strings to be pieced on top of the foundation.

  • start with a foundation that is 10 inches square.

  • place a 2 inch wide RED or BLUE strip diagonally across the center of the foundation
    square.  

  • add strings on either side of the center strip until the entire foundation is covered. You
    may use strips of any width up to 3 inches wide in your blocks; you may use strips all
    the same width or a variety of different widths in each block. You can even use strips
    that are not a consistent width down their entire length if you wish.  

  • you can use any 100% cotton fabric for your strips once you've got the blue or red
    starter strip in the center.

  • when you've covered the entire foundation, press it and then trim it back to 9.5 inches
    square with the center strip running evenly through two of the corners. Starting too
    large and trimming back helps avoid buckling of the foundations - i.e... you're more
    likely to end up with blocks that lay flat. Instructions for squaring blocks to 9.5 inches.

Please note: the BLUE or RED center string does NOT have to be a solid fabric but it should
be a fabric that "reads" as solid such as a tone on tone print.

Have Fabric to donate for backing? Click  the link below for guidelines.
Guidelines for Fabric Donations for backings.
In addition to our Red and Blue centered HeartStrings blocks (see guidelines below) in 2009
we will be accepting RWB HeartStrings blocks for Quilts of Valor. These blocks should be
made using a blue center strip and then adding red, blue, white, beige, and/or tan strings.

You can see an example and guidelines at this link : RWB HeartStrings blocks