Calgary Quilt Festival 

2026 Postcard Exchange 

So, it's a LONG time until May 2027 and we want to get to know you - Calgary area quilters, and other quilty friends from all over!

We decided to do something fun to exercise our creativity, and build some community.  Quilting is a great way to be creative!  Quilters from all over signed up in April 2026, and got to work creating little pieces of art through May 2026.

We made some quilted postcards.  And sent them to a new friend or two.  And enjoyed receiving a handcrafted "hello" in the mail.

We had over 70 participants, coming from six provinces coast to coast (BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, PE), and one from Maine USA!  More than 110 postcards were crafted and sent to our exchange partners - you can admire some of them in the gallery below.  Thank you to all the participants.  It was great to meet you - and your artistry inspires us!

Here's a little gallery of some of our wonderful postcards! Thank you everyone...

Here's How it Worked (the basics):

• Registration for this postcard swap closed on May 1, 2026. 

• The sign-up form allowed you to exchange 1 or 2 postcards with a fellow quilter (or 2).

• We match you up with another quilter (or 2) and exchanged contact information.

• Participants could be from anywhere!  We did ask on the signup form if you would be okay to mail outside Canada or not...

• Postcards were asked to be roughly 4x6 inches to 5x7 inches in size.

• You could use any quilting technique or techniques to create the postcard (see photos and expanded details below for ideas).

• Your postcard needed to have a backing that can be written on, be stiff enough that it could be mailed, and have a finished edge.

• There was a deadline to mail the postcard to your new friend(s)..

• To keep the postcards clean and safe, using an outer wrapper or envelope was recommended.

• Our creations were shared on our social media - we all love to see the ones you made, and the ones you received!  Please be mindful to obscure any personal information when you post - last names, addresses, etc should be hidden.  Thanks.

Expanded Details/Inspiration:

• Size: The pieces are intended to be mailed to the recipient, so we recommend something between 4x6 and 5x7 inches.  

• Front - We encourage you to be creative with this textile based art form!  You're welcome to use traditional block piecing, but also consider improvisational piecing, embellished art (embroidery, beading), english or foundational paper piecing, whole cloth quilting, applique or any other expression of quilting arts.  Depending on your technique, you may want to incorporate quilt batting in this layer.

• Middle - The middle layer of any quilt adds structure and texture, and postcards are no exception.  Depending on your other layers, you may want to add batting for texture, interfacing for structure or both.  For the finished piece, we're aiming for something that is stiff enough that it could be mailed, even if you choose to enclose it in an envelope.

• Backing - Postcards are about communication, so please incorporate something that can be written on.  Plain cardstock is a popular choice, as it's easy to obtain and write on.  We've created some printable templates for you.

• Edging - The simplest technique to produce a finished edge is to zigzag or satin stitch around the edge.  If you're using a cardstock backing, you may want to use a looser zigzag stitch or incorporate the paper separately to avoid perforating the paper completely.  In the resources section, there's also a tutorial for a bound edge.

• Mailing - There are a few practical aspects to mailing postcards. In order to keep the postcards clean and expedite them through the postal service, you may want to place the pieces in a cellophane or paper envelope.  If your piece is very textural or delicate, you may want to consider a padded envelope.

Resources:

• Optional printable Calgary Quilt Festival backing templates - print at "Actual Size"

• Sarah Ruiz has a great overview of quilted postcards, with a free tutorial and free PDF download

• A YouTube video walkthrough by CraftyGemini

• Suzy Quilts has a technique to bind the outside instead of zig-zagging it

• Michelle Wilke has another technique with no raw edges

Have fun with this project - we hope it inspires joy and creativity in your sewing room!