Fresh Valentines from Birch Farm Fabric

Hello, Friends!

Are you getting ready for Valentine's Day?

My maiden name was "Love"...

so naturally I really adore all kinds of hearts.

I've been stitching up lots of hearts lately,

using my new "Be My Valentine Heart Mug Rug" pattern.

For this particular set of hearts,

 I chose fabrics in the teal, taupe and black range,

from Birch Farm by Joel Dewberry.

I started with 5" squares,which are always in abundance, right?

Think "Charm Packs"...

I cut them into 2 1/2" squares to create patchwork pieces

for a set of 3 similar, but distinct hearts.

For the quilting step, I had fun trying out a few different designs.

I also used different colors of ric rac to make each one special.

For the first heart, I chose a dark taupe ric rac as the edging.

For the quilting, I did some stippling...

a little piece like this is a great opportunity

to practice free motion quilting!

I think the colors make these Hershey kisses

into an irresistible little pick-me-up snack.

For the next mug rug, I selected teal ric rac edging.

I quilted a casual, loopy design.

This was my first attempt, and I'll be practicing

this method more in the future.

Take my word for it...it's totally fun!!!

Want to see this one on the other side?

I used Elementary fabrics, by Sweetwater for Moda.

Yes, it's reversible!

For the last mug rug, I used some black ric rac.

I chose to cut out the heart shape, positioned to set the squares "on point".
I stitched about 1/8" from each side of the seams.

This one looks so smart and sophisticated.

Must be that little barn owl...

So, let's have a few glamour shots, shall we?

The little stack of ric rac is always impressive.

These little quilts are just too much fun to make!
They don't require a lot of time or materials,
and the finished mug rug is always adorable.

Spoiler alert...
there will be many more heart mug rugs in upcoming posts!

Do you have some charm squares or scraps,

just begging to be made into a sweet heart?

Stop by my Craftsy pattern store and pick up the how-to

for only $2.99.