Yes I finished 20 more hearts and got them ready for distribution.

I can’t even explain how fun they have been for me. I suppose I feel like I’m playing when I make these. I asked my husband, “If I can’t play when I’m 60 years old, when can I?” He just smiled a little at the sentiment.

I also made a decision to put Polish words on the back side of the little tags in spite of the fact that they (the people on the I Found a Quilted Heart website) say not to. Obviously “they” can’t really stop you from doing it, and I decided that someone understanding that’s it’s ok to take it trumped following the rules to the enth degree. If it means that if someone finds it and reports it and it doesn’t make the website, well, at least they will get taken home - which is what I want.

I have been watching one that I think everyone thinks was lost as it is still hanging on a tree branch where everyone can see it.

I’ve made these without many fancy stitches. My machines with fancy stitches abilities are having a few problems - so I decided to focus on lace, beads and I introduced BLING!

Yes I did!

I bought some rhinestones/crystals - and am learning how to put those on.

Let me digress. Last year when we packed all those quilts for Ukraine, we received a couple of beautiful ones that someone had put crystals on at every intersection of quilting - and they were gorgeous! Actually there were two or three with those. I was shocked that someone would give them away - they were gorgeous and so much work!

I had been to a quilt show in Wichita, KS many years ago and one of the sessions was “Adding bling to your quilts”. Well, at that point in my quilting life, I was simply not interested in adding bling.

I made quilts to be used, sat on and enjoyed in a practical way. I didn’t think crystals or beads made for a comfy quilt - so I skipped it. Well, this past week, I had to spend some time checking out how to apply crystals/beads. I felt kind of like a newbie - as I am.

Anyhow, this is a great way to learn how to do some new things- on these hearts. So far I’ve learned how to put on buttons with my machine (I felt really stupid - it is super easy with the Janomes as they have a special foot and a special mode), put in eyelets, and am learning how to add crystals/rhinestones (like the shimmery things they put on dance or ice skating costumes).

I mean, I had never heard of a wax pencil. ?? Seriously - you can sharpen a pencil made of wax in a regular pencil sharpener??? (The wax pencil helps you grab the little crystals.)

It has been great fun! Seriously! I have the wholesale findings place near me - where I get batting - and they have a lot of interesting things I can add to these.

I feel like a kid with a new toy, actually.

While I’ve not been able to buy the little beads or rhinestones/crystals from our local wholesale store, they have some blingy ribbon type stuff and just about everything else except maybe lace. (photo to the right)

They have ribbon, though - quite a few different kinds. Grosgrain, satin, and that blingy kind I showed in the plastic box above that look like rhinestones - but actually you can sew through it.

I’ve bought some fancy buttons which are fun - via our auction site. They’ve added a bit of whimsy to the hearts, and with using the machine to sew them on, it is just a few seconds and they are on.

Here is one with small rhinestones. I had no idea about these - I knew NOTHING. I had to watch some You Tube videos about them as I didn’t know simple things like “how to apply them”.

This little heart features cats!

Rhinestones. They are applied with glue. I sewed the rhinestone ribbon on with my machine.

This was quite small, actually. I need to find a playground and put it there for some child to find. Isn’t that button cute?

This is the largest one I probably have put out so far. There is no certain size they told us to make. Just “hearts”.

Most of these are just solid pieces of fabric - quilted and trimmed into a heart size. I’ve been using some 6” squares I located - novelty prints.

The one shown below here has the rhinestone purple ribbon. It is very colorful and makes each of these happy.

As I’ve mentioned before, the challenge to me is putting them out - so I’ll show photos of where I put them as well. I think I can really get into this - it’s just so different from what I normally do.

Where I put them!

I put them out over a few days - this week. Let’s see. I wrote where I put them under each photo.

I’m documenting this - not so that you all can say, “OOH, ah, how great you are” but rather so that they are documented AND maybe if you want to do some, you can get ideas.

I have found myself scouring Facebook posts and mentions, blog posts and videos (and their Facebook group) for types of hearts people are making (and finding).

I do get a fun feeling when I think of people finding them. :) It’s the biblical idea, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). I think that when you imagine someone picking it up and finding it and getting all happy they found something…that brings me delight.

And there you are. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at them.

Thanks so much for coming along with me on this journey!

Have a great day wherever you are reading this!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store here!

Feel free to browse the site.