"Pieces of my Heart" Tutorial

I recently had the opportunity to make a couple of quilt squares to be included in a quilt for a very deserving recipient. I wanted to do something fun and a little bit different. I loved the quilt squares so much that I decided to make one for myself, to keep and frame. And, since Valentine's Day is coming up, I also thought it would be fun to do a little tutorial for all of my lovely readers.

I chose five different fabrics that I liked and laid them out on top of each other. I free handed my heart pattern, but you could also print one out. I pinned the heart to the layer of fabrics and cut all of the hearts at one time.

After cutting out my hearts, I flipped them over, and on the reverse side I used a fabric pin and drew lines where I wanted to cut the heart. I divided mine into five pieces, but you can do as many (or as few) as you like! I pinned the hearts back together and cut along the lines. 

Once the hearts were cut, I pieced them back together, using a piece from each fabric. Here are my hearts pieced together, waiting to be sewn. 

I chose unbleached cotton for the background. I stitched each piece onto the main fabric, using a zig zag stitch. Let me just say, I am not good at zig zag stitching, and that's okay! I think it adds a little bit of character. It does not have to be perfect. 

I decided to frame my completed heart, but I think it would also look great stretched onto a canvas. 

 I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If you make your own heart, I would love to see a picture of it! And, if you like mine, you might just want to come back tomorrow, because it might be included in a really awesome giveaway that I have planned. Just maybe :)