Super-fast idea for your ❤️ table! Crush those candy canes that are still hanging around from Christmas 😉 to form red-white filler for a teeny vase. Cut a branch from a shrub and adorn with red paper hearts on which you have written messages for your Sweetheart 💕.
So…remember that shimmering handful of Angelina in my Day 2 post? This is a pure-fun project, the result of which can be an ornament, gift tag, or even door hanger (you might embroider “sleeping” on one side, “disturb me :)!” on the other).
Supplies:
-pink or red Angelina fiber
-square of heavyweight double-sided fusible
-pale pink fabric for reverse side (I used a lovely shade from Windham’s Bedrock collection ❤️)
-thread that will make an impact…I used Aurifil’s 40wt in a rich red
-2 feet of cording (you can decide as you go as to final length, this will give you enough to work with
-pressing sheet! I swear by MistyFuse’s Goddess Sheets
Step 1– pull the Angelina fibers apart until they appear matted. This great material sticks to itself but to nothing else…if you have not tried it, pick up a sample pack at your local quilt shop.
Step 2– fold pressing sheet over the cloud you have formed and press into a sheet
Step 3– fuse to square base..then fuse pale fabric to other side. (Pale so that you can write a note to your valentine!)
Step 4– place square on cutting mat…trim away excess Angelina (save scraps for future art projects)…position on point. Using rotary cutter, trim into heart shape by forming bottom of heart from point…form rounded top. Use your scissors to finish top of heart.
Step 5– finish edge by stitching a tight zig-zag edge.
Step 6– switch machine to tiny straight stitch…and tack midpoint of piping down into top center of heart.
Hang wherever you like!
One of my enduring favorite quilt patterns is too simple to be called a pattern! Begin with a fabulous FQ bundle (who is not surprised that I fell for Tula Pink’s Tabby Road collection? 🐾🐾)…from each fat quarter, cut 2 squares and 2 hearts…mix and match until you are satisfied, then fuse, piece and quilt.
My favorite way to cut hearts (remember to MistyFuse first) is to cut square, fold in half, and free-cut one side of a heart. If they each turn out a bit different, all the better! To review:
Or…depending upon the fabrics…you may want to fuse the hearts to alternating squares as I did in this quilt (using Uppercase Volume 1 fabrics 💕) for a VERY special baby 💜:
A heart-themed quilt should feel like a warm hug, so for these quilts I tend to use wool batting and quilt very lightly.
Have a warm and cozy Saturday with your sweetheart!
Does your Valentine have a beloved pet? If so, this is a fun technique to try :). The supplies are simple: white batik (higher thread count = sharper image), a fabric pen (I love Tsukineko’s ‘Fabrico’ pens), and 2 spools 🧵 of thread: white and the ink color.
Steps:
As this series of photos shows, a pale subject can also be the star…simply color in the background around the pet!
For more info, read Quilting Arts magazine (Feb/Mar 2017 issue) or watch my episode on Quilting Arts TV 😁!
One of my favorite apps for photo play is called “Popsicolor.” Great fun to play with while you’re commuting/traveling/waiting in a long line. (Next week I’ll likely get LOTS of play in at the TSA line…)
For Valentines Day, I like to take a favorite photo:
And turn it into a red/pink/violet version :
…by playing with the color controls!
You could print these images on blank postcards to make very personalized Valentines…or use them to make fiber art pieces. More on that tomorrow 😁……..
No time to sew? No problem! This Valentine project is a super-fast one… 3 charm squares, some MistyFuse, a 5″ square of batting and a spool of gorgeous thread and you’re off and stitching!
First, bisect one square…a half square triangle to complement the square! Fold the triangle in half…
…and cut a half ❤️…the easiest way to ensure symmetry.
Unfold and carefully position on top of the square:
Layer with batting and backing and quilt by stitching a blanket stitch around the contrasting edges…zigzag around the edges and you’re done!
Hearts a-flutter for your Valentine? Create a love “note” from fabric, in which little hearts appear to float up out of the envelope!
Supplies:
Hearts 💕:
MistyFuse the dark pink fabric, and slice into 1 1/2″ squares. Cut each square in half…begin to cut at bottom…and curve around to create top. You might want to trace a line the first few times, but you’ll quickly find that you can free-cut very easily. One of my favorite shapes!
Envelope:
Cut an 8″ square of the white fabric, and press into the shape of an envelope-
Add a “lining” by fusing a 5″ square to a corner of the wrong side of the white fabric-
Then apply a piece of MistyFuse to the back of the “envelope” (this will be the right side of the fabric):
Putting it all together:
3. Arrange hearts and shape flap so that it curls a bit to one side (use tiny scraps of MistyFuse to anchor the placement of the flap)-
Time to stitch! I simply followed the lines of the envelope and the hearts, then stitched simple radiating lines in the background.
Now, press a piece of fabric to the back of the fusible (perhaps a light fabric so you can write a 📝:)). Trim and finish by zig-zagging your piece, then add piping with a second line of zigzag to give the valentine a more finished look:
A note on finishing with piping: after many experiments, I’ve decided I prefer to handle the final corner by crossing the ends at a right angle and stitching through the intersection with a VERY small straight stitch, then trimming.
Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow for a fun reverse-image technique! 💜
