Make a Heart Template and Cut Fabric Hearts
- Fold a piece of paper in half and cut half of a heart along the fold, just like we did when we were children. Open it up and inspect it. Do you like the shape? If not, cut a little more and inspect again.
- Center the template on a 7" square of fabric. Is there at least 1" of fabric extending past it on each side (1/2" for the seam allowance and 1/2" for clearance)? You might even want a little more clearance.
- Once you're satisfied with the template, fold it in half again. Fold a piece of fabric in half and align the paper fold with the fabric's fold. Make sure both layers of the fabric extend past the rounded edges of the template. Cut out.
- Cut double the number of hearts required for your quilt (stack fabrics to cut more quickly).
- Stack two hearts, a front heart right side up and a backing heart in either direction. Sew a 1/4" seam around the hearts. Clip the seam allowance as you would for other rag quilts, using tiny clips that travel inward about 1/8".
- Repeat for all hearts. Center a heart right side up on the top side of a square that will be used on the front of the quilt. Sandwich the square with batting and backing before sewing it to adjacent squares.
