Saturday, March 28, 2009

The best gifts are tied with heartstrings

This is the finished product...beautiful lacy hearts that are great tie ons for packages or ornaments or valentines gifts.

This is what you start with-a bunch of shades of pinks or reds yarn or string (quilting thread, sewing thread, embroidery thread, crochet cotton, yarns of any type). Even narrow ribbon can be used. Center the pile of threads on top of a square of water soluble stabilizer (I used Sulky® Solvy for machine embroidery and other craft applications). Shape it into the general shape of whatever you hope to make.


Then cover with another piece of the stabilizer.


Now sew around the strings in the shape of what you want to make. You can use a pale marker (Washable Crayola markers work best) to mark the outline of the shape you want, but it is also fun to just freehand the design too.



Keep sewing until you have all the yarn covered with stitches, sometimes I use a straight stitch, sometimes a zig zag stitch. Your stitches don't show too much so it really doesn't matter. I use a matching machine thread to do this part so it blends in with the threads and yarn inside the squares.


This is the finished sewn product.

I cut off the extra stabilizer around the shape so it melts away faster.


Soak the design in the sink or a bowl of warm water.


Don't be alarmed if they look rather shaggy when you dry them with a towel from the soak. Lay them flat to dry and when they are dry trim the ends sticking out from the edges of the design.
To make them look more finished, starch and iron the designs and now you are done!
These can also be made in the shape of leaves or flowers.
String them up into garlands, or tie them on packages.
Your imagination is the limit!
Have fun!



8 comments:

  1. I see you found the intructions. Those turned out great! What a neat idea!

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  2. I did not find the actual directions, but I found the Solvy that I had and just played until I figured it out. I made a leaf too that is really cool!

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  3. Well, you did great without the instructions! Those are so cute! Wonder how well they would hold up to use as sew-on appliques....I see them in my mind on a pair of jeans.
    Cute!

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  4. I can see them sewn onto cardstock and then placed on the front of a blank greeting card for Valentines.

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  5. Good idea!

    Since we are daydreaming about what you can do with these, how about on a purse? Maybe a black background and bright colored hearts.....

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  6. LOVE this idea! ahh the craftyness is in full throttle

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  7. These are so cute!I just learned how to sew so maybe I'll try these. I see that you are in Columbia. I am as well! It's quite a small world.
    -Laura

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  8. What in ingenious idea!!!!

    That would be soo cute on a pillow...

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