You Gotta' Have Heart...

I saw the pattern for a valentine quilt like this in "Pretty Little Mini Quilts", a collection of small quilted projects by various designers. The pattern was by Cindy Cooksey, and I just had to make my version in time for the holiday. I used burgundy taffeta for the whole cloth background, and then added fused hearts cut from assorted cotton, silk, and fancy fabrics. The edges of the hearts are finished with a buttonhole stitch, some by hand and some by machine. I machine quilted "blocks" using decorative machine stitches. And then I added a few embellishments to the hearts, including some bits of hand tatting done by a woman in my sewing group. She brings me little bags of her pieces. I love using them in small projects like this, and admire her skill. At 12" x 15", the quilt is not much bigger than a sheet of printer paper! But it was fun to make. So here's to St. Valentine, the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages, love and lovers. Oh yeah, and patron saint of bee keepers, epilepsy, fainting, plague, travellers and young people according to the Catholic Online site. The plague and love? Really St. Valentine??