Around this time last year while experiencing another round of color deprivation, I got the urge to make valentine hearts with felt and embroidery thread. My older daughter joined me. Then my daughter-in-law and soon-to-be-daughter-in-law who were visiting thought they'd give it a try. Finally the youngest jumped in as well. It was a Little Women moment with Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy on a winter's evening. I know, I know, but it's my blog and I can be hokey if I want to...Anyhoo, I wasn't blogging back then so I don't have any how-to pictures. But it's easy enough to explain.
Draw or trace the shape of a heart on a light-colored piece of felt. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter as a template. You'll need two pieces to make one heart. Pure wool felt is best - its colors are richer and it's easier to embroider on than the synthetic stuff.
After your heart is cut out (ha, ha - no, wait, that's a different book...), that is to say, you need to cut the shapes out and save the felt scraps for later use. 
Draw whatever you like on the heart. Keep it simple.
Next, using embroidery floss, stitch away. We mostly used satin stitch and chain stitch.
Take your leftover scraps of wool and cut them up into smaller pieces. You'll use them for stuffing the hearts, making them look nice and puffy.
Sew the two pieces together using a blanket stitch.
Happy memories!
10 comments:
I love these! I can imagine the Little Women moment and I can also envision a tradition of adding to these each year--sort of like the yearly Christmas ornament tradition. Thanks for sharing this, Jodi.
You're welcome, Melissa. They're really quite addictive once you start making them.
hee hee hee hokey, well a bit *choke cough* but that's ok :D I'm so glad you posted the hart garland. It was so fun to make, wasn't it? I love how the complexity incresed the more hearts we did.
<3
Another lovely post. Your remark about cutting out the hearts is very tell-tale
Dearest Zach,
hahahahahahahahhhahahahahhahahah-manically
thump-thump, thump-thump...btw I had to read that in high school - gave me nightmares
... Readers ...
alive2003: Oh, for a snappy comeback... ;)
ahahahhahahhaha Zach is so clever
O SO cute! i love them, mostly the ones with polka-dots, and flowers. Don't know if i could make flowers like that. i could at least try. I'm into making little crafty ornaments i can hang up for color.
This is also a good idea for Christmas ornaments or even tying them onto gifts through out the year!
Lisa, thank you very much. I would encourage you to try. They're really not that difficult. Trust me, if I can do it, I'm sure you could, too :)
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