Hive 1 October Tutorial - Swedish Heart Block

Hey everybody - finally my time to try out being queen! I'll admit I'm slightly scared about this so please let me know if there is anything weird in the tutorial below.

This month I wanted to get some help to finish a quilt I've been working on forever and, since we're only 3 months away I figured let's have a Christmas theme!!!!!! If you aren't a big Christmas fan then please do feel free to exchange the word "Christmas" to "Winter" in this tutorial. The Swedish Heart Block (or "Svenskt Hjärt-block" in my native tongue) is the quilting equivalent of an old papercraft that is traditionally made for Christmas in Sweden.

For the quilt block, please use a 1/4" seam allowance. I prefer to press to the dark side, but will not require you to change your preference - so go with your own flow!

Picture 1 - Finished block

Fabric

You will need 3 fabrics for this block:

• Two heart-fabrics - Please choose two contrasting fabrics
• One background fabric - Please choose a light fabric (mine are all light beige/off white)

General info:

I would love to see novelty prints (Christmas, winter, snow, Santa, or anything like that), but if you are a solids type of person then please go with that. Choose colors that get you in the Christmas mood - for me that's green, red and gold (hence the fabric pull), but it could be pretty much any color so long as you think it reads as Christmas!

Picture 2 - Fabric pull

Tutorial: Swedish Heart Block

I made this block a long time ago without searching for a pattern online, but I recently found a tutorial on the Missouri Star Quilt Company YouTube channel. The cutting sizes are slightly different in my tutorial to make it look more like the papercraft it was based on, but the tutorial is very good as a starting point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5tz5M0Lu24 (About 0:00 - 16:46 is the basic tutorial)

Cutting

Heart fabric (color 1):

• 1x           2" x 8" rectangle
• 1x           2" square

• 1x           3.5" x 5" rectangle

Heart fabric (color 2):

• 1x           2" x 8" rectangle
• 1x           3.5" x 5" rectangle

Background fabric:

• 4x           2″ squares
• 1x           3.5" square
• 1x           9" square

Picture 3 - All pieces

Assembling the Swedish Heart Block

Ninepatch

The colors will be in the following places when you're done:

1, 2, 1 (Row 1)

2, 1, 2 (Row 2)

1, 2, 1 (Row 3)

Sew together the two heart-colored 2" x 8" rectangles. Press. Cut the new double-colored rectangle into 2" x 3.5" pieces (see picture below).

Picture 4 - Cut into 2" x 3.5" pieces

Sew together 3 pieces in a row, alternating the colors that touch. This will make row 1 and 2 in the table above.

Picture 5 - Row 1 and 2

Sew the last 2" square (color 1) onto the last two-colored piece making your row 3.

Picture 6 - Row 3

Press everything. Sew row 3 onto rows 1 and 2 making sure the colors alternate. Press. You now have a ninepatch!

Picture 7 - Ninepatch

Heart-arches

On the background 2" squares: press or mark a line on the diagonal. Place the square in the corner of your 3.5" x 5" rectangle and sew on the line. Cut off the excess and press the snowball flat. Repeat on the other corner of the long side (see picture below) then repeat the same steps for the other color.

Picture 8 and 9 - Snowballing Heart-arches

Assemble Heart

Now take your ninepatch and sew it to your color 1 Heart-arch. Press.

Picture 10 - Ninepatch + Heart-arch

On the LEFT side of your color 2 Heart-arch - sew on the 3.5" background square. Press.

Picture 11 - Heart-arch + Background square

Finally, Sew the two pieces together, making a lovely Swedish Heart!

Picture 12 - Swedish Heart

Setting the block on point

To finalize the block you will set it on point. To do this cut your 9" square on the diagonal both ways to make 4 triangles. 

Picture 13 - Cut on diagonal, both ways

Sew two triangles to what will be your top right and bottom left corner. Make sure to find and line up the middle of your triangle and the middle of the side of the heart block that you are sewing it to (for example by finger pressing or pinning the middle). Press and cut excess.

Picture 14 - Almost done!

Sew the triangles to what will be your top left and bottom right corner. Make sure to find and line up the middle of your triangle and the middle of the side of the heart block that you are sewing it to (for example by finger pressing or pinning the middle). 

Picture 15 - The Swedish Heart Block

Your block will be approximately 11.5" squared. I would prefer to trim the blocks, so just leave as is. 

Wohoo - you finished!

Lots of love and Christmas-feels from Sweden!

/Minnie