Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Happy Hearts

Since I am having surgery tomorrow morning, I am going around the house to see if there's anything that needs to be done. My husband and kids will be taking care of me, so I am trying to get some stuff done to make their job a little easier. As I was looking around my family room, I realized that I haven't blogged about my Valentine decorations! I know for sure they don't know how to blog for me!




I made a quilt just like this for my granddaughter's first Valentine's Day. I loved it so much I had to make one for me. I had some extra blocks so I made a tablerunner, too!

It was a fast, fun quilt to make. It was the first time I had ever tried rough edge applique. Rough edge applique is different than regular machine applique because you don't zig-zag or button hole stich around the applique itself. Instead, you straight stich 1/4 inch away from the edge. When your project is completely finished, you wash it, and the edges fray a little.



This quilt was fun because you first fuse and rough edge applique a large heart to the center of a background square. Cut down the center of each heart block. Sew one half of a heart to another half of a heart that has a different fabric. Then fuse a smaller heart to the center, and rough edge applique it, too!

Sew the blocks together, quilt it, bind it, add a label, and you're done!

Now it's back to straightening the house and doing some laundry. My last day of doing housework for a while...boo hoo!!!

P.S.

After I wrote this post, I found some hearts online that should work since I don't have my heart pattern scanned into my computer. You can find them here.

You may have to adjust the size of your background block to accomodate the size of the larger heart. Whatever you do, decide what size you want your unfinished block to be (finished size plus 1/2"). Add an inch to that size because you are cutting it in half and sewing it back together again. For example: let's say you want your finished block to be 8 inches. Add 1/2" for seam allowances which would equal to 8 1/2". To that add 1 inch, so your background block will start out to be 9 1/2". When you're finished appliqueing, cutting apart, and sewing together again, then you can square it up to whatever size you want your unfinished block to be; in this case it would be 8 1/2".

10 comments:

  1. Your Valentine's quilt and runner are so sweet. Thanks for sharing them. Here's hoping all the best for your surgery - hope you are back in fine form real soon *S*

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  2. Love your cute little wallhanging. And good luck to you tomorrow, I know it will all go well and you'll be good as new by the next day. Been there done that. It was a breeze.

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  3. Love all those hearts. Best wishes during your surgery. Take care.

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  4. What cute hearts!! I'll have to try stitching a wall hanging with the raw edge applique!

    Hope your surgery goes well!

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  5. I hope all went well today and your doing ok.

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  6. I hope your surgey went well.
    Best Wishes Brenda:}

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  7. HI Amanda !! Hope your surgery went well and you're feeling chipper! (although, I think you should milk it for all it's worth so that the hubby and kids pamper you for awhile!!)

    ....and, that is one cute Valentine runner!

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  8. Cute Valentine's Day decorations! Best wishes with your surgery and please allow your family to pamper and take care of you. :-)

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  9. I just found you on here & think that your stuff is so cute! Sorry to hear that you had to have surgery... hope everything is well. When you get a chance checkout my stuff! I am not a very good quilter only ragquilts, but I am learning! take care:)

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  10. Thinking of you - sending lots of hearts and chicken soup. Hope your recovery is going well. xoxo-m.

    PS... My oven was removed from the kitchen too. It's been a wonderful thing for me, and I hope it will be for you too! :o)

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