This weighty world needs a tender, light touch this week, so I thought I’d finish up my Heart’s Garden with you today.
Heart’s Garden in my garden, with the flowers of the silk oak in bloom above it.
I thought this quilt might be a fun place to try some embellishments, including these wooden buttons I purchased at a quilt show from a booth with Japanese fabrics, patterns and notions.
The birds now have eyes.
I quilted around a heart shape, trying this out.
Sew Sassy thread is a quilting thread developed by Jane Sassaman with Superior Threads. Since it is polyester, it doesn’t fray out as badly as floss when I’m stitching with it, and leaves a line like 3 strands of embroidery floss.
This is me, ordering colors online (and on sale) so I can do some more stitching. I’ve picked up spools here and there over the last few years. Obviously I have a couple extra: one in pink and one in spring green. Leave a comment below and I will pick two winners from the comments and send them out.
One of my constant helpers at the computer. The other one is Totoro.
I was able to cross off a couple of more things this week. No way I’m going to get this all done by the end of June, but it’s okay. Time for good vibes to go out into our fragile world.
Recently on the PBS NewsHour, they had a discussion how many people are going online to try and back up Ukranian digital assets before they might be destroyed. In the middle of this serious business, I noticed that behind the librarian from Stanford was a Bernina sewing machine and a serger. Even in the hardships around us, we can find common ground.
I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know that Affinity by Serif is having a 50% off sale. I had my husband download Photo for his computer today (steal at about $27) and then had my daughter download both Designer and Photo for her computer. It even got a mention this week in the Craft Industry Alliance newsletter this week, as another way to get your digital artwork made.
So, this is the last of Heart’s Garden. I will post photos from our other makers in a future post, as I so appreciate all the beautiful quilts they are making, and believe they are worth letting you know about. I’ll have some time in the next little while to do more hand-stitching on this quilt, so I decided not to rush for a blog deadline. It will evolve and change, but I don’t feel like I have to do too much. . . just enough fun stitches to make me happy.
The pattern is up on my PayHip shop. I will leave Part 5 (heart border) up in my shop for another week or so, but the other patterns have been merged into the full pattern (I hope you were all able to grab them when they came out). Since there are tons of photos and illustrations, and PayHip has a download limit, I broke the pattern into two parts. Be sure to download both segments.
UPDATE: GIVEAWAY FINISHED. Leave a comment if you want to win a spool of Sew Sassy Thread (US domestic only). I’ll pick two winners this week.
Then take a breath, and quilt!
Other Posts About this Quilt • Quilt #264
All of the individual posts are linked on the Heart’s Garden Info Page
Did I mention who quilted this? It was Krista of KristaStitched. She is delightful!
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
Such a lovely calming quilt this is! I’m looking forward to trying some 12 wt. thread this summer for hand quilting. Thank you for sharing.
Your quilt finish is beautiful. Thanks for the tip about Affinity 😉
Love the finished quilt with the added embellishments. Very nice!!
Your quilt is so beautiful 😻
I could have guessed you would jazz it up in blues! lol. I shall always think of you when I see all the pretty blues in quilts. I like the embellishments you selected. The thread sounds interesting. I’m going to check it out for my Christmas Tree quilt.
Such a pretty quilt, just what we need in all the horrible things happening. Love the spring green color!
The Heart’s Garden quilt is beautiful!
I would love to try some Sew Sassy!
Heart’s Garden is a beauty! Those pretty swirly flowers with a button center are so sweet! I’d love to try the Superior Thread!
You are so right that this week calls for a tender, light touch. I spotted the Bernina in the image prior to reading about the panel and was amazed at the topic they were discussing! I think the extra embellishments to Hearts Garden are fun. And what a neat colorway change over / mockup at the end. I hope you have a nice weekend (and please don’t consider me in the thread giveaway, I’d love for it to go to someone who doesn’t have a thread stash the size of mine, haha!).
I love reading your blog and seeing the amazing quilts you design and make!!
Those little buttons are a nice addition to your quilt as is the handwork. I keep thinking I’d like to give some big stitch hand quilting a try so count me in on the giveaway.
Thank you for creating and sharing another beautiful quilt and the tip on the sale at Affinity by Serif. I participated in your quilt class in September 2021. Will you teach more quilt classes in the future? Have a wonderful Memorial Day while remembering our service women and men, past and present.
More thread can only be a good thing. I like the detail shots with the buttons! I’d missed that detail on IG. Fun 🙂
I’m interested to learn about Sew Sassy. Superior is my preferred thread brand (for many years) but I haven’t tried this one yet! And thanks so much for the heads-up on the Affinity sale! Going there now!
I enjoy seeing your quilt every time you post. It is beautiful and I love that you are adding embellishments and hand quilting! I have not tried Sew Sassy and would be interested. My cotton thread so often shred when doing hand work.
I love the buttons you have added to your Hearts Garden. Your quilt would not be out of place in a quilt show in Japan, for real! That is interesting about the thread! I used a polyester thread by Superior in an EPP project, and it worked so well.
Oh, Elizabeth your final quilt is just so wonderful! I love your added embellishments and those wooden buttons are sublime as is your quilting!!
I will put my name in the hat for the thread, as you know, pink and green would fit my quilt perfectly. 😉This is a thread I had not heard of although I have purchased my machine quilting threads from Superior, always fun to give something new a try.
Wishing you all the best in these troubled times and thank you again for the fun sewalong! 💖💚
I love the buttons and beads you have added to the finished quilt Elizabeth. I probably need to start diving into my button stash to see what I could use too! You seem to be making great inroads into your ‘to-do’ list. I read this morning about how important it is to make lists and cross things off! I’m going to write one today! Wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day- I know how much this one means to you.
Another beautiful quilt! Thanks for the chance, Elizabeth.
Heart’s Garden is a lovely quilt and the buttons are a great addition! I do a lot of hand stitching, have never used Sew Sassy, and would love to give it a try!
Lovely quilt! Thanks for the giveaway … looks like great thread to try.
So pretty, love the colours
Please don’t enter me in your giveaway, but I wanted to say what a lovely quilt design you’ve come up with. It has so much going on and makes me think of a Jen Kingwell design, also full of eye candy. I can only imagine how involved and detailed your instructions must be. Love seeing signs of a sewist in the background of that news show! We always have our eyes peeled for such things, right? Of course, when watching TV, I am always aware of quilts on beds.