HeartStrings Quilt Project

We recently had a question about using stripes in HeartStrings quilts. I used two in my planned HeartStrings quilt made for our Sharon challenge (Sharon is a member who makes wonderful planned HeartStrings quilts and we decided to challenge ourselves to make one too).

 

 Stephanie used a striped fabric for the center of this scrappy HeartStrings quilt.

And here’s another one of Stephanie’s that uses stripes on either side of her center strip.

So go ahead and pull out those stripes you’ve been wondering how to use and make a HeartStrings quilt.

Sarah combined our November and December challenges and made these ‘planned’ HeartStrings quilts.

Every now and then one of our members pieces a HeartStrings quilt that inspires a project for all of us. While our standard red and blue centered. HeartStrings quilts look great, every now and then it’s fun to do something a little different.

Here’s Maryanne’s quilt that inspired this month’s Black/White and Brights Project.

If you’d like to send in blocks, these are pieced on a muslin foundation just like our typical HeartStrings blocks.

Cut your foundation 10 inches, use a bright center strip cut 2 inches … It doesn’t have to be the same fabric as in Maryanne’s quilt.

Use brights on half the blocks and black and white prints on the other half.

Square the block to 9.5 inches.

Twenty four blocks make a small child size quilt and you can chose to add borders or not if you make the entire top or quilt yourself.

Julie has already finished her top …. I’m just getting started with my blocks today.

Once again Shannon Fabrics donated a bolt of their cuddle fabric to us to back quilts during the Maine sew-in. Here Rebecca is binding one after it was tied.

We all tested the cuddle factor after it was finished and I know whoever receives this quilt will love it!

The first quilt has been tied and bound and blocks are being pieced and tops assembled here in Yarmouth Maine.

I had an opportunity to teach a class and give a presentation to the Lincoln Quilt Guild in Nebraska this week. It was fun to see everyone excited about making string blocks.

HeartStrings met on Saturday in Roberts WI to work on quilts for veterans entering hospice.

Kathy hosts the Roberts sew-ins twice a year and chooses a theme or project for the group to focus on although everyone is always welcome to work on their own quilts in progress.

Sue is the coordinator for the US and accepted blocks sent in by members who wanted to contribute but couldn’t attend the sew-in in person.

Betty took over photography duties for the event and is pictured here with one of the assembled tops.

Here’s a fun setting by Stephanie!

Red/White/Blue HeartStrings blocks with BLUE centers for the USA to send to Sue. You can use red or white centers if you are making the entire set of 48 or completing the top or quilt yourself.

Regular scrappy HeartStrings blocks with WHITE centers for the Aussies to send to Stephanie.

For anyone who wants to participate but not do the above, we always accept our regular red and blue centered blocks.

Center strips on all the above options should be cut 2 inches and the remaining strings can vary in width.

Please review our standard block guidelines if needed for information on block size and foundations. We will construction these blocks the same as our regular blocks but with the colors outlined above.

Block guidelines

I got a late start but just finished my first of two sets I plan to make.

Virginia shared a couple HeartStrings quilts that she’s finished that will be donated in Bemidji, MN.