Glowing Hearts Quilt Along - Cutting Instructions

Now that we have decided upon (or maybe there are still a few possibilities to decide upon) our fabrics, it's time to cut them up.

Be sure that your fat quarters are the full 18" x 21". If you wish to work ahead, or you wish to make the throw version, the pattern is available in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts. It is on sale for 25% off now through midnight on Easter Monday. There are instructions for three quilts within this pattern, each one unique. Once I have the Glowing Hearts version quilted and her glamour shoot wrapped up (see what I did there?!), I will update the cover, and send it out to those who have bought it. Here it is at present:

Instructions for the Winter Blues version (nine ombré hearts) and the Glowing Hearts version (eight ombré hearts with centre maple leaf) will be provided. 

Winter Blues

Note: WOF stands for width of fabric

Label your fat quarters Fabrics A - F. The heart on dark background will have the ombré or set of fabrics if you are not doing ombré, running from top to bottom, and the heart on light background will have the ombré reversed, from bottom to top. Here is the cutting diagram for the fat quarters which form the strips in the hearts. Be sure to orient your fat quarters as indicated with the 21" on the left and the 18" on the bottom.

For clarity, these are the pieces you cut from your fat quarters:

Heart on Dark Fabric                                    Heart on Light Fabric

Fabric A

(10) 2 ½" x 6 ½" rectangles                            (4) 2 ½" x 5" rectangles

Fabric B

(5) 2 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles                             (4) 2 ½" x 9 ½" rectangles

Fabric C

(5) 2 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles                              (4) 2 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles

Fabric D

(5) 2 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles                              (4) 2 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles

Fabric E

(5) 2 ½" x 9 ½" rectangles                              (4) 2 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles

Fabric F

(5) 2 ½" x 5" rectangles                                  (8) 2 ½" x 6 ½" rectangles

Background Fabric

Note: Instructions for making a 6 ½" HST template are at the end of the cutting instructions.

Dark Fabric

Cut (1) 6 ½" x WOF. Cut (10) 6 ½" HSTs, butting them up against each other. 

Cut (2) 2 ½" x WOF. Cut (20) 2 ½" squares (16 per strip); cut (4) 1 ½" squares from remainder.

Cut (2) 1 ½" x WOF. Set aside for borders.

Light Fabric

Cut (1) 6 ½"  x WOF. Cut (8) 6 ½" HSTs, butting them up against each other. 

Cut (1) 2 ½" x WOF. Cut (16) 2 ½" squares.

Cut (6) 1 ½" x WOF. From four strips cut (12) 1 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles for sashing. Set remaining two strips aside for borders.

Glowing Hearts

Follow the fat quarter cutting diagrams, but cut for only four hearts on dark background. This means you cut (8) 2 ½" x 6 ½" Fabric A rectangles and (4) of Fabrics B - F rectangles. 

Background Fabric

Note:  Instructions for making a 6 ½" HST template are at the end of the cutting instructions.

Dark Red

Cut (1) 6 ½" x WOF. Cut (8) 6 ½" HSTs, butting them up against each other. 

Cut (1) 2 ½" x WOF. Cut (16) 2 ½" squares. 

Cut (2) 1 ½" x WOF. Set aside for borders.

Light Background

Cut (1) 12 ½" x WOF. Cut (1) 12 ½" square; from the remaining 12 ½" x 29 ½" rectangle, cut (16) 2 ½" squares and (4) 1 ½" squares.

Cut (1) 6 ½" x WOF. Cut (8) 6 ½" HSTs, butting them up against each other. 

Bright Red

Cut (1) 10" x WOF. Cut (1) 10" square for the maple leaf appliqué; from the remaining 32" x 10" rectangle, cut (12) 1 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles for sashing.

Cut (2) 1 ½" x WOF. Set aside for borders.

The maple leaf appliqué template can be found at Canadian Living. It fits perfectly on a 12" square.

If you prefer to piece a maple leaf, a 12" block can be found at The Quilter's Cache.

If you prefer to paper-piece your maple leaf, email me and I will send you a PDF that my friend Elaine in Ontario sent me. You will have to resize it but your printer can easily do that.

How to make a 6 ½"(unfinished) HST template

(Note that the template is included in the pattern.)

Draw a 6" square. Bisect it on the diagonal to make two triangles (two half squares). Ignore or erase one of them. Add ¼" seam allowance around all three sides of the remaining triangle or HST. When you cut out your HST, place your ruler carefully on top of the template so you have a nice edge to rotary cut. You can always tape it underneath your ruler for extra stability. 

Here is one I did for a 3 ½" unfinished HST. 

Here are the pieces for the throw I made this past week. I concentrated on getting it done this past week for the pattern release. One of the reds I'm using for Glowing Hearts needed to be pre-washed, and yep it ran like the dickens, so I will update this post with my stack of glowing hearts pieces.

I flipped the fabrics here to see how the run looked for both hearts.

Something I found helpful for visualizing is to lay out your heart fabrics on your two background fabrics.

I thought the run was good, and the backgrounds were soft, which was the look I wanted, but allowed the Chalk & Paint line by Art Gallery Fabrics to pop. I'm not totally in love with how the throw turned out, and I spent an inordinate amount of time recutting the top fabric in the above photo to try to hit more of the pinks as opposed to the tan. I think the problem was that the motif was a bit large for the 2 ½" wide pieces.

Here is the flimsy regardless. Once it's quilted it may improve in my mind. This is in full afternoon sun too, so colours are a bit washed out.

Here is the mockup of a two-colour ombré used in the pattern. I feel an ombré throw in my future!

Happy cutting! We'll start piecing next week.