Valentine’s Day gets a homespun twist with this scrappy mini quilt pattern. Made using wool applique, this Valentine’s Day quilting project features a beautiful patchwork heart and darling floral designs. This mini quilt pattern would look divine displayed over your mantel and can easily be made into a wall hanging for charming holiday décor. Whether you use fabric scraps or fat quarters and fat eighths, you can’t go wrong with this mini quilt.
Finished Size: 12” x 14 1/2″
Designer Notes:
- I love designing and making scrappy little quilts; it’s always more fun when the design includes wool appliqué. I hope you enjoy making this whimsical mini Valentine quilt.
- I will often use leftover fabric scraps from other projects, and I suggest you do the same; in which case, you will only need to stock up on a few fat eighths and fat quarters.
- For best results all quilt fabrics, including the batting, need to be 100% cotton. My personal favorites are reproduction fabrics and homespun plaids.
Materials:
- An assortment of pink, red and purple fabrics in light, medium and dark prints (refer to photo with cutting instructions for fabric quantities)
- Backing – 1 fat quarter
- Cotton batting – 14” x 16”
- Binding (single fold) – 1 fat quarter
- Felted wool – an assortment of small wool pieces (refer to wool appliqué templates)
- Black embroidery floss
- Quilting thread of choice (the designer used Gutermann cotton 30 – taupe)
- Hera marker or marker of choice
- Chenille needle size 24 (for wool appliqué)
- Quilting needle
- Quilting clips (optional)
- Appliqué pins
- Scissors – sharp snips (for wool appliqué)
- PDF Template – This is located at the bottom of this page. See printing instructions below.
PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS:
To download the PDF template, click on the download button at the bottom of the page. We recommend opening your download using Adobe Acrobat.
Instructions:
Note: Please read all the instructions before you start cutting into your precious fabrics.
Refer to photo ‘cutting and piecing instructions for quilt top’ below.
From image above:
Cutting and piecing instructions for quilt top (includes a 1/4″ seam allowance).
Heart: Cut 20 2″ squares (cut 2 of each color in pink, red & purple [light/medium/dark prints]).
Make 10 2″ HST’s (cut 2 of each color in light prints, dark pink, dark red & maroon prints).
Background: Cut 34 2″ squares (cut 2 of each color in light/medium prints).
Scrappy hourglass blocks: Make 16 2″ blocks in pink, red & purple (light/medium/dark prints).
From image above:
How to Make a Half Square Triangle (HST):
- Cut 1 fabric square (light/medium). Cut 1 3″ square.
- Cut 1 fabric square (dark). Cut 1 3″ square.
- Draw a diagonal line on the light fabric. Lay right sides together. Sew a 1/4″ seam down both sides of the drawn line.
- Cut along the drawn line; this gives you 2 HST units. Press seams to the dark fabric and trim to required size.
- Trim each HST to measure an approximate 2″ square.
From image above:
How to Make Half Square Triangles (HST’s) and Hourglass Blocks:
- Cut 2 fabric squares (1 light/medium & 1 dark) 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″.
- Draw a diagonal line on the light fabric.
- Lay right sides together. Sew a 1/4″ seam on both sides of the drawn line. Cut on the drawn line. This yields 2 finished HST’s. Trim to required size.
- See Side A and Side B HST units at center of image above.
- To make the hourglass block, start with 2 HST units, one from Side A and one from Side B. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of one HST unit. Placing right sides together, line up the two units with contrasting triangles (light & dark) facing each other – making sure to nest the seams (refer to photo). Secure with pins and sew a 1/4″ seam down both sides of the drawn line. Cut along the drawn line – this gives you two hourglass blocks. Press seams open and trim to required size.
- Backing – 15” x 17”
- Batting – 14” x 16”
- Binding (single fold) – 1 1/4” x 57”
FINISHING THE QUILT:
- Layer the quilt top, batting and backing and baste the layers together. Quilt as desired. The designer prefers to keep the quilting simple and use a Hera marker to mark the quilting lines. Marian also likes to quilt with Gutermann sulky cotton thread, which has a soft sheen to it.
- Attach the binding to the quilt and fold over to the back. Press the back side of the binding edge to the wrong side 1/4” and slip stitch to back of quilt.
- Now that your quilt is finished, it’s time to give it a hot bath. Of course, this process is optional but if you like the vintage-y, time-worn look (as the designer does), then please give it a try. You can’t go wrong!
Note: For those of you who may be wondering, the wool appliqué is added after the quilt has been washed. It may sound complicated but believe me it’s not. It really is easy peasy!
HOW TO GIVE YOUR QUILT A VINTAGE-Y, TIME-WORN APPEARANCE:
The designer prefers to use the laundry sink; it’s the perfect size for small quilts.
Note: For best results the fabric, batting and thread must be 100% cotton.
- So, when your quilt is finished i.e. pieced, quilted and the binding sewn on, then it’s time to wash it.
- Pop your quilt into the hand basin and squeeze a small amount of liquid soap directly onto the quilt. Turn on the hot water tap and start washing the quilt under the running water.
- As soon as the water gets hot, pop the plug into the basin. The quilt needs to be completely submerged.
- Soak for approx. 5 mins, turning once. Rinse the quilt in hot water. Squeeze and wring out any excess water.
- Spread the quilt out on a towel to dry; draped over a drying rack, under a ceiling fan. Turn the quilt once or twice during the drying stage, gently pulling it into shape. The magic happens overnight. You will be pleasantly surprised by the results the next morning.
Note: The quilt will shrink slightly after it has been washed (1/4” – 1/2” approx.). After the quilt has been washed, it should measure 12” x 14 1/2” approx.
ADDING THE WOOL APPLIQUE:
- As stated earlier, the wool appliqué is added to the quilt at the very end, after the quilt has been washed.
- Refer to photo of finished quilt for wool appliqué placement.
- Cut out the paper motifs and pin them on to the wool.
- Use quilting clips, instead of pins, when cutting out the wool motifs.
- Pin the wool appliqué shapes onto the quilt using small appliqué pins.
- Use a chenille needle and black floss (single strand).
- Use whip stitch to sew the appliqué to the quilt.
- Draw the needle under the wool appliqué to hide the knot. When doing the whip stitch, push the needle through to catch the batting and back out again. It’s as simple as that.
- When you get to the end, tie a knot and pull it through the quilt layers, to bury it, just like quilting.
See the finished quilt with wool appliqué below.
