Monday 23 January 2017

Scrappy Happy Hearts

 Happy new week everyone.........we are having a happy scrappy week here..........
 .............stitching happy hearts as valentine day is just around the corner.......though i am known for stitching hearts all year round and as often as possible of course....hearts are one of my favourite motifs for applique and for cross stitch too...........
 ..............these patchwork squares with applique hearts are for a mini quilt..........
 ..............lots of you kindly asked about my method for using fusible web (known also as bondaweb or wonder under, depending on where you live)..............below is a little collage showing the first steps of this easy method..........bondaweb has two adhesive sides so you first cut your shape to fit the shape of your patch, then peel off the backing paper and iron the bondaweb on..........draw round the heart template onto the paper backing of the second side of bondaweb and then cut out the heart shape.....
 .............arrange your project so you are happy with the design, then peel off the second layer of paper and iron the hearts onto the background patches............
 .............and then, choosing a matching shade of thread sew neat blanket stitch round the outer edge of the applique heart shapes...............
 .............when the applique hearts were all neatly sewn in place and the rows of patches joined together,  i checked out my stash for something pretty to back the little quilt.......i found this pretty pam kitty morning fabric which has sweet little red tulips in the design.....
 .............now i am at the quilting stage and i hope to finish this little project in the next couple of evenings during my relaxing hand sewing time...........more pictures soon x
 .................we have lots of quilts in use here at the moment as it has been very cold over the last week........we have finally had some sunny days too luckily..........
 .................and the bulbs flowering indoors are such a cheerful reminder of spring........
 .............as we are having a bit of a heart theme here today i thought i would show you this sampler which hangs in my hall..........i designed and stitched the kind hearts cross stitch sampler years ago and it is one of my favourites.....and the words are still a good positive reminder just as antique sampler sayings often were........
 ..............in my kitchen there are hyacinths flowering merrily (supported by some of my old knitting needles here) and the pretty grape hyacinths are out too and producing a second flush of flowers as well.............there are some tiny daffodils in bud which will be flowering by the end of the week .....

.............now it is time to tell you the winner of my tilda bumblebee bloghop giveaway............thank you to everyone who entered and left such lovely comments......

.........the winner is lee of the blog lee's cornwall, cards and crochet............congratulations lee and if you would please email me your postal address i will send you your giveaway gifts..............

.............i think giveaways are a lot of fun and i am planning to do lots more this coming year so keep looking out for the next one everyone :)....................
.............thank you for visiting me here in my little blog space dear readers........it is a treat to have your visits and comments, and to share my crafty enthusiasms with so many like minded blog friends..................wishing you all a wonderful week ahead with sunny happy crafty times.............back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxx

44 comments:

greenrabbitdesigns said...

I love it Helen.....all those little hearts are so pretty ! ❤️ Such an adorable sampler too. :)
It is definitely a day for quilts here, it's bright and sunny but ever so nippy.
Looking out though it does have a look that spring is near and like you I have lots of flowering bulbs in the house to keep me going until that happens.
Have a lovely week my friend,
V x
P.S. congrats to the lucky winner.

Vicki said...

Thank you so much for the appliqué advice/instruction!!!
Such a lovely post to see first thing this morning....
I 💝 your 💞 and your sweet sampler too!! Happy day to you and yours!! Thanks again....and congrats to the winner!!
Vicki.....Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA

KC'sCourt! said...

I use "Bondaweb" a lot would recommend it.

Love the hearts they are gorgeous

Julie xxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

hi helen

i wonder if you tell me where i can find the humble hearts sampler pattern. i love it.
thank you
annie

email is brissie23@hotmail.co.uk

Ali said...

So pretty as always - I love your sampler too - just gorgeous xx

Frances said...

Helen, there is so much to admire in this post. I completely agree with you about heart motifs. They are lovely at any time of the year...but perhaps additionally so as February 14 grows closer!

Thank you very much for the bondaweb information. I do promise to let you know when I finally do get cracking with some quilting! You are a great inspiration.

Having some spring bulbs blooming at one's windowsill does brighten spirits every day. My paperwhites just might bloom in a day or two, and I would like to bring home some hyacinths soon to join them. (I've used old knitting needles as you have...they work so well.)

xo

Jacky H said...

Congratulations to Lee for wining the give away. It's lovely to see the beautiful spring flowers. I'm in spain at the moment. We've had snow hail thunder and lightning and bucket loads of rain. It also been really cold.
Helen your blog is such a delight to read.I love all the colours you use so bright and cheery.
Have a lovely crafty week.

Evelyne said...

I love your heart quilt Helen! I made one for my grandchild in red/pink and loved to work on it. I will make a other one. It's on my sidebar
(blog)
Have a nice week.
Hugs Evelyne

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

Your little heart quilt is so sweet...and I love your little pin cushion, too! Beautiful sampler...you are so very creative and talented!

gillyflower said...

Lovely post Helen! The red applique hearts are so pretty, and there is something so comforting and cosy about that gorgeous pile of quilts on the chair. You have a great collection of flowering spring bulbs, I too have been tempted into buying some most weeks this year, anything to hurry spring along!
The stitched sampler is very special too, your home must be full of handmade treasures!
Wishing you a happy and creative week Helen!
Gill xx

Mylittlepieceofengland said...

I love the hearts, so pretty. Your sampler is lovely with all the flowers growing around it, Spring isn't too far away xx

Brenda Pruitt said...

How cute! I used to do a lot of hearts in applique. I need to get some bulbs that are already growing, I suppose, because I forgot to start any.
Brenda

Little Quiltsong said...

Love your little hearts and the saying on your pretty wall hanging. The verse is one of my favorites, from way back :)! I already have some spring bulbs blooming indoors too and we really enjoy the wonderful smell of them.

Amy at love made my home said...

Happy hearts to you!!! They are so pretty, I love all of the different fabrics joined together by a common motif.

Mickie said...

Helen,
Another wonderful post and perfect for Valentine Day. I love all the red and white quilts on your little white chair and the sweet cross stitch sampler. Your spring bulbs are so inviting. My daffodils are peaking up from the ground outdoors and I hope they will survive the remaining winter temps. It seems too soon, but they must be confused with the mild temps we had for a few days.
Thank you for sharing such a sweet post once again.
Mickie, Indiana USA

Libby said...


Too cute, I love your little hearts ! :0)))

angelasweby said...

Lovely bright cheerful hearts. Your posts are always inspiring. I love the sampler. The words are very meaningful.
Your little pots of bulbs are beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Hi Helen you do such gorgeous work,well done.

pens and needles said...

Such a beautiful, cheery, bright post on this winter's day. I always, always love your work, and I love that you add the bits about flowers and bulbs, as well. So inspiring to me! I am not good with color but am almost to a point of stepping out into the unknown and trying to make a quilt using these bright, cheerful fabrics. Yikes! It's scary! But I think I can, with lots more inspiration ... so keep it coming. :)

Rosa said...

I love the hearts, so gorgeous!

debra said...

The hearts are so sweet and cheerful on this gray day! Can't wait to see the finished quilt!

marmarel said...

Your hearts are só lovely!!
Greetings from Marijke

doodlebugmom said...

simply lovely.

Jenn M said...

Oh I love the heart applique and can't wait to see it finished!

Jenn M

Lorrie said...

Lovely fabrics for those hearts. It's such a sweet piece. Congrats to the winner! Your blog is always a pretty place for eyes and soul.

Cindy said...

I love your heart quilt! So many pretty fabrics. I like the different backgrounds you used too. I think I need to make a new mini quilt:)

Blondie's Journal said...

Your little hearts are so precious, Helen! They make me smile as well as the stack of snuggly quits. Your sampler is wonderful. I've made a few and again, I'm probably repeating myself, I want to start to cross stitch again. Maybe I need to hide away my laptop!!

Jane x

Sheryl said...

Just love these pretty hearts. Congrats to Lee.

Mini said...

The scrappy hearts are adorable. I love the sampler.

Christine B said...

Such a beautiful scrappy quilt Helen.... I shall look forward to seeing it finished! Have a lovely week! Christine x

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

I have a thing for hearts, too. Your quilted hearts are sweet and lovely. And a very pretty cross-stitch. Samplers are also a favorite of mine. Have a good week.

Rhona said...

Another gorgeous quilt in the making! I love your cross stitched sampler...the words are perfect.

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Love the hearts! A a perfect motif for winter.
The other day I bought the paper doilies to make Valentine cards. Sewing fabric sacks with hearts for candy will be even more fun.

Simone said...

I love the soft colours in the sampler Helen. Great use of the knitting needles as plant supports! x

Teresa Kasner said...

Helen.. I adore your heart motifs. I am a heart lover, too. I crochet them a lot. Congrats on the winner.. I'm happy that I have one of your hearts hanging in a place of honor on my Grandfather clock where I can enjoy it all year long. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Amy DeCesare said...

My maiden name was Love, so hearts are welcome in my life every day, too! Yours are so pretty and sweet! Thanks for always inspiring our everyday joy of living.

Gracie Saylor said...

Your hearts and flowers cheer me, Helen. Thanks! Yay for Lee winning your giveaway, and for your generous heart in sponsoring it. We just have a few mounds of snow left here and there and ice still on the ponds, but the sun was shining for most of the day which I really enjoyed. Although I have hearts displayed here and there in my room throughout the year, you inspired me to put out my little heart tree on the table. Happy creating!💞

Lee said...

Hi Helen.have just emailed you.I never win anything and am still in shock.Thank you so much.Loving the hearts so pretty and love the colours.Also that heart jug with tulips in ( love tulips ).Great cross stitch,I have done loads of it and used to teach a class.Can't beat Spring bulbs to make you feel good.I was only looking at your book the other day.Love your blog.It's my birthday today too.Hugs xx

Marta said...

Sempre bello passare a trovarti nel tuo blog. Belle tutte le cose che fai e le foto della tua casa. Ciao

Pam from Canada said...

I just found you, and your site is a ray of sunshine. I look forward to opening your emails.
Pam from Canada
Your books are in near future

flowers on my table said...

Hello Helen, such a happy little quilt! I particularly love the backing fabric.Your muscari in the Greengates cup is soo gorgeous!Thank you for your bondaweb tips, very helpful. Wishing you a wonderful weekend, with love, Linda xx

CATHY said...

This is just adorable. I am finally getting back to quilting and blogging...took too long of a vaction from it all.

Winkel's Crazy Ideas said...

I was woken this morning by a telephone call from a sick friend. It left me feeling troubled and saddened. I quickly popped in to my favourite blogs, and as always yours made me smile. Leaving here feeling a little brighter and full of cheerful inspiration. Blessings, Pam in Norway x

Pat's Patch said...

More loveliness, happy scrappy hearts are so much more. Love that you make such beautiful things out of so little. And your sampler is stunning. All your lovely colours taken from nature. Just beautiful XOXO