With Valentine’s Day coming up this week, I thought I would send out some love into the world. I put together this quick and easy Valentine’s project. It is the perfect way to use some of my Riley Blake Designs scraps, practice skills and make something that you can use. What is it? It’s a washcloth. A tiny detail that is often overlooked. The heart I used in this project is a paper pieced pattern by The Tattooed Quilter called Big Hearted. Click here to get the free download. He created an adorable project putting this heart in a hoop. What a great way to spread the season of love and deck out your walls.
Valentine’s Washcloth Project
Material list:
- Pompoms strip measuring 11”
- Towel
- Assorted scraps, some large and some small
- White A: 2 – 3” x 5”, 2 – 10” x 2 ½” and more smaller scraps for heart
- White B: 2 – 10” x 2 ½”, 2 – 2 ½” x 10 ½”
- Red C: 2 ½” x 3 ½”
- Red E: 1 – 1 ½” x 6”
- Red F: 1 – 1 ½” x 6”
- Red G: 1 – 1 ½” x 6”
- Red H: 1 – 1 ½” x 6”, 2 – 2 ¼” x WOF (for binding)
Finished Project Size: 10 ½” x 13”
Print out the Big Hearted Foundation Paper Piece Template (page 1). Enlarge the heart by copying it at 183%. Fold over the nonessential edges of the template. That way you can get the full heart on one sheet. Use Fabrics A, C, E, F, G, and H and follow the number A1 to A10 on the Big Hearted template until the heart is complete.
Pin and sew a 3” x 5” rectangle of Fabric A to the right and left edge of the heart. Iron open. Trim edges straight. Take off the paper.
Pin and sew a 10” x 2 ½” strip of Fabric A to the top and bottom edge of the heart block. Iron open.
Pin and sew a 10” x 2 ½” strip of Fabric B to the right and left edge of the heart block. Iron open. Pin and sew a 2 ½” x 10 ½” strip of Fabric B to the top and bottom edge of the heart block. Iron open.
Trim edges straight. Place the block on top of the towel to get an idea of where it will fit. Spray baste the two together. Cut the towel down to the size of the heart block.
Quilt straight lines 3/8” apart, starting and stopping at the edges of the heart. I like to use painters tape to help me keep my lines straight.
Use a 2 1/4” strip to bind the washcloth. Sew the two strips of Fabric H together. Iron in half. Stitch the binding to the front of the washcloth and fold it over to the towel side. You can use Steam-A-Seam 1/4″ (an iron-on adhesive) to hold the binding into place. Making it easy to topstitch the binding on the front, easily without fabric shifting.
I added pompom to the Valentine’s washcloth for a little extra pizzazz. To do this, I simply zigzagged the raw side edges and top stitched the strip of pompoms to the bottom edge of the washcloth.
This Valentine’s washcloth project is totally versatile. I have made something like this before using Dorothy’s Journey Fabric. To see that project click here. You can change the heart out for any block. I hope you love this project! If you want to share it use #Quiltywashcloth. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!! I wish you love and laughter.
