"Jim's Red Heart"

Once again, I am going to show you something from my AWOL weekend. There are at least a couple more posts to come about it also. If you've read this blog before, you know I have been making embellished crazy quilt hearts of late. I took special orders out to the retreat with me. Two I've shown you when I finished them and then, there's this red one. Actually, this heart is much more RED than it looks in these photos.

My friend, Jim, one of our two "guy" quilters, asked me to make him one of my crazy quilt hearts, and naturally, it would have to be red...Jim's favorite color. Well, I like it too~so this is it.

Jim also LOVES embellishments...a plus when you are doing crazy quilted items. Another thing Jim loves is vintage buttons. He probably has millions of them. No kidding. So in the upper left hand corner of this heart are three vintage glass buttons. I also used glass butterflies and a cute little glass flower bead....rather flat with a seed bead holding it in place. I forget how many of them are on the heart.

I love to do the embroidery on these hearts. And, although I'm making hearts...no two are alike...check them out in my archives. I like to use simple embroidery stitches like the French Knot, chain stitch, herringbone stitch, feather stitch and the leaf stitch. And, I rarely use all six strands of the embroidery floss. Usually I use two or three. I also prefer size 12 perle cotton. This makes my stitching, as Jim call's it - "tight." What he means is I tend to keep things very tidy and smooth....a look I prefer because, of course, I tend to be obsessive/compulsive.

I used short bugle beads on the edging.....like a jet bead...the light hits it 'just so.' And, Jim wanted 'something' hanging down from the point of the heart...so I used some large red beads for that with a jeweled 'drop' from a piece of junk jewelry at the very bottom. I don't think it shows up in the photo though.

As I often do...there is an appliqued heart on the right hand side....embellished with some of my favorite French Knots....just had to add that.

While at the retreat, I made another red heart. I'll show that one to you later in the week. It's the same...but it's different. Maybe you'll compare them and let me know what you think. Also, while at the retreat, I received orders for several more.....and in different colors. It will be fun to decide what to include on them...both in the stitching and the beading and the 'buttoning.'

Hope Jim is enjoying his heart as much as I enjoy looking back on the making of it. You know, I just love doing this kind of thing. Take care, til next time.....pat