Hearts & Crafts Project #13: Heart Ornament

Welcome to Mattie's Hearts & Crafts Blog Series!

If you love this, but don't have time before Valentine's Day (it takes about 30 min, depending on how much time is spent picking fabrics, trims, and doing the options at the bottom of this blog), you can make it for the holidays and put it on a Christmas tree, or give it as a gift.  Christmas in July - could be fun!
 





STANDARD METHOD:  Zigzag Applique, "Zigzapping" 
Hearts: (2) 6.5" squares cotton fabric (black and white plaid)
(1) 4" red square for small heart
Interfacing: 1 heart from Quiltsmart Sweet Hearts panel
6-8" cording, string, jute, to hang the ornament
Contrast Thread

 1) Slit the line in the center of the small heart. Place and stitch on the solid line the small heart to the red square.  The large heart will overhang the small one.

 2) Rotary cut a slit on the straight part of the heart...

 ...Finish trimming with a small scissors on the dashed line.

3) Turn the red heart right side out.  Set aside.

4) Fuse the large heart to the wrong side of one of the 6.5" squares.

5) Trim the large heart just outside the dashed line. 

6) Place the red heart on the right side of the large cut out heart. Fuse the red heart to the right side of the large heart.  You can see the flipped point in the photo - that is just to show you that you have the correct pieces together.

7)  Zigzag applique - "ZIGZAPP!" around the small heart.
Keep the stitch on the heart, with the needle just barely piercing into the background fabric.  I like a 1.5"mm width and a 2.5" mm length, but use what feels comfy.  You can also use a contrast thread and/or a decorative stitch. 

8) Place the cording ends at the tops of the humps.  Pin or tack down in place to hold while you are sewing.
9) Place the cut-out/zigzagged heart RIGHT Sides Together with the other 6.5" square. Pin if you wish.  Mark with pins or a Frixion (TM) pen a "leave open to turn" section along one of the flat sides - about 3 fingers width. 
10) Back-stitching at both ends, stitch on the solid lines of the cut-out heart, beginning and ending at the "leave open to turn section" to turn un-stitched, and stitching over the cording.

11) Trim just outside the dashed lines (this will give a slightly larger seam allowance than we would want for an applique).










12) Gently turn right side out.  Stuff with pillow stuffing.  TIP: You might have a pillow form sitting around that you can use - if it has the fluffy stuffing, not the foam. Hand-stitch the opening closed.








MORE IDEAS!!!!

• 3-D - Make the small heart as you did the large one but without the stuffing. So, it has fabric on both sides.  You can then hand tack at the point and center to attach it to the large heart.  OR, consider hand-stitching it and leaving the "humps" open to create a pocket for a piece of wrapped candy.
• You can embroider the red fabric before you make the heart.  Great use of redwork, needle punch or cross-stitch!
• A photo transfer to fabric can also be used in the small heart. (ahh...grandchild!)
• Consider adding buttons, yo-yos, and lace.
• Pin heirloom pins to the ornament for safe keeping and display. 

We hope you enjoyed making "Heart Ornament" and that you liked this method.  There are about 30 more patterns in our ZigZapps! line. Imagine what you can do! Teach a little one to sew - this would be a great project! 
Hugs & love,
Mattie & Terri

Mattie is Quiltsmart's Founder/President and lives in Oregon, and Terri is Quiltsmart's Customer Service Administrator and lives in Pennsylvania!  It works great. We talk on the phone a lot, and have a lot of laughs.