Free Hearts and Valentines Projects, Patterns, and Tutorials: Updated 2018

Make a pledge to yourself and to those you love this month. Take good care of your own heart with healthy habits and a active lifestyle  and make a comfort quilt, a heart shaped comfort pillow, or some other lovely little heart filled gift of comfort to another..one for you, one for a loved one, and one for someone you may never meet but can still reach out to with love!

And please think of all of the little ones that have been born with congenital heart defects. Every day, all over the world, babies are born with no explainable reason with heart problems that require immediate and often major surgery.

While some might be as minor as leaky heart valves others are so serious that they require immediate life saving efforts and open heart cardiac surgery where the baby has to be place on a cardio-pulmonary bypass (heart-lung) machine while cardio-pulmonary surgeons have to do micro surgical repairs that can take up to 10 hours on tiny hearts that in a newborn is about 1" across.

Please make and donate baby quilts to your own local NICU or PICU in honor of these  precious 'heart babies'!

Whenever we make a comfort quilt or donate a block to a given cause, we are putting a piece of ourselves...our own loving heart...into that donation. Whether they are given to a loved one, heart patients, for cancer care, for hospice donations, or to simply to show our love, faith, and caring...it's wonderful to make and keep heart blocks, quilts and other projects on hand....any time of the year!

From my primary blog With Heart and Hands:

Free Heart Quilt Patterns and Other Valentine Projects Updated 2017

and

My own heart shaped or themed tutorials as well as links to those by others.....connects to another hundred more patterns, tutes and ideas galore......

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns Help us change the world, one little quilt at a time!

Happy Harvest: Gifts Tutorials from the Heart

 

It's time to share with family and friends the harvesting of our own creative energies of giving! And what better way than creating a harvest themed gift for your hostess or yourself?

Here are some links and tutorials for items that I have made and given or others have shared from their own creative hearts and hands.

 Shoo Flies, Don't Bother Me: Whirlygiggles Tutorial

 

Streak of Lightning: A Totally Tubular Tutorial

 

Wonky, Liberated, Variable, or Maverick Stars

 Disappearing Four, Nine, 16  Patches and Twist and Turn Variations 

 

Liberated Heartstrings: Setting the Spirit Free

 

Make a Re-useable Shopping Bag: 

Pocket Pouched!

  Bag and ID Tag Tutorial

 

 

 

 

Make a Potholder!

 Making Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer's Patients
A wonderful gift for those aging family members who might come to dinner and love a useful lap quilt of comfort.

Making an Adult Bib

 

Aprons, Potholders, Dish Towels, Magnets, Bottles, Mugs, Cups. and Coffee Press Wraps:

Making Mug Rugs and Mug Wraps!  my own sewing and crafting fun!

 
 

Free Apron Patterns: Updated 2015

 

Everyday Art..magnets, kitchen towels etc.

Bottle Wrap Tutorial

 

It's a travel mug or bottle wrap!

 

Making a Coffee Press Wrap

 

Creating a Patchwork Journal: The People and Places of My Quilty Life

 

Making a Quilted Book or Fabric Journal Cover

 

 

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Happy Halloween: Myths, Magic, Ideas and Tutorials

From my primary blog With Heart and Hands  

Click on title Link at top of collage to connect to this Halloween Harvest!

 And do check out these fun ideas from others!

Scrap Buster Fall Pillow from Cluck, Cluck, Sew  Give Thanks Pillow Harvest table topper  Large Hexagon Quilt from The Polka Dot Chair Modern Maple Leaf Quilt Pumpkin Table Runner from Green Fairy Quilts blog Disappearing Nine Patch by Amy Sorensen Thanksgiving Tree Charm leaf runner by Anjeannette Klinder A Moda Bake shop Lap quilt lovely, shown here by Jamie Mueller's blog Candy Corn Centerpiece, for black cat lovers at any time by Connie Kresin Halloween or Harvest..depends on your fabric! JuJubstash Simplicity at its Best! by Elizabeth Chandler

Thanksgiving Decorating

Grateful Fall Sign

Tracy's Fall Mantel

Falling Leaves Artwork

Thankful Burlap Table Runner

Fall Burlap Wreath

Simple 'Be Thankful' Plaque

Paper Pumpkin Basket Tutorial

 Pumpkin Canvas Tutorial

Pear Pillow Tutorial - How to sew this darling pear pillow.

Old Table Leg Candle Holders - How to use old table legs to make beautiful candle holders.

Candy Corn Bottles - I just love this idea of using vinyl lettering to jazz up a few bottles and fill them up with colorful items.
DIY Candy corn Wreath - Wondering what to do with your extra candy corn from Halloween?  Here's an easy tutorial on how to make a wreath.

Thanksgiving Ideas

Thanksgiving Cards

 THANKSGIVING

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns and encouraging others to join her and make and donate quilts to charitable causes. Help us change the world, one little quilt at a time!

Making An Adult Bib: With Collar and Trims!

As any of you who has ever tried to watch TV.... and eat at the same time... knows, something almost always spills...and often you end up ruining a nice or even favorite piece of clothing. Time to protect and defend the elderly with a 'senior' bib!

And as someone who is almost ready for a working model for myself, I know this will not only be appreciated for its feminine look.... unlike a typical adult bib, or the use of a kitchen towel upon one's front.....but for its practicality. It's simply made of a few pieces of fabric, a simple pattern and a little trim. And it can be opened and closed with a simple velcro closure in the back.

And furthermore, it's actually two patterns in one! One side of the pattern is a lady's version with a round collar, and the other side, a typical pointed-end gentleman's collar. Add a bow or a little ribbon for the lady (and perhaps a few decorative buttons) and a nice homemade bow tie for the man.

See all the photos and directions and tips at my primary blog where I shared many thousands of wonderful tutorials of things that I've made besides lots and lots of quilts etc. 

Please become a follower there as I share my life, my art, my fun, and yes..all those free things that have placed me at the top of many, many search lists..and I am so very grateful for that. 
Happy Holidays this Spring. 

Rejoice and Renew!!! 

Click here for the trending post and directions: 

Making An Adult Bib 

 

 

Burrito or Magic Pillowcase Tutorial

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns Help us change the world, one little quilt at a time!