AROUND THE FRAME: LOVING HEARTS

Nothing says, “I love you” like giving someone a heart shaped present. Whether a simple ornament, coaster, potholder, pillow wall hanging or quilt, hearts bring out the love. You may start simple by appliquéing a heart to a piece of fabric. Add cotton batting, backing fabric and quilt stitches and you have a coaster or add a loop and you have a potholder or ornament.

To make a heart quilt all you need is to be able to make a heart shape. This is where the V-Day heart shaped candy box liner comes in handy: It makes a perfect template no matter what the size. If your heart template is on the small size trace hearts on to print scraps and appliqué them to a solid contrasting fabric. Make certain you use a variety of colors and balance the piece to your esthetic. If you like you can run sash between the blocks to give each of them their own space and enlarging the project.

Another idea is to do the heart within the heart look. For this project start with a six-inch heart and appliqué a three-inch heart of contrasting fabric in the middle of it. Now if you don’t want your hearts looking like they are sitting on a shelf with no where to go, take four hearts of the same fabric and place their point ends together. This ends up making a shamrock look to appliqué to a square. Keep this little trick in mind if you want to make four leaf clovers for St. Patty’s Day.

Love to piece? Make a template of your heart and cut it into four pieces either evenly or random cuts. Now take the four pieces and trace them on to paper adding a quarter inch seam allowance on each side and cut them out. Use four different fabrics of different shades and colors and sew the heart back together making a patchwork heart. You can embellish them with seed beads, trims, or embroidery stitches to give them that Victorian look.

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Decades ago I made a string vest of red, white and purple prints and solids. Heart-shaped buttons were sewn to the top front and small hearts filled with a mixture of batting and potpourri dangle from 1/8th inch wide ribbon from them. The back boasts an embroidered feathered heart in two shades or red. Every year it is faithfully worn on Valentine’s Day.

These are just a few ideas of what one can do with the heart shape. By the time you read this you will have plenty of time to gather the kids or grandkids and make a heart project before the big day. And yes! Making, baking and eating heart-shaped cookies counts!

If you have a heart theme quilt you’d like to share with The Waynedale News family please contact me through the WN.

Wishing you all much love and contentment on Valentine’s Day!

Lois Eubank is the owner of Born Again Quilts restoration studio and vintage quilt gallery located at 4005 South Wayne Ave. Studio hours are T-W-TH from 5:30-7 p.m. and 9-2 p.m. Saturdays. She can be reached through the WN at news@waynedalenews.com.