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The Heart Block
Everyone loves hearts!
There are many ways to make them. You can piece them together
, or you can cut shapes and appliqué them to your quilt.
The heart we are going to make
in this lesson is very simple. It is made from rectangles and
squares. We are going to use the technique learned in the
Square in a Square quilt block lesson.
Small squares will be placed in
the corners of the rectangle and squares, and then sewn on the
diagonal to make the lines of the heart.
The first picture shows the layout of the
squares. The darker fabric is the heart fabric,
underneath the small squares. The small squares are
overlapping in the picture, but you will be placing them on the
fabric and sewing them one at a time.
Each square needs to be
sewn on and pressed before the next square is added. This will
give you the 1/4 inch seam allowance so the points won't get cut off
when the heart is sewn to another piece of fabric.
Begin with the bottom.
Cut a rectangle 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. Cut 2 squares, each
3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. Draw a diagonal line from corner to
corner on the small squares.
Pin one of the small
squares to one of the sides of the rectangle, making sure that when
it is sewn and flipped back you will get the angle of the heart.
Sew, press, and then do the
same with the other side. The completes the bottom half.
 Now
do the same with the top half. This time you will be pinning
squares to squares, and the part cut off will be smaller, so the
square is smaller. This is more like the
Snowball
Square.
After the top two square are
done, sew the vertical seam, making sure you match up the "V" shape
of the heart. You may want to baste this seam first to make
sure it looks right.
Once you have done this a few
times, you will know exactly where to put your pins.
When I did my heart for these
pictures, I found the vertical seam between the two small sections
was too bulky, so I pressed it open. Again, some people think
this weakens the quilt, but the difference in the quilt top is
substantial.
To finish the heart, sew the
horizontal seam between the top and the bottom. Your heart is
done. You should have 1/4 inch between the three heart points
and the outer edge of the fabric.
Again, if you don't have the 1/4 inch seam
allowance, your points will be cut off when you sew another piece of
fabric to your heart and your work will look sloppy. Always
check, each step of the way, to make sure you have the appropriate
seam allowance. If not, use your seam ripper, and try again.
Check the measurement of your small squares, and make sure the
diagonal lines were drawn correctly.
This block should now measure 6
1/2 inches.
Once you learn the basic
construction of the heart block, there are many ways to make it more
special. Instead of using just one fabric for the heart, you
can use a blend of fabrics, like you see in the picture at the top
of the page.
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