Fabric Hearts – a simple vintage and heartwarming project

Sometimes it is the simplest ideas which are the best and thankfully the month of February calls for nothing more challenging than hearts. And since I have much to do surrounding forthcoming craft workshops – more exciting news of that soon – I feel no need to reinvent the wheel; hearts with a generous dash of fairy lights it is this week. And whether you are a seasoned stitcher or perhaps struggle to join two scraps of fabric together, there is something for you in today’s post. Join me as I dig deep in my box of scraps, tear strips off my favourite linens and gather together my cottons, threads and treasures, to create a selection of vintage fabric hearts to dress a quiet corner of Belle in readiness for her latest role…

Poor Belle has been somewhat neglected of late in favour of our home renovations and when the weather is a little warmer she herself will be treated to a new lick of paint outside. For now though I wanted to get creative inside, in readiness for her moment as a tiny village shop when I welcome those of you who can make it, to my first craft workshop. 

Some time ago during one or other lockdown, I was writing one of my stories to you tucked up on the old creaky bed inside Belle her door ajar, and I looked down the garden and imagined a party of sorts, a gathering of souls, laughing and chattering in the warm summer breeze and wondered then if our beautiful garden would ever be full of life again. Now it would seem it won’t be too long until that is so and perhaps it shall be you truffling through assorted crafts and treasures to take back home with you. If so, be sure to look up as soon as you’ve climbed the steps into Belle, for there is already a heartwarming welcome waiting for you.

A great many talented florists are creating magical floating cloud installations over on Instagram at the moment and I wonder in awe at ever having the skill – and patience – to create something remotely as beautiful. Inspired nonetheless by the idea of hanging a decoration rather than using twigs upright in a vase as I might ordinarily do, I snipped at the red dog wood we have in our cottage garden. Then using fishing wire and little diy eyes, I tied together various lengths of twigs and suspended them from the ceiling. If you decide to have a go at something similar yourself, any fairly strong foraged twigs could work. Once the twig installation was in place, I took a set of my new favourite waterfall-like fairy lights and draped them around and over the twigs. I purposely haven’t linked to any for you to buy since mine came from my local garden centre and I couldn’t find the same on line, so you may have to hunt around for some if you like these. I couldn’t lose the battery pack though, try as I may, so I found some wired burlap lurking at the bottom of a craft box and held it securely in place, making sure the switch and batteries are easily accessible incase they should need changing.

I admit to having spent many an evening since Christmas quietly stitching and embroidering this assortment of fabric hearts. Not one of them was taxing in any way, each one simply a slow project to be enjoyed whilst catching up on a favourite box set or podcast. A craft such as hand sewing simple fabric hearts is the perfect way to while away an evening curled up by the fire and you really need no more than a few general stitches in your arsenal. I used a running stitch and a deliberately messy over stitch on the seams of hand sewn mini hearts you’ll see further ahead and these larger hearts had their seams and designs stitched on using the machine, although strong hand stitching would work too.

I enjoyed a while sifting through endless red and heart shaped trinkets choosing carefully those which best suited each fabric heart. My embroidery like my chosen stitches is again simple, naive and perhaps a little folksy. I wonder where a more accomplished embroiderer might take this craft since there is no limit to design or motif for each fabric heart.

I’m all out of lavender buds now, so each one is filled simply with lightweight toy grade stuffing. Top tip: a little lavender essential oil dropped onto your stuffing material offers a pleasant fragrance if you don’t have lavender buds to hand.

To add a hanging ribbon neatly to your fabric heart, place the ribbon as shown in the first photo below – can you see the loop of the ribbon is pointing towards the bottom of the heart – and then take your backing fabric and pin in place on top as the second photo shows. Remember to ensure your fabrics are right sides facing. Then stitch your seam as you can see in the third photo, making sure you leave a gap to turn your heart the right way around, last photo. Poke your heart about to get your perfect shape and remember when it’s stuffed, the opening hand stitched closed and you’ve given it a little iron where needed, it will look just right. You might remember the fabric from this project: this truly is a homespun heart. You might be interested to know, the white linen I used for the back of this fabric heart, was once-upon-a-time a French tea towel which had a few unsightly marks to show for its years of service yet I still managed to craft several hearts from it’s old form plus I have a pile of rag ribbons ready to wrap around birthday gifts from torn off lengths. And if you are wondering what has happened to those now teeny tiny pieces too marked to use in a project, well they sit tucked away in a basket waiting for the next time I make my own fabric from tiny scraps. There simply was not a piece of vintage tea towel left unused.

And so to my fabric heart installation. I added all my homemade fabric hearts and a few simple decorative hearts gathered from around my home too. Like jugs, I seem to have amassed quite a collection. Paper hearts either individually displayed or as a garland would also add beautifully to this decoration, using whatever paper you have to hand; pretty or plain, old book pages or torn tissue would all work a treat. And if you wanted further inspiration this homespun paper garland would look wonderful added to twig decor or anywhere else in a welcoming home for that matter. 

I love to add these fabric hearts to springtime gifts I might be giving and they look quite perfect hanging around a bottle of wine you might be taking to a dinner party too. A selection of these hearts and other simple crafts will be available to buy along with various vintage items for the home and garden at my first craft workshop.

And now my attention turns excitedly to that workshop and The Little House, Belle and my home which need much prettifying in readiness for the day. I shall be posting details of my first craft workshop this Saturday morning coming, that is 12th February 2022 on my Instagram account. It is set to be the most perfect Springtime crafting day. If you are not on Instagram and wish to know more details about the workshop, please email helen@whitewoodandlinen.com anytime between now and Saturday morning and I shall forward you the workshop details on Saturday morning too. If you are not local and think you might like to come, I have suggestions of places to stay and one utterly blissful recommendation in particular.

Places will be limited on the workshop so let me know as soon as you can whether you wish to join me for what I promise you will be a day full of fun, creativity and laughter and you need absolutely no crafting experience at all, you will be just fine. We all need a little me time and after such a long period of uncertainty, let’s gather together like minded souls and have some creative enjoyment. I promise you, you will be made to feel very welcome! Until next time…