Love’s Labor Found

This month’s theme is “Love’s Labor Found”. For Valentine’s day this is a romantic quiltlet, or a depiction of what love means to you. The basic block is a heart in different sizes.

Heart Block

8” x 10″ finished size
Read all directions before starting

Supplies:

• 1-4 fabrics for the hearts and 1 fabric for the a background. This is a great way to use up leftovers. Try to avoid directional patterns and big prints as you want to mask the center seam, see fig.1
• a ruler, a marker, and the usual cutting and sewing supplies.

Instructions:

	Heart Fabric	Background	Background
6″ Heart	(2) 6½” x 3½”	(2) 3½” x 3½”	(4) 2″ x 2″
5″ Heart	(2) 5½” x 3″	(2) 3″ x 3″	(4) 1¾” x 1¾”
4″ Heart	(2) 4½” x 2 ½”	(2) 2½” x 2½”	(4) 1½” x 1½”
3″ Heart	(2) 3½” x 2″	(2) 2″ x 2″	(4) 1¼” x 1¼”
Filler – 3″♥		(1) 3½” x 2½”	(1) 3½” x 1½”
Filler – 4″♥		(1) 4 ½”x 1 ½”

1. Cut pieces for the block using the chart above.
2. Draw a diagonal line on all the background squares.
3. If sewing all the hearts at once, make 4 piles. In each pile place the parts for one heart: The two heart rectangles, the two large squares that shape the heart point, and the four smaller squares for the heart shoulders.

   

4. For each heart lay both heart rectangles  right sides up and cover with the large square (face down), lining it up with one of the base edges.
5. Make sure the drawn lines are in mirror image (see fig.3 – I like to sew them one after the other making sure I get that V shape so I prevent errors).  
6. Sew just on the outside of the diagonal drawn line drawn (on the side closer to the bottom corner).

7. 

   Next sew one of the smaller squares to the top of each heart rectangle, (either side as it does not matter).

8. Fold the squares. Trim any overhang and then trim the bottom two layers to a ¼” seam allowance.
9. Take to the iron and press all seams open.  (Pressing the seams open helps decrease the bulk at the seams (fig. 4)). 
10. Sew the last small squares to the last corner of the heart rectangle and again press open.
11. Sew the two heart halves together to form a heart.
12. Repeat the process for the other 3 hearts.
13. Sew the two 3½” long filler rectangles to the 3″ heart.  You have the artistic license to decide which side gets the fatter rectangle.
14. Sew the 3″ heart unit to the 6″ heart unit
15. Add the 4½” long filler rectangle to the 4″heart and then sew that to the 5″ heart.
16. Sew the four hearts together to form the final block.

Stretched Heart Block

These heart blocks can be made in any size -I’ve gone down to 1½” heart (left above).
Make uneven hearts or use a different pattern or go wild!

To make a heart in any size:

1. Decide on the finished size of the block. This is  (fz)
2. Cut two heart rectangles that measure (fz)+½” x (½fz)+½” .
3. Cut two squares out of background fabric that measure (½fz)+½” .
4. Cut four squares out of background fabric that measure (¼fz)+½” .

Out of the Box – “Love’s Labor Found”

Make a quiltlet depicting love in any form. Love of nature, animals, people or a depiction of romance.