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flashback friday // heart stitches

Heart Stitches

Looking back is a fun thing to do, right? Especially when it's heart month and you can look back at some heart stitches. This post is a flashback to three years ago (boy, time flies!). For a variation on this, try stacking your stitched hearts so they look like a little chain of hearts!

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Recently I saw an adorable ombre counted cross-stitch piece, and thought it would be fun to make my own non-cross-stitch version. Each little heart that I've made is just two stitches, so it goes very quickly. Once I got started, I knew that this would be a lovely little project to share with you! It's such a fun way to spontaneously stitch!

Here's how the little hearts are made (It's a cross between a lazy daisy and the fly stitch!):

Heart Stitches

Come up from the back, then go back down about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch above where the thread came up. Don't pull it tight yet!

Heart Stitches

Bring the needle back up again just a bit higher and to the left of where the the first stitch went down through the fabric. Be sure to catch the loose loop of thread with your needle.

Heart Stitches

Pull the thread to the left, tightening the loop.

Heart Stitches

Go back down through the fabric, making a little stitch that will hold this half of the heart.

Heart Stitches

Repeat on the right side.

As you're working these, try to keep the twist of the floss the same throughout. They'll look much tidier that way, but even if some are untwisted, they'll still look sweet!

Heart Stitches

For my ombre, I chose five colors. I wasn't using any sort of pattern, but just stitched the hearts where I felt like they needed to be. Each heart came out just a bit different, giving the overall piece some character. (Speaking of hearts with character...I love this embroidery by Heidi Kenney!)

Heart Stitches
Heart Stitches
Heart Stitches
Heart Stitches

Happy Heart Stitching!

8 comments:

  1. That is gorgeous Mollie! I have been wondering, how do you finish the back of your embroidered hoops? Do you do anything in particular to cover up the back or make it neat? I know it doesn't get seen once you hang it up but I have always been curious because I did a cross stitch framed in a hoop awhile ago and while I tried to neaten up the back, it still ended up looking very messy. lol Any tips would be very much appreciated. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ashley! I wrote a post about this with links to different methods, plus a tutorial for one way to finish the back of a hoop. There's lots of information, and no one right way. Find what works best for you!

      http://wildolive.blogspot.com/2012/03/stitch-swap-preparing-hoop-for-hanging.html

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    2. Thanks so much! That looks way nicer than what I did and that post is so helpful!

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  2. So damn cute! I'm in love!

    http://youthfulblog.blogspot.com/

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  3. I certainly agree to some points that you have discussed on this post. I appreciate that you have shared some reliable tips on this review.

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  4. Anonymous4:40 AM

    This is pretty! I can imagine sewing other motifs like cross, asterisk, circles in other colour scheme.

    Belindq | http://alittletypical.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is pretty! I can imagine sewing other motifs like cross, asterisk, circles in other colour scheme.

    Belindq | http://alittletypical.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete

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