Calorie Free Valentine Hearts

These cloth hearts were a quick, easy and colorful sewing project.  I prefer this style of heart with pinked edges as the hearts do not have to be turned. Easy is best for fun projects.  Do you agree?

Choose your material/scraps:

Optional preparation:  Spray starch fabric and iron-on sheer fusible interfacing which helps in preventing excessive fraying to edges:

Put two layers of fabric together (wrong sides in, right sides out):

Stitch around template leaving 1 inch to 1-/12 inch open for stuffing:

Fill/stuff:

Sew opening shut and cut fabric with pinking scissors approximately one-quarter inch away from seam allowance:

It doesn't matter when you pink your edges.  Either before heart is stuffed or after heart is sewn closed. Your preference, whichever is the easiest.

Other tips:  

• I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter as my template.  The cookie cutter shape was a bit too small.  Therefore, I traced the shape on a piece of paper and then enlarged it on my copy/printer to a comfortable size for sewing a heart.
• Fabric was prewashed and then spray starched for extra body. 
• Iron-on sheer lightweight interfacing helps stablize shape and aids in preventing fraying of pinked edges.
• Some hearts are filled with leftover quilt batting.  Some are filled with lavender buds and some are filled with a homemade sachet mixture which is oatmeal that has been infused with essential oil of lavender.  The sachet hearts will be little valentine gifts. 
• Use small stitches on your machine for ease of stitching a heart shape.
• Trims are also optional.  If you do decide to add trims, either stitch or glue.

Oh My Goodness!  A person could go crazy making these.  The sky is the limit. Decorate fabric with embroidery (hand or machine); use fancy fabric, beads, sequins and trims; add a ribbon to make a hanging heart, etc.!  Whatever, your heart desires.  :-)

This Valentine’s I was hoping to make heart-shaped sugar cookies, however, I ran short of time.  At least these cloth hearts will not add to my waistline.  Here is my calorie-free heart recipe:

 = (equals)

The initial idea to make my valentines came from the popular blog Cottage at the Cross Roads by Leo and Jane.  They have a great tutorial on making fabric hearts along with other easy-to-understand tutorials and projects.  Thanks, Jane, for allowing me to share.

Check out February's Sew Darn Crafty Linky Party for great projects.