All fabric should be 100% cotton

This quilt is made by combining together plain squares and fussy cut patterned squares to create the shape of a heart.

The quilt measures approximately 25” wide x 27” long and is made with thirteen 2” squares across by twelve 2” squares down. Please note that the quilt is not a perfect square because adding or subtracting a row would not result in the 2” frame of plain squares around that heart. This wall hanging is made of 156 squares in total.

Instructions

1. The beauty of this quilt is the way in which a plain and a patterned fabric are combined, the result of which is a subtle shape. I used a country flowered patterned fabric with a blue background, as well as the plain blue fabric which has the subtle repetition of the flowers in light blue. I prefer to use solid colors with a subtle print in them because it adds interest and movement to the quilt.

2. You will need to cut 87 squares from the plain fabric and approximately 69 squares from the patterned fabric. (156 in total.)

3. Try to cut some squares from all different parts of the flowered fabric. For example, cut some mostly flowered squares and some mostly leaf squares. Cut some with half leaf and half plain background. Look closely at the quilt. You will notice we’ve positioned most of the all flowered squares to form the middle of the heart outline and edged the top and bottom outline of the heart with squares.

4. See the below diagram. The white indicates the background plain fabric and the red lines indicate where the pattern should roughly be positioned to form the shape of the heart.

5. Remember – it’s all in the positioning of the squares.

6. Once you start laying out the squares, you may notice you need to cut more squares from the patterned fabric to achieve the heart shape.

7. Note we’ve positioned a leaf at the bottom tails of the heart.

8. Once all squares are cut, lay them in position. Sew one row at a time and once all twelve are finished, sew Row 1 and Row 2 together, add Row 3, etc.

9. To assemble the wall hanging, place the backing fabric right side against the table. Lay the batting on top and the quilt top right side up. Spread all pieces flat. Start in the middle and pin safety pins every few inches. Start pinning in the shape of a cross working outwards. Remember to keep spreading all pieces taut so the back piece does not have ripples.

10. Once piece is pinned in a quilt sandwich, you are ready to begin quilting. Quilt using your favorite method. I used nylon embroidery thread to stitch in the ditch around all squares and then free motioned around the flower and leaf outline of the heart.

11. Once all of the quilting is finished, the next step is to attach the binding to the quilt top.

12. With right sides together, sew strips on the diagonal to create a single long binding strip. Measure against perimeter of quilt to ensure you’ve cut enough. Trim excess fabric and press open seams.

13. With the wrong sides together, press strip in half lengthwise. Cut one end of the strip at a 45° angle and press it under by ¼”.

14. Start at the middle of one side of the quilt and stitch the binding to the quilt. Make sure to keep the raw edges even with the top of the quilt edge. Stop ¼” before the corner and backstitch.

15. To sew a neat corner, fold the binding upwards from the direction of your stitching, then back onto itself. Align raw edge of the binding with the quilt edge. Stitch corner in place and continue stitching the binding all the way down the side of the quilt. Stop ¼” from the quilt edge and repeat the folding and stitching process across all sides.

16. When you almost reach your starting point, overlap the strip of binding over the beginning of the stitched binding by 1” and trim excess binding at a 45° angle. Tuck the loose binding into the fold and sew the final stitches.

17. Fold binding to the back and blind stitch in place, including the mitered corners.

18. To hang, Extremely Crafty recommends using press studs for the top two corners and adding a loop sleeve to the bottom of the quilt back. This is used to hold a thin wooden dowel, the weight of which helps your quilt hang straight.

19. Hem the short ends of the hanging sleeve. Sew the long edges to form a tube. Press tube so the seam is centered on the back side.

20. Place sleeve at the top of the quilt back just below the edge and stitch in place by hand along the top and bottom edges of the loop. Make sure not to stitch through the front of the quilt.

21. Done – Hip Hip Hooray!

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Contents

Letters from Paris

Paris Crafting

Teddies in Paris

Credit Crunch Entertaining

Honey Apple Pancakes

Valentine Chocolates

Moulin Rouge Choker

Country Valentine Quilt

 

© 2007–2009 Michele Young