Embellished Heart

I have a friend who will hopefully be moving into a new home shortly. She really appreciates something homemade and so on Sunday morning, I stayed in my jimjams, turned on the handsome Dan Snow (and his Dad on the history channel !) and decided to try and make her an embellished heart - inspired by the beautiful work that Carolyn Saxby does.

Whilst in Sheffield on Saturday, I bought a couple of bags of bits from John Lewis (or Cole Brothers as we oldies still like to call it). They seem to sweep up the sewing room floor and cram these bits of fabrics and haberdashery into bags and sell them for £1.00.

Using some of Carolyn's techniques, I heat treated and shrivelled up the chiffon scraps (that was great fun and hubby could not believe how excited I got - simple things!!), I dyed some of the fabrics, lace and ribbons with cold tea and also with a few of the blackberries I had in the freezer.

When I have tried to make hearts before, I have always found them a bit fiddly, and so this time I decided to embellish the heart before I cut it out. I then sewed the embellished side to the plain side - again before I cut it out - turned it the right way and then stuffed it. This worked like a dream. Its a very touchy feely heart. The fabrics are pieces of silk and deep purple velvet.

I embellished the heart with lace, beads,ribbon and odd earrings!

I think she will like it.

I'll never be any where near as artistic as Carolyn, but I loved making this and it help me pass a very rainy Sunday morning - and I want to make some more! The whole thing cost much less that £1.00 to make.

Carolyn's Flickr photos are a great way to while away a rainy afternoon too.