Shattered Heart

 In Ontario, where I live, we are in a lockdown situation to try to curb the numbers of Covid cases. Ontario Declares Second Provincial Emergency to Address COVID-19 Crisis and Save Lives. These lockdowns are hard for a person living alone. I have been trying to do more walking to keep myself active. I have also been slowly getting back into quilting. The blog hops I have been in recently have helped, I think my mojo may be returning.

Now let's get to the 'Hearts on Fire' blog hop, hosted by Carol of Just Let me Quilt. The rules were simple to make a heart project, only the heart can't be red. 

I ran a few different ideas through my mind but kept coming back to the same one. What else was I to do but go with it, I started with a quick sketch of an idea. 

graph paper comes in handy for quick sketches

Now that I had an idea I needed a plan on how to make it. Improv came to mind, although not my favourite method. But what the heck I might as well go right out of my comfort zone while I'm at it. 

I pulled out some Island Batiks that I won from Sandra of MMMQuilts. 

My hubby's favourite colour was blue and mine is green and those batiks were perfect for what I had in mind. 

I started to cut a few strips of the background and the coloured pieces and stitched them together. I was all in if it worked so much the better if not maybe I could paper piece it.

As I stitched the pieces together I added a background piece to each side.

slowly coming together from deepest green to blue

I kept thinking I hope this works and looks okay.

 A narrow 1/2 inch inner border and an outer 2-inch border. For the quilting, I kept it simple and just echoed the heart shape. 

After all that worrying about whether I was going to like it or not...I do. 

Sit back relax and see more hearts on fire from my fellow bloggers.

January 18

Creatin' in the Sticks

Life in the Scrapatch

Freckled Fox Quiltery

All Thingz Sewn

Den Syende Himmel

That Fabric Feeling

 

January 19

MooseStashQuilting

Websterquilt

Words & Stitches

Vroomans Quilts

Quilt Schmilt

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Songbird Designs

 

January 20

Selina Quilts

Stitchin At Home

Samelia's Mum

Just Sew Quilter

Scrapdash

Karrin’s Crazy World

The Darling Dogwood

 

January 21

Quilt Fabrication

Ms P Designs USA

Beaquilter

Becky’s Adventures in Quilting and Travel

Ridge Top Quilt

For The Love Of Geese

Sew Many Yarns

Quilting Gail

 

January 22

Just Let Me Quilt

Karen's Korner

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Quilt In A Not-Shell

Storied Quilts

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Homespun Hannah's Blog

A Bit of Improv

Disclosure: I don't do improv well, I like structured blocks. But let's give it a whirl and just see what happens. Maybe it will be a reject or a keeper. You be the judge.

I toss bits and pieces in small containers, you know just in case you need that one piece you just tossed. It was time to come up with a game plan to use some of them up. Improv piecing here I come.

box is starting to overflow

triangle cutoffs might as well use a few of them too

After a little sewing I had one 6 1/2'' block hmm not bad, I see possibilities.

those are blacks although they look washed out here

Might as well dive in and make another.

a little more grey in this one

Now what?? Put them on the design wall step back and let inspiration come forth. Look out here goes nothing or everything! 

adding blocks of black, some triangles and strips.... this actually might work

 Make units and more units and start joining them into something coherent.

starting to become interesting, but not quite feeling it

It needs something more at least I feel it does. Dig into more scraps and leftovers. Warning improv can be a little messy. It seems the piece I was sort of looking for, but didn't realize I was looking for them were at the bottom of the box. I didn't take a picture of the mess I made I was in full search mode. I don't work well in a mess and have since cleaned it up.

those blacks didn't photograph worth a darn.

The strips on the side were already sewn with the 3 pieces on a 45. They were leftover from a table runner I made years ago as a gift to a friend who has since passed away. Silly me I have no pictures of it at all and no idea who has it now.

This mini is 28'' by 21'', and is patiently waiting for me to quilt it. 

Now for the question is it a keeper?