Micro Mini Log Cabin Heart Pattern

Love is definitely a funny thing. The dictionary describes it as an intense feeling of deep affection. Wikipedia explains love as ‘encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states.’ However we try to explain it or understand it, love is very exciting, complicated and even painful.  I have spent a good portion of my life dedicated to those I love, by comitting my time, energy, and efforts while creating lasting and meaninful relationships. I have collected these lasting memories that are being stored on the shelves of my life. James M. Barrie said it perfectly; “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” I still remember my first love...Ah! The sweetness of young love! We were in Grade 1, and on Valentine’s Day he presented me with the most wonderful handmade gift, a stuffed heart. It was made of flannel and had white lace around the outer edges. It looked like it was something he made, with hot glue holding it together, although I am sure he must’ve had help from his mother, can you just see her? I had kept it for years, and cherished it. So what do we give those we love? Just as this boy put his soul into a small stuffed heart, I too, do the same in my creations. There is a small piece of me in everything I create, and if you enjoy sewing, quilting, or creating as I do, then it might be the same for you too! Lets dig through those fabrics and make something that will create lovely memories for those special people in our lives so they can have ‘roses’ all year long.

Heart Valentine

Materials Needed;

3/4” strips of pink fabric measuring at 1”- 6” in length

7” square of backing fabric

1 1/8” X 16” fabric for bias binding

16” of small rick rack

Finished Size; 6 wide” 

 Download the PDF version HERE

SEWING TIPS;

When sewing the binding around the heart, begin sewing on the bias 

binding at the inner point, gently “guide” the binding in (no pull but gently push) around the outer curves.

You can find full instructions for making this heart on my YouTube Channel - BerryBirdy.

www.etsy.com/shop/berrybirdy or IG @Berry_Birdy

Instructions;

Photocopy or cut out the heart template leaving at least 1” around the outer edges. (You can also find the template on my blog; berrybirdy.blogspot.ca). 

Please note; the diagrams are showing only the centre area of the heart.

1. Shorten your stitch length to 1.5 - 1.8mm. 

2. Beginning in the centre of the heart (the tiny square), gather two 

pieces of fabric and place them with right sides together. The 

pieces need to be slightly larger than the centre square areas 

- #1 & #2 (about 3/4” X 3/4”). Place the pieces on the wrong side of 

the template (the back of the paper). Pin in place. Hint; It can be helpful 

to hold it up into the light for positioning.

3. Flip the template over and sew along the line in between the 

centre squares extending at least 1/8” beyond the line on either end

—this is your seam allowance. Make sure your fabric is at least as large 

as the section next to it that it will be covering. Trim any excess fabric along

the seam to about 1/8”.

4. Turn the template to the fabric side (the wrong side of the paper) and open 

the seams. A wooden seam roller can be helpful for this. This heart has lots of seams 

and using a seam roller saves time from constantly running back and forth from an iron.

5. Place on your next fabric right side down onto the previous pieces. This one will need 

to be sligtly bigger as it is covering #3. Pin in place.

6. Flip the template over and sew along the line next to #3.

7. Trim any excess fabric along the seam to 1/8”.

8. Repeat this process in a log cabin pattern sewing the adjecent pieces. When you have sewn up to #38, the semi circles can simply be sewn one side at a time.

9. Remove the paper. The tight stitches help with this, but you may also wish to spray it lightly with water, wait a minute, then remove the papers. You may find it helpful to use tweezers. Do not get too picky about small pieces of paper, it is fine to leave some and, even at times I have left them all especially on a tiny project such as this. 

10. Cut out the heart shape along the outer edges.

11. Place your heart wrong sides together onto the backing fabric. Pin it in place. 

12. Sew on the rick rack starting at the bottom point, stitching it on as close to the edge as you can. Now trim off the backing.

13. Cut a bias binding piece 1 1/8” X 14” long. Begin sewing it on at the top inner point with a 1/8” seam. Gently guide the binding around the outer curves, be careful 

not to pull the binding while sewing. 

14. Sew around the heart to the top inner point to meet the binding where you began. Trim binding leaving about 3/8” or less if you can. 

15. Trim off the excess backing fabric. Tuck under the end of the binding. Fold the binding over and under to the back. You may need to use quilt clips or pins to hold it 

down while you stitch it down.

You may want to sew a ribbon to the top so it can be hung as a gift tag or ornament. Hint: you can enlarge the template for a mug rug size heart too!

Download the PDF version HERE