***NOTE: Registration for this swap has closed, but feel free to check out the fun cards everyone made on Instagram at #freshstartswap2021. If you’re bummed you missed out, make sure to join my newsletter HERE so that you get the announcement for this summer’s postcard swap!**
You’re probably tired of saying it (and hearing it), but 2020 has been a rough year. I have high hopes for 2021! I think I’ll skip the annual tradition of committing to an impossible-to-follow diet and workout plan this year. Instead, I thought about the thing that I’ve missed the most in 2020… human contact. So I’d like to kick the new year off by sending (and receiving) some quilty encouragement. Care to join me?
Before we start, I wanted to spend a little time talking about my vision for the new year and for the card I’m going to create.
You can send any kind of quilted card you want. I personally like to make a quilted card holder and then slip a little card inside. I have a tutorial on how to do that HERE. It’s basically a card-sized mini quilt with pinked edges and a fabric pocket on the back. I find it gives me a lot more flexibility to make whatever I want when I’m not trying to integrate other materials like cardstock, interfacing, etc, etc. that you might find in some methods of making an actual quilted card. So don’t let the swap name fool you–anything that involves something quilted and a card will work just fine for this.
There have been many moments during 2020 when I would have found it cathartic to send a wry, pessimistic-but-realistic card to a friend. Something with we’re-all-in-hell-together vibes. It’s been that kind of year. But I want to start 2021 with optimism. It’s still going to be a grinding, uphill battle for the world while we try to get past COVID and see what’s on the other side of it. Many things will never return to ‘normal’ and many others will. But I believe that 2021 holds good things for us and I want to start it with my eyes fixed on those things, even if they aren’t immediate.
I haven’t designed my card yet, but I’m holding a loose vision in my mind of bright Alison Glass scraps and crisp, geometric lines. Maybe some whimsical hand quilting. Or maybe some dense, modern straight-line quilting. I’m equally excited about designing the card that I’ll include. I think the front will be an uplifting quote. I’m looking forward to sitting with some hot chocolate over the holidays and reading through tons of quotes looking for just the right one. And calmly absorbing some of the positive words of the others along the way.
Doesn’t that sound therapeutic? I don’t want to just start 2021 with positive thoughts. I want to take positive action. If you do too, jump in and join me! You can click the button below to head over to the signup form and get all the details.
Happy Quilting!
-Kate
Hi There!
I’m Kate, and I’m the face behind SparkleStash. I would say that I’m the designer or quilter behind SparkleStash, but the reality of running a small business is that I’m the designer, quilter, accountant, computer programmer, technical writer, social media coordinator, customer service rep, and probably a few other things I’m forgetting right now. Which I absolutely love (most days).
I design things that I wish existed. The blend of modern creativity and deeply rooted tradition is one that inspires me and I try to weave that balance into my designs. Every pattern starts from a mental image of a mini quilt I want for the wall of my studio, a mug rug I want to send to a friend, or a quilt I want to sit under with my tea when the weather starts to turn here in Minnesota.
So if you love quilting, welcome. You’ve come to the right place. Have a look around. Happy Quilting!
- Kate