generally find that there are times when I don’t feel top notch or I need a break from creating. Those times are when I turn to making my fabric cards. So it is not as if I am taking productive time away from actual work.

Artful Fabric Business Cards

My First Fabric Cards

I made my first cards when I was still working full time. I tried different things and learned from people’s responses. When I shared my card with a coworker, she actually shrieked. That was a surprising response. But I took it as a yes, I was on the right path! My first attempts were to make each card extremely special, like a real art quilt. I soon learned that that was not really necessary. People were thrilled with a simpler more random piece. So I simplified my process.

Starting Out

I admit that these cards to require more effort than a paper printed card. It was my decision to give them away. Yet, another early experience made me make adjustments. At a gallery show I was in, a woman proudly came up to me and shared that she had taken four of my cards and used them as coasters. I was such a newbie I didn’t know how to respond.

Now I would say, the first one is free. The others are $10. Because of that experience,I found a finer tip fabric pen that would let me write smaller. I reduced the size of my cards also  so that they were closer to 3 or 4 inches rather than 5 inches.

Another benefit was that I could easily  change the information on my cards. When I moved my studio downtown,I made new cards with the address on it. Later I decided to add my phone number. These changes would have been costly and wasteful if I had used paper business cards.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

In conclusion, fabric business cards do take longer to make. However, I make them with fabric and batting that many would throw way. They allow me to reuse and reduce while making a memorable art quilt.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2020/11/decorative-mouse-pads/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2023/03/why-i-love-my-unique-business-cards/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/05/do-you-believe-serendipity-brings-joy/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2022/05/reuse-dont-toss/

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