A while ago I purchased the Floral Heart Kit by Samplers Not Forgotten.
The kit included the chart, threads, Weeks Dye Works 36 count Beige linen, backing fabric, trim & heart charm. All that was needed to complete the heart was the interfacing, sewing thread & stuffing (I used lavender).
The pretty roses were a quick and easy stitch, with clear instructions on how to make up the chart. The only issue I had was deciding which green was which symbol as the threads were not labelled.
Once cross-stitched, I ironed a thin interfacing onto the back and marked my sewing line as per the kit instructions.
I chose to tack my lace in place so that it couldn't move whilst sewing everything together.
At this stage, it is important to pay particular attention to the ends of the lace. They need to line up together at the edges, with the excess lace tacked away from the centre of the heart, ensuring that they don't get stitched.
I chose to machine stitch my lace in place before adding the backing fabric.
Next, I placed the heart and backing fabric right sides together and machine stitched just inside of the previously stitched line, only this time I left a gap for turning along one of the straight edges. Edges trimmed, I clipped and ironed the seams before turning the right side out.
One final iron (not directly on the cross-stitching) and the heart was ready for stuffing. I used by own homegrown lavender and stuffed quite firmly.
I used by own ribbon as I didn't like the quality of the ribbon in the kit. Tied in a bow, I very carefully used a lighter to melt the ends of the ribbon to stop fraying. You only need to hold the flame close to, not touching, the ribbon and watch closely for it starting to melt. For safety I always do this over the kitchen sink. Finally I attached to ribbon and the silver heart charm.
No comments:
Post a Comment