Something Cute And Quick To Make With Leftover Quilt Blocks

Looking for something to do with leftover quilt blocks? How about whipping up some really cute, quick to make, stuffed quilt block hearts. These can be easily made from patchwork quilt blocks and used for a variety of things. For example, display several in a wooden bowl or on a tray for home decor. Turn a patchwork heart into a pin cushion. Give as a gift. Hang on a wall next to a picture, hand them out as party favors or as a gift tag on a birthday gift for someone special. There are many more things you can do with a stuffed and quilted block heart to use up your leftover quilt blocks.

You will need:

Patchwork or other designed quilt block
Heart pattern
Low loft batting
Polyester fiber fill
Thread for quilting
Levi fabric backing or other backing or your choice
Pinking shears
Sewing machine
Cotton strips of fabric for bows
Levi seams for roses

You know when someone comes into your life and they teach you so many things by their example and with love. My mother in law did just that. She was a quilter, expert baker, crafter, painting artist, green or should I say golden thumb gardener, flower arranger, chocolates maker, grandmother extraordinaire, believer in God, and lover of service. She included me in so many things she was making and doing. Taught me how to craft, garden, make chocolates, and so much more! She recently passed away and left a legacy of love, service, and beauty to her amazing grandchildren and great grands not to mention her children.

Here is the point of my story I inherited some of her patchwork quilt blocks that she had sewn. Rather than putting them into a quilt which would benefit only one or two people, I knew there had to be something I could make with the squares that would benefit all of her twenty five grandkids. Something that would remind them of her. Sort of like a memory quilt only on a much smaller scale. Hence, I came up with an individual quilt block stuffed hearts idea. During the luncheon at her funeral, I handed a heart to each of her grandkids and told them when they looked at their quilted heart to remember how much she loved each of them.

Make cute quilted stuffed hearts from quilt blocks you have made.

Leftover Quilt Blocks

Look through your quilt block stash you know the one, the stash with leftover quilt blocks. Maybe you weren’t happy with some of them. Maybe the color was off from your other blocks or you made too many for your quilt. Your blocks may have turned out too big or too small. Whatever the reason, you will need some quilt blocks you can use for your stuffed hearts. Patchwork quilt blocks where rows of squares are sewn side by side work well for the heart.

Make A Heart Pattern

I free handed my own heart pattern out of computer paper. You can too or find a heart pattern you want to use. You could also cut your pattern out of the side of a plastic container like a milk container. A little trick I came up with while cutting out patterns that I wanted to use over and over again. I wanted a skinny long heart and was able to cut two hearts per quilt block. Cut out your heart pattern the size and width you want and you are ready to begin making your stuffed hearts.

Cut Out Hearts With Pinking Shears

Place your pattern on your quilt block. If your quilt block is big enough, cut out a couple of hearts from the quilt block. Use your pinking shears for cutting each heart topper shape out. The pinked edge adds to the look of your stuffed heart.

Quilt Your Heart Topper

I hand quilted each heart. Take your quilt block heart pattern and cut out a matching heart shape from low loft batting. Place the batting behind the quilt block heart topper. Thread your needle with the color of your choice of thread and hand quilt. Sew a straight stitch around the design on the top of your quilt block using Perle Cotton thread. Either use a contrasting color if you want your stitches to stand out or a color that matches your quilt block color. If you want to use your sewing machine for this step, you absolutely could. It might be somewhat faster. I chose to hand quilt because I was being extra careful with each heart since it held such sentimental value.

Cut Out Backing

I have a big stack of levis. Every time my kids grew out of their levis, I just put the pair of levis in a tote. So I just saved a bunch for different uses. It makes a cute backing for quilt block hearts. Lay your quilted heart on your levi fabric and cut out the backing for your stuffed heart.

Stack Your Heart And Sew

Place your heart shaped levi fabric backing wrong side up. Next place the quilted heart top on top of the levi backing. Sew a straight or zig zag stitch around the outside of the heart. The edges of the heart will be raw which adds to the charm. Leave a slight opening on one side of your heart, for stuffing it with polyester fiber filling. It’s okay for the low loft batting to show since you just sewed around the raw edge of your fabrics. The raw edge gives the heart a sweet old fashioned look.

After hand quilting or machine quilting your hearts sew them to your backing leaving a little space un sewn for stuffing.

Stuff The Quilted Heart

Take the polyester fiber fill and start stuffing your heart. It is better to not stuff the heart very full. The heart will hold its shape better. I found that out as I stuffed the first heart I made really full. The heart well it was quite mishapen and didn’t look right. The next quilted heart I stuffed loosely and the shape of the heart was perfect. It was just enough stuffing to get the look I wanted without having to put it in every nook and cranny of the heart. Follow this process…get some stuffing (I used a crochet hook to evenly stuff my hearts) and with your crochet hook push the stuffing inside the opening where you left it un sewn. Stuff both sides and each end of the heart shape. Once the heart is stuffed the way you want it, sew the opening closed on your sewing machine.

Finish off the hearts with roses or fabric arrows. Make sure you cut off stray threads.

Embellish The Stuffed Quilted Hearts

Now to add a little more charm to your hearts. Tear some strips of white or cream muslin into strips and make some bows. Then hot glue them to the middle of the heart. Next cut a length of a pair of levis seam and roll it into a rose shape. Hot glue it and place it in the middle of the bow. I also made hearts with arrows made out of levis. Then I glued them to some of the hearts.

A Little Extra Touch

I thought of this idea too late to use but it might inspire you. You could add a quilt label just a small one to the back of your heart which says something like, “Made with love by Grandma”. Wouldn’t that add a sweet touch to your quilted leftover quilt block heart?