Carved Heart Tree Quilt

I know Valentine's Day has passed for another day, but what could be more romantic than tree carved initials in a heart!  This sends me back to my younger days where you would doodle your initials along with the initials of the boy you liked.  Those initials carved into a tree seems so old fashioned and sweet, but it may not be a real option if you don't have the right kind of tree.  Why not make your own Tree Quilt, just so you can carve your initials in it along with your love!

Quilting can feel so daunting and overwhelming!  Trust me, I know.  I'm not really that great of a sewer, but I like to make things, so I just keep at it.  Luckily, it's the thought that counts and no one else looks at these things you make as closely as you do.  According to folklore, quilts aren't supposed to be perfect.  People would purposely make one mistake.  Lucky for me, I've never had to add a mistake!  This quilt is the perfect beginner's choice!  Very little cutting and not too much quilting either.

I started by creating my initials and wording in the heart.  I used a fabric pencil to trace out my letters.  Then I hand embroidered with a split stitch.  After I was done, I used fusible web to attach my heart onto my brown tree material.  Using a sewing machine, I zig zag stitched all the way around the edge of my heart. 

 

For the material, I used a 42" wide brown solid for the front.  I bought about 1 3/4 yards.  For the back I used a white and green print fabric.  I bought 3 yards of this fabric.  I cut this long piece in half creating two pieces that were 42" x 54".  Place these two right sides together.  Sew them together along one of the long selvedge edges creating a piece that is 54" x 84".  This will give you enough fabric on the back piece to fold forward to use as your quilt binding.  If you would rather use a separate binging, you could buy 1 3/4 yards of both your front and back material instead.   I used a crib sized batting that measured 45" x 60". 

 

Now it is time to layer your fabrics.  You will stack your front tree material, your batting, and your backing material as they will be as a finished quilt.  Wrong sides will be facing in.  Pin your layers together with quilting pins or safety pins to keep from slipping. 

 

Now you can mark your quilt lines with a marking pencil or chalk.  Create tree like designs.  Make sure your quilt lines will be as close as your batting requires.  Mine lines could be up to ten inches apart.  Once you're satisfied with your layout, simply sew along your lines in a contrasting thread in order for them to show up, stitching your front, batting and back piece together.  Continue sewing until you have sewn along all your lines.  Then you can either fold your back fabric forward to create your binding as I did in my Simple Block Quilt, or you can add a separate binding to complete your quilt.

 

This Carved Heart Tree Quilt is the perfect wedding, Valentine's, or birthday gift.  It could really brighten the day of someone special, especially when they snuggle under it.   I made this for my hubby for Christmas.  I hope he thinks of me every time he uses it.