Red and White Side By Side

 Each year I design a piece for Valentine's Day, usually the standard red and white with hearts. Sometimes I throw in a cupid, just for good measure.  A couple of weeks ago I started casting my mind around for what I would stitch this year.  On January 10, I saw this post from Charlie Angus on Face Book; it looked very much like a Valentine to me. In case that link doesn't work, here is the entire URL:

 https://www.facebook.com/charlieangus.the.resistance/posts/pfbid02UQpULVag6kLBeHNDhupWy3Ja2aBnRjkoJ7GbRtaXjr1y29pr6Lw6KgQAgoavrvnfl

I wanted the only obvious colours in my Valentine to be red and white so decided the background should be monochromatic.  I knew immediately I had a scrap in my stash that would be perfect for the background...but didn't realize how perfect until I hauled it out;  the selvedge revealed it was made by Stof of Denmark.  

The print was news clips from around the world and the text is in French.

I needed to tie together the elements of red and white and hearts so I made them into heart-shaped balloons:

The balloons are tiny and stitching took care.  The hardest was all those points on the maple leaf, as it measures less than 1-3/4" tall.

The flags are raw edge applique, and they were trapuntoed with an extra layer of batting so they would pop out on the background. 

For the main batting, I used a thin layer of Hobbs Thermore, which is lovely for a wall hanging.  The quilting is nothing fancy, as I didn't want it to show.  

Once the piece was quilted, a white cord was couched using white Aurifil 50 weight thread for the strings.

  I had just enough left of the black/grey used in the silhouette to make the binding.  The backing is a red and white stripe.

I photographed it this morning on a fresh bed of snow, a perfect backdrop for our countries.  I particularly like this photo as even though the white balance is off, it gives a blue cast to the snow in parts, making it look like a cloudy sky.

And that's my Valentine for 2026.

Valentine's Mug Mat

                                 

Here's a quick project to stitch for your special someone for Valentine's Day.  This mug mat is larger than most, as it's meant to be shared by two.  Fusible appliqué means you can whip this up in time for the big day.

Spiral Heart Mug Mat

Finished Size:  6-1/2" x 11"

Materials

8" square of white*

8" square of red*

7" x 11" background fabric

8" square of fusible web

8" square of tear away stabilizer

7" x 12" batting

7" x 12" backing

1, 2-1/4" x WOF strip of red for binding

* Quilter's Rose by Stof used in sample project.

You can get the pdf template for the heart for free here. Make sure when you print the heart you choose "actual size" from the list of print options (no scaling). Please note that the design is already reversed for you, ready for tracing onto the back of the fusible web.

Directions:

Trace heart design onto fusible web. Note that the heart has two sections.  Fuse one section to back of red and one to back of white fabrics.  Cut out carefully.  Remove paper backing and arrange the two heart sections so that they are snugged up with no gaps in between.  I use a corsage pin to gently nudge the pieces into place.  Fuse to centre of background fabric. 

With stabilizer underneath work stitch around edges of heart to secure.  Sample shown uses straight stitching, but a narrow zigzag would add nice definition to the edges.  Trim stabilizer.

Add batting and backing, pin baste.  Quilt.  Sample shown is quilted around the outside of heart and echoed 1/4" away.  Squiggly lines are free motion quilted from the heart to the sides. Trim mat.  Mine is 6-1/2" x 11.

Fold 2-1/4" binding strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press. Sew to front of quilt, mitering corners.  Flip to back and hand stitch in place.  

This entire pattern is available in a printer-friendly format as a free download at this link: https://payhip.com/sewkaren

Happy Valentine's Day!

Click here to download the free pattern for this mug mat.

The Yin and Yang of Love

Here's a quick project to stitch for your special someone for Valentine's Day.  This mug mat is larger than most, as it's meant to be shared by two.  Fusible appliqué means you can whip this up in time for the big day.

Yin Yang Spiral Heart

Finished Size:  6-1/2" x 11"

Materials

8" square of white*

8" square of red*

7" x 11" background fabric

8" square of fusible web

8" square of tear away stabilizer

7" x 12" batting

7" x 12" backing

1, 2-1/4" x WOF strip of red for binding

* Quilter's Rose by Stof used in sample project.

You can get the pdf template for the heart for free here through Craftsy. There is no charge to join Craftsy, and it's an easy way to keep your pattern library organized online. Make sure when you print the heart you choose "actual size" from the list of print options (no scaling). Please note that the design is already reversed for you, ready for tracing onto the back of the fusible web.

Directions:

Trace heart design onto fusible web. Note that the heart has two sections.  Fuse one section to back of red and one to back of white fabrics.  Cut out carefully.  Remove paper backing and arrange the two heart sections so that they are snugged up with no gaps in between.  I use a corsage pin to gently nudge the pieces into place.  Fuse to centre of background fabric. 

With stabilizer underneath work stitch around edges of heart to secure.  Sample shown uses straight stitching, but a narrow zigzag would add nice definition to the edges.  Trim stabilizer.

Add batting and backing, pin baste.  Quilt.  Sample shown is quilted around the outside of heart and echoed 1/4" away.  Squiggly lines are free motion quilted from the heart to the sides. Trim mat.  Mine is 6-1/2" x 11.

Fold 2-1/4" binding strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press. Sew to front of quilt, mitering corners.  Flip to back and hand stitch in place.  

This cool wine glass which was a gift from my niece Christina goes perfectly with the mat. Thanks, Chrissy :)

This enitre pattern is available in a printer-friendly format as a free download through Craftsy.