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Franki Kohler is the founder, organizer and fearless leader of Postmark’d Art which began in 2004. She is also the author of the book Fast, Fun and Easy Fabric Postcards (C&T Publishing, 2006). She lives in Oakland, CA.
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Tell me a little about yourself.
When I was young, my grandmother lived with my family. She was always making her mark. Whether she was tatting an edge for a handkerchief, finishing a pillow case with a fine crochet lace or embroidering a design for a pillow, she was creating a legacy of fine hand work that her children and grandchildren would cherish. Her mantra was, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” Naturally, she shared her skills with me and I acquired a true appreciation for working with needle and thread.
Here is grandma on her wedding day. You can barely see the rose at the neckline of her dress. I’ve ‘rescued’ a bit of her broderie perse work — another rose.
My introduction to quilting was serendipitous. I attended a fund-raiser for a historic house in a nearby city during December 1981. Each room in the house had been decorated by a different designer. One of the bedrooms was decorated lavishly with quilts. They were on the bed, the wall, hanging over a screen, stacked in baskets — I was dazzled. I had been wanting to learn how to quilt for some years so I took this as a sign that it was time to jump in. The designer’s business card indicated that she owned a quilt shop nearby. Kismet! I took my first quilting class in early 1982. My instructor, Diana McClun (who later closed her shop to found Empty Spools Seminars), was such an inspiration that even though I was working full-time then, I completed two quilts in that year. The second quilt was a Christmas sampler. Diana thought it was good enough to be a part of an exhibit she curated in 1983 titled American Christmas Quilts at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. How encouraging was that?
Why did you organize Postmark’d Art?
I was interested in learning about the new techniques and products that were on the quilting market but I knew that experimenting with the bed-quilt format wasn’t going to be practical. I was searching for a small format for experimentation, a format that required a minimum of time and material investment to teach me the new skills I wanted to learn. Now I could not only learn by making postcards, I could also learn by receiving them and seeing the work of other artists.
When did you start making postcards?
My postcard adventures began when a friend handed me the summer 2004 issue of Quilting Arts Magazine. That issue contained an article about a group of artists who were making and exchanging fabric postcards. They called themselves Art2Mail. This was my “Eureka!” moment.
I couldn’t get to my computer fast enough to learn more. Art2Mail didn’t have an opening with their group at that time but they had enough interest from readers of the article that they spun off a group of new traders. I was asked to be the moderator for the new group. We called ourselves Postmark’d Art. I still smile when I remember Laurie Walton’s suggestion for the name: She said that in her part of the country (Maine) R’s and E’s are optional.
How do you display your postcards?
I have groups of postcards on small display stands throughout my house. I like to rotate the cards. I also have a quilt that I made for displaying postcards. This is Princess Bliss of the Land of 4 x 6. She holds 70 postcards altogether and she hangs out with me in my studio.
What have been some of your favorite themes?
We always have a “No Theme” group for trading and for many years that’s the group I traded with.
Recently I joined the “van Gogh” trade group and I was so happy I did! The treasures I got in the mail will be cherished for years to come. Here are a couple of them:
Meta created a thermofax screen using a Dutch postage stamp and words that she associates with van Gogh.
Tell me about your other interests.
I am an avid gardener, enjoy studying piano and traveling with my husband, David. I also relish daily walks with my boys, Taylor and Mendelssohn. 
Dian Stanley is a charter member of Postmark’d Art. She lives in Overland Park (a suburb of Kansas City), Kansas with her husband and a year old puppy. She has sewn most of her life.
Tell me a little about yourself.
We moved to Kansas City from a Chicago suburb about 20 years ago. I have been sewing most of my life starting with Barbie Doll clothes. I love fiber of all kinds. I am also a weaver with a floor loom in my living room so I have a yarn stash as well as a fabric stash. My quilting is strictly of the art quilt variety. I don’t enjoy the exactness or the handwork of traditional quilting although I find myself something of a perfectionist. I do take advantage of all the new technology including machine embroidery and computer manipulation of images.
Why did you join Postmark’d Art? When did you start making postcards?
I saw an article on postcards in Quilting Arts Magazine. At the end of the article, it said if you wanted to join send an email. I did and before I knew it I had a message from Franki Kohler. I joined for the first trade. I thought postcards were the coolest things I had ever seen. I had never made a postcard until that very first round.
How do you display your postcards?
I’m sorry to say I don’t display my cards. I store them in boxes. I teach an occasional class in postcards so they are ready to go on a moments notice.
What have you been some of your favorite themes?
I am always in favor of the “No Theme” groups. I’m a last-minute kind of person and that really helps me. I can expand on something I’m doing at the time or do something that has been spinning in my head for the months since the start of the trade. However, I enjoyed “Home” (I did the yellow brick road to my house with a Google Earth map) and the nature themes. I actually went on to create larger art quits from “Angel,” “Bird Song” and “Shoes.”
Tell me about your other interests.
I am a weaver although it has taken a back seat to my sewing lately. I work part time for Indygo Junction, an independent pattern company, designing patterns and making samples. I am a member of Eclectics Gallery in Kansas City where I show a variety of my work. I am a charter member of Fractured Fabrics Society, an art quilt group. We usually have 1-2 shows per year in the Kansas City area. Machine embroidery is really habit forming for me. I have more designs than I could stitch in many life times. It’s kind of like a stash. My other stash is beads–all shapes and sizes, but my favorites are size 11 seed beads that I use in bead embroidery.
Postmark'd Art 