Lately my mind seems full of ideas for slow stitching projects. They are all filed away in my crafty memory bank where they wait patiently for me to find the time to make them. Sometimes an idea will become quite rowdy in there and push its way to the front of my mind yelling “make me, make me!” in a very loud and exuberant voice. These are the ideas that can’t be ignored. Such an idea was this Slow Stitched Heart project which turned into a special gift for my Mum.
Often new ideas come to me while I am working on another project, in fact I can’t seem to work on one project without formulating an idea for another one!
I was working on my textile bowls when the idea for this heart came to me. I have a basket full of vintage sheet and fabric pieces, modern quilting fabric pieces, trims and doilies, threads and other pieces to pull from while slow stitching.
I thought it would be fun to cut a heart shape out from some scrap lightweight batting, and collage over the top with my little pieces, adding stitches just like I was doing with my bowls.
I cut two hearts out and began working on them one at a time. Selecting a piece of fabric and stitching it down. I didn’t do too much forward planning, just worked on it organically one piece at a time.
I had a lot of fun deciding what stitches to embellish each fabric piece. I used a variety of kantha/running stitches, seed stitch, cross stitches, lazy daisies, and French knots. I also did a bit of thread painting with satin stitch and some weaving stitch.
I used a variety of threads from neon pink wool scraps, DMC stranded floss, variegated cotton, wool and perle threads.
I also added in a little crochet doily piece and some little flower and bow motifs.
I have this desire to include an element of EPP into all of my slow stitched projects and so for the heart I appliqued on a scrappy double hexie flower stitched from 3/8″ hexies. I did some little embroidered lazy daisy flowers on some of the hexies and embellished others with small stitches.
To finish the heart I stuffed it with off cuts from threads and fabric that are too small to use for anything else. I love using these little bits for stuffing as its resourceful and sustainable.
I chose a simple cream coloured satin ribbon for the hanger and a variegated perle 8 thread to blanket stitch around the outside edge to secure the heart together.
I had created a pocket on the front of the heart from a piece of vintage sheet hem and now it was time to make something to go inside it.
While working on the heart I decided that it would be a nice present for my Mum as Mother’s Day was coming up in May. I’m usually very terrible at getting handmade gifts made for occasions as I don’t like the pressure of deadlines and having to work on something for a specific reason, sometimes it sucks the joy out of a project for me. I didn’t feel that way with this one though as I had half finished it when I decide to gift it to my Mum and I still had a fair bit of time to spare.
I decided to make a little half inch hexie flower with some pretty Liberty fabric. I stitched it onto some felt, cut around it and added a little fabric hanger to turn it into a sweet decoration or bookmark.
Next, seeing as it was a gift for my Mum, I made a sweet little fabric card, stitching little fabric scraps onto felt and adding the embroidered words ‘Love You Mum’. I finished the card off with blanket stitch around the edge.
I was so happy with how the heart turned out. It was a lot of fun and very therapeutic. I enjoyed playing with different stitches and seeing where they would take me, how the stitches evolved with each fabric piece.
Projects like these are wonderful for creating moments of mindfulness in our daily lives. This project allowed me to make time to sit quietly and stitch, process my thoughts, emotions and memories. I hope that when my Mum holds it she is delighted by all of the textures, and that by running her hands over the different fabrics and stitches she too can have a mindful moment and know that the heart embodies my love for her.
Sometimes you need to just let go and play with your slow stitching and that’s what this project was for me. If you feel inspired to make your own heart I suggest pulling together a basket full of little pieces, throw in some threads and little treasures and see where the stitching takes you!
To my Mum, if you are reading this, I love you and I am so thankful to have you in my life. Your support, love and faith in me carries me forward everyday. I love that we enjoy the same things and that I get to live this creative life with both my Mum and Best Friend by my side.
Happy Stitching,
Miss Leela x
