5 Sew Sweet Pillows for Valentine's Day

If you're looking for ideas for quick Valentine's Day projects for this weekend, here are five of my favorites:

1.  First off is my Have a Heart pillow.  I love the interlocking hearts in two shades of pink and best of all, this pillow looks just as cute flipped over to have the darker pink on top.  You can find the downloadable pattern for this 12" x 20" pillow (and notes for a 12" x 16" version) in my Etsy shop.

2.  Here's my Love Birds pillow.  Raw edge appliqué makes quick work of two birds atop a branch silhouetted against a full heart-shaped moon.  The downloadable pattern for this sweet project is also available in my Etsy shop.

3.  Next up is my Bee Mine pillow.  This pillow features simple piecing, raw edge appliqué and embroidery.  You can find the pattern for this little cutie in the January/February 2019 issue of Quiltmaker Magazine available on newsstands now.  Print and digital versions of this lovely issue are also available online through The Quilting Company.

4.  Here's Heart to Heart, a reversible pillow featuring scrappy hearts in pink and ivory.  You can find the free pattern for this simple pillow on my blog.

5.  And finally, if you're short on time, here's a sweet pin cushion (essentially a tiny pillow!) featuring a square-in-a-square block and simple stitching.  The free pattern for this little project is also available on my blog.

Happy Quilting and Happy Valentine's Day!

—jen

Hearts and Tarts

Happy February!

This morning I flipped over the calendar page and ta-da!

It's my Hearts and Tarts table runner and it's the February quilt in the Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork & Quilting 2017 Calendar.  

This beautiful calendar, available online at The Meredith Store, features 12 gorgeous quilts, complete with full project instructions and even suggestions for alternate colors and sizes.  

My Hearts and Tarts table runner is simplicity itself.  I paper pieced the heart blocks with a variety of pink solids and used candy pink perle cotton to big stitch quilt in the sashing and borders.  This quilt is soft and pretty—perfect for Valentine's Day!

Here's a close-up of the big stitch quilting:

And here's the little quilt I made to test the idea for Hearts and Tarts.  The blocks in this little cutie are 3" square.

And because I can't get enough of these sweet hearts, here's a fun little project that you can make with a single block.  It's a 4½" square pillow that you can use as a pin cushion or embroider with a message and give as a valentine.

If you'd like to make your own little heart pillow, you'll need to print a foundation pattern for the 3" heart block (find the pdf here).  You'll also need some scraps of pink and white solid fabrics.  

From the pink solid, cut:

1 rectangle, 1¾" x 2½" (area A1)

1 rectangle, 2¼" x 3¼" (area A4)

1 square, 5" x 5" (pillow back)

From the white solid, cut:

1 square, 2" x 2" (area A2)

1 square 2½" x 2½" cut once diagonally to yield 2 triangles (areas A3 and A5)

1 square 3" x 3" cut once diagonally to yield 2 triangles (areas A6 and A7)

2 strips 1¼" x 3½" (side borders)

2 strips 1¼" x 5" (top and bottom borders)

Putting this little pillow together is very easy.  Once you've got the block made, stitch a white 1¼" x 3½" strip to either side of the block, pressing seams towards the white strips.  Then stitch a white 1¼" x 5" strip to the top and bottom of the block, again pressing seams towards the white strips.

Layer your pillow top with a small piece of batting and then embellish it as desired. I embroidered the "Be Mine" and "XOXO" using a backstitch and two strands of embroidery floss.  Then I used perle cotton to big stitch quilt in the border ¼" around the outside of the block.  The layer of batting will give the stitching a bit of dimension and will help keep the front of your pillow smooth when you stuff it.

Once your pillow top is embellished/quilted, layer the pillow back atop the pillow top with right sides together.  Stitch on all sides using a ¼" seam allowance, but leave a little space unsewn at the bottom of the pillow for turning.  Press the seam to set it, clip your corners, and turn the pillow right side out.  Stuff the pillow gently using fiberfill and blindstitch the opening closed.  And that's it!  

Before I go, here's another example of the gorgeous photography that you'll find in the APQ 2017 Calendar.  December features my Winter Wraps lap quilt in the most charming scene—I just love this picture!

Happy Quilting!

Sew Sweet Pincushion

Here's a sweet little pincushion pattern just in time for Valentine's Day -- cutting it a bit close, aren't I!

You'll need:

• Floral print:  2 - 5" x 5" squares (I used two left over charm squares from the Regent Street collection by Sentimental Studios for Moda - yum)
• Ivory solid:  1 - 4" x 4" square
• foundation pattern* for 4½" x 4½" square in a square block -- click here for link.  When you print the foundation, make sure that it measures 5" from dotted line to dotted line (4½" from solid line to solid line).
• embroidery floss (I used pink (DMC's #3731), blue (DMC's #931), and ecru)
• 9" x 9" piece white flannel or thin batting
• fiberfill or other stuffing material
• also helpful:  washout marking pen, spray basting adhesive, embroidery hoop

 *  I paper pieced the square in a square block for accuracy.  If you're new to paper piecing, here's a link to Craftsy tutorial to get you started.

Assemble Pincushion:

1. Before paper piecing your block, take one of your print 5" x 5" squares and cut it diagonally from corner to corner twice.  You'll end up with 4 triangles.
2. Foundation piece your square in a square block covering section A1 with the ivory solid 4" x 4" square and sections A2, A3, A5, and A5 with the floral print triangles created in step 1 above -- if you use a scant ¼" to overlap the lines between the ivory solid section and the floral print sections, the triangles should be plenty big.
3. With paper side up, trim block on dotted lines.  The unfinished block should measure 4½" x 4½".  Remove paper from behind block.
4. Using your favorite method, transfer the embroidery design to your block.  I used a light box and a wash out marking pen.  Here's the link for the embroidery design.
5. Your block will be a bit small to embroider at this point, so it's best to baste it to a larger piece of flannel or thin batting.  I used spray basting adhesive to baste my block to the center of a 9" x 9" piece of white flannel.
6. Using an embroidery hoop, two strands of embroidery floss, and a backstitch, embroider the eight hearts on the block.  
7. Trim block with attached flannel to 5" x 5".
8. With right sides together, layer embroidered square in a square block and remaining floral print 5" x 5" square, matching all edges.
9. Stitch around all four sides using a ¼" seam allowance and leaving a small opening for turning.
10. Trim corners and turn the pincushion right side out.  Press lightly.
11. Stuff pin cushion as desired and use a blind stitch to sew the opening closed.

And that's it!  Two charm squares + a bit of stitching = one sweet pincushion! 

If you don't need another pincushion or you're out of fiberfill, leave this little project unstuffed after turning and sew the opening closed to make a charming mug rug!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Heart-to-Heart - Free Pattern

Happy early Valentine's Day!

I've had Valentine's Day on my mind for days and now my workroom floor is buried under stacks of pink, red, and white fabric.

There are the salmon pinks:

The light pinks:

And the candy pinks:

The reds:

The whites:

And the solids:

I've got a pile of pink wool:

And a yummy pile of pink embroidery floss and heart buttons:

I've lost not one, but two, quilting rulers somewhere in the chaos (unless one of my kids is playing a trick on me) and it occurs to me that I may have a bit of an obsession with pink.  Can't help it!  I'm a sucker for pink!

My workroom looks like it's been coated in Pepto-Bismol, but it's unbelievably inspiring!  Somehow if I throw enough fabric on the floor, I eventually come up with some good ideas.  It's messy, but it's my process.

And the result?

Well, I landed on the candy pinks and whites and came up with this sweet reversible pillow:

This scrappy little pillow measures 12" x 12" and it was very easy to make.  I love it in the pink and white, but it would also be great in red and white, red and pink, or even purple and red.  Go crazy!


If you'd like to make my Heart-to-Heart pillow, you'll need:

Pink prints:
26 -- 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares
8 -- 3" x 3" squares

White prints:
26 -- 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares
8 -- 3" x 3" squares

12" x 12" pillow form

(Obviously if you don't have as many pink fabrics as I do, you should treat yourself to a Valentine's Day shopping spree at your favorite quilt shop.  I won't tell!)

Assemble the half-square triangles:
1.  Gather one pink print 3" square and one white print 3" square.
2.  Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the white print 3" square.
3.  Layer a marked white print square atop a pink print 3" square (right sides together).  Sew the pair together with two seams, stitching a scant 1/4" on each side of drawn line.
4.  Cut apart on drawn line to make two triangle units.  Press open each unit towards pink print.
5.  Trim each half-square triangle to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".
6.  Repeat with remaining pink print 3"squares and white print 3" squares to make 16 half-square triangles total.

Assemble pink heart pillow side:
1.  Referring to photos of pillow lay out 4 pink print 2 1/2" squares, 22 white print 2 1/2" squares, and  8 half-square triangles in six horizontal rows.
2.  Join rows to make pink heart pillow side.
3.  Press seams in one direction.  The pillow side should measure 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" including seam allowances.

Assemble white heart pillow side:
1.  Referring to photos of pillow lay out 4 white print 2 1/2" squares, 22 pink print 2 1/2" squares, and  8 half-square triangles in six horizontal rows.
2.  Join rows to make white heart pillow side.
3.  Press seams in one direction.  The pillow side should measure 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" including seam allowances.

Assemble pillow:
1.  After carefully pressing both pillow sides, lay one atop the other with right sides together.  Pin.  Stitch 1/4" from rough edges around entire edge of pillow, leaving an 8" gap at the bottom for turning.
2.  Press seams to set, clip corners, and turn pillow.
3.  Insert 12" x 12" pillow form and blind stitch opening closed.  Voilà!

The above instructions for assembling the pillow are pretty basic.  Feel free to line the pillow with muslin or to insert a zipper at the bottom.  I actually did use a zipper and I struggled because the seam allowance was only 1/4" -- not really enough to machine sew the zipper in place.  After I ripped out a few attempts, stormed out of my workroom, and eventually calmed down, I finally managed to hand stitch the zipper into place.  I'm not sure it was worth the effort, but if you're a fancy zipper kind of gal, go for it!

Have fun and Happy Valentine's Day!

"Sweetheart" - Free Pattern

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.  Frankly I'm still feeling a bit holiday-ed out -- Groundhog Day really does me in -- and I'm ashamed to admit that we just barely put away the last of our Christmas decorations on Saturday.  That's right, February 1st.  Definitely a record for us.  I like to think that it's due to extreme busyness rather than laziness.

But the show must go on, and while I'm not planning on going all out on my Valentine's Day decorating this year, I always like to dress my table for the holidays.  This year I'll be using my Sweetheart table runner -- it's a Web Extra for Quilters Newsletter's February/March 2014 issue.  You can find the free pattern on the QN website.

This scrappy quilt is fun and easy to make.  I love red and pink together, but Sweetheart would also be great in red and purple or purple and pink.  Here's a close-up to show you Joyce Lundrigan's quilting -- as usual she did a great job!

And if you have a copy of QN's February/March issue, check out page 79 for the pattern for my Meadow Flower wall hanging.

Crocuses were my inspiration for the plum, gold, and green color palette of this scrappy quilt.  I used simple Irish chain blocks and a log cabin border to set off the flower blocks.

Joyce Lundrigan also quilted Meadow Flower, and her use of diagonal lines really accentuates the "lattice" feel of the Irish chain blocks.  This quilt is a bit more challenging than Sweetheart, but definitely worth the effort.  

Happy quilting and Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day Pattern

I'm home with the three kids and Casey waiting for Nemo to arrive.  With an almost certain power loss in my future, I thought this would be an opportune time to share a pattern for my Valentine's Day doorknob quilt.  What is a doorknob quilt?  Why, it's a little quilt that you hang on a doorknob!  A brilliant idea that I devised because I firmly believe that you can never, ever have enough quilts out.







Here's what it looks like:

Isn't it cute!  I used scraps of fabric from my stash for the quilt and some beads and wire for the hanger.

But it's not just a little quilt.  I added a pocket to the back to hold valentines and other goodies.  I'm thinking of making one for each of the kids for their bedroom doors.  And after the kids empty out their loot, I've got decorations ready-made for next year!









Here's what you'll need:

Pink fabric: 

4 - 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" squares
6 - 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" squares
1 - 7" x 7" square for backing
1 - 5 1/2" x 8" rectangle for pocket
enough for binding (I used two 2 1/4" x 18" strips sewn together)

Cream fabric:

4 - 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" squares
2 - 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" squares

You'll also need a 7" x 7" square of batting, a scrap of interfacing, a 10" - 11" length of floral wire, beads and two buttons.


Here's the pattern:

To make the pink/cream half square triangles, place a cream 2 1/4" square on a pink 2 1/4" square with right sides together and edges lined up.  Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of the cream square.  Stitch a scant 1/4" on either side of diagonal line.  Press seams.  Cut on diagonal line and press open towards pink side.  Trim half square triangle to 1 3/4" x 1 3/4".  Makes 2 half square triangles.  Repeat for remaining 3 sets of 2 1/4" squares.

Referring to the photo, lay out the 8 half square triangle units, 6 pink 1 3/4" squares and 2 cream 1 3/4" squares in a heart shape.  Join together half square triangles and squares to form rows.  Join together rows.  Press.  The heart top should measure 5 1/2" x 5 1/2".

At this point I made a mini quilt sandwich by laying the 7" x 7" backing square right side down on my table and taping it down with masking tape.  I layered the 7" x 7" square of batting on top of the backing (also taping it down) and finished by smoothing the heart top over the batting and pinning through all three layers.

I machine quilted (using my walking foot) in the ditch around the heart with cream thread and a slightly lengthened stitch.  I also stitched around the edge of the heart top to hold the layers together.  After removing the pins, I trimmed the quilt to 5 1/2" x 5 1/2".

For the pocket, I took the 5 1/2" x 8" rectangle of fabric, folded it in half to measure 5 1/2" x 4" and pressed the fold.  I slipped a 1" x 5 1/2" strip of interfacing in between the layers near the fold and sewed a decorative stitch 1/4" from the fold.  Then I placed the folded unit on the back of the quilt lining up the raw edges at the bottom and sides of the quilt.  I pinned it in place and sewed the binding on the quilt.

For the beaded hanger, I strung beads on the length of floral wire and wrapped the ends of the wire around two buttons that I sewed to the top two corners on the back of the quilt.  And that's it!  Easy, sweet, and fun!

Now I'm off to bake some chocolate chip cookies while I can still use my oven!  Have a great weekend!

Sew Sweet

I'm a bit late with a post this week because I've been working on these...

Chocolate dipped shortbread hearts for my family.  Shhh...  I rolled out my favorite shortbread recipe (from Rosie's Bakery All-Butter, Fresh Cream, Sugar-Packed, No-Holds-Barred Baking Book by Judy Rosenberg) and cut out these tiny hearts.  After I baked them, I dipped one side of each cookie into melted chocolate chips.  I had a bit of chocolate left over and even though I was alone in the kitchen, I didn't think it was advisable to eat it by the spoonful.  But since I couldn't bear to throw it away, I put it in a ziploc sandwich bag, cut off one of the corners, and drizzled squiggles and swirls on some of the cookies.  The more chocolate, the better.  Can I just say "Yum!".

I also decided to give myself a valentine and made this...

I'd been thinking of making a Valentine's Day quilt to display on the miniature quilt frame that my mom gave me for Christmas (see 'Tis Better to Give:  Part 2) but I wasn't sure which block to choose.  After a conversation with my sister, I was inspired to appliqué some primitive hearts and this is what I came up with.  The hearts are made of felted wool that I had in my stash (my other stash).  Even with the hand-quilting I added around each heart for a bit more dimension and the multiple trips I had to take outside with the puppy, it only took a few hours to make this 6" x 6" quilt.  In fact the most time consuming part was the binding.

I love to appliqué felted wool because it's sooo easy.  Once the wool is felted, I trace appliqué shapes on freezer paper and cut them out at least 1/4" outside the drawn line.  I then iron the shapes to the wool (shiny side down) and cut them out (this time on the drawn line).  I usually don't bother with fusible web, but simply pin the shapes to the background and appliqué them with a single strand of embroidery floss and a whipstitch.  Couldn't be faster or more fun and I love the look.





I'm pretty happy with how these little hearts turned out.  My belly is full of chocolate-dipped shortbread and my mind is full of ideas for other heart quilts -- Happy Valentine's Day to me! 

Hope your day is just as sweet!