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One of my Valentine’s Day decorations this year is featuring a different color scheme. I decided to make this Valentine’s angel heart quilt for my wall using simple blocks and easy design. What do you think? I have a tutorial below with links to the blocks.
This is Love Dance, the mini quilt that is hanging on my kitchen right now. I used leftover fabrics from my quilt Joyful from the beautiful Date Night collection by Riley Blake Designs. I treasure every little scrap I have left from this collection and I love how they make Love Dance shine. It measures 16″ x 20″.
If you like it, you can find the angel block on this pattern I designed for Henry Glass for their Irish Blessing Collection. Make one angel of each type (facing different directions, I mean) using your favorite fabrics. The block measures 9-3/4″ x 5″, finished.
The angels are machine appliqued so this project is really fast. I chose to applique’ mine using a pink 40 wt thread, an unusual move for me as I like to use matching thread. I followed my heart, though, and I think it turned out awesome.
The heart was paper pieced. It finishes at 5″ and you can download the template by clicking this link. However, you can use any heart you would like: pieced, hand applique’, machine applique’ – as long as the block finishes at 5″.
Now, for the skinny on how I completed this mini quilt: the sashing and the narrow border (white) were cut at 1-1/2″ inches. The wider border (green floral) was cut at 2″. Due to my carpal tunnel release surgery on the right hand, hand sewing leaves my hand swollen and so, I decided to make this a self-binding quilt, as I did before with a flannel quilt.
First, I prepared the quilt top for quilting by pinning or basting it to the batting as above.
Then, I stitched on the ditch and free-motion quilted hearts and leaves all over using white quilting thread. I used to be very good at free-motion quilting hearts until I quilted thousands of leaves on a fall Wedding Ring quilt, and now my hands default to leaves when I want hearts…
Once the quilting is done, trim the batting with the edge of the quilt top (not shown above because I forgot it and did it after the photo), trim the backing to the same size, and layer the backing atop the quilt with right sides together.
Pin all around leaving a 4-inch opening on the bottom so you can flip it inside out once you are done stitching the three layers together with a 1/4″ seam.
Trim the corners to reduce bulk, flip the project inside out, and turn in the opening securing it with pins. This will be closed as you topstitch the quilt. Press it.
And, there it is – no binding, no hand sewing, no pain. Usually, I topstitch the projects with a longer stitch. This one was done with the regular length. If you want to make this Valentine’s angel heart quilt, I think these steps will help you. Make it your own by using your favorite fabrics and colorway.
By using the angels facing two different directions I was able to make them ‘dance’ with each other, and Love Dance as a title for this project works for me.
Here is another project you may like for Valentine’s: it is called In My Heart. I designed this pattern for Annie’s Online Catalog and you can download it and make it as a table topper. It would look awesome scrappy red!
Here is hoping you have a great day!
