So… after spending
a number of hours, researching the antique calling cards on eBay, (and
a little bit of money purchasing a few that were irresistible), 25
unique appliqued card shapes each with it’s own unique motif
had been designed.
All of the blocks have a 12” x
8” scalloped calling card “mounted” in
the center of a 16” finished square. By using a dark background
fabric, I was able to spotlight the cream, tone on tone fabric of the
appliqued calling card, meant to mimic the antique paper look of the
real calling cards. In addition, I “fussy cut” all of the
roses and larger flowers from my own hand
dyed fabrics done in rich,
deep, tie-dyed colors. This gives the flowers and roses the hand painted
look of the original cards.
The rest
of the applique fabric was a range of quilt store prints that mimicked
the textures in the real item, (like a wood print for the cart, crackle
for leaves, etc…). I can’t help it; I like to shop for fabrics.
The one challenge that occurred in this project
was the “jigsaw puzzle” approach
to the applique. I hadn't tackled an applique project with as many overlapping
pieces. Many of the appliques,
within the motif, lie on top of or under another. To help you tackle this,
I have numbered the placement for the appliqués right on the pattern
and have included a few other tips for staying organized. (For more detailed
instructions on how to needleturn applique- take a look at A
Little Guide to Needleturn that
includes a unique Victorian Calling Card not included in this collection
of patterns.)
