Book of Hearts

This colorful fabric book is great to read to young children to let them know important they are to you. The beautiful heart designs with the short poem make it quick to make and fun to read.

Supplies

OESD’s Quilted Hearts #12664
8 pieces of quilting cotton fabric, at least 9″ x 9″ each (large enough for a hoop that accommodates designs that are 6″ x 6″). Select solid colors or those that read as solid so the designs will show clearly and the text will be readable. The following colors were used for the sample but any colors will work.
- 2 pieces of red for the front and back covers
- 1 piece yellow
- 1 piece purple
- 1 piece green
- 1 piece light blue
- 1 piece pink
- 1 piece dark blue
Fat quarter black and white print fabric:
- 4″ x 7″ for the spine of the book
- 4 pieces, 15″ x ¾” for raw-edge binding, may be cut on straight or bias grain
- 4 pieces, 8″ x ¾” for raw-edge binding, may be cut on straight or bias grain
8 pieces of low-loft batting such as Warm and Natural, the same size as the fabric pieces
¾ yard narrow (1/4″ – 3/8″) black and white ribbon
- 7″ for inside “spine”
- 16″ for ties
Assorted colors of Isacord embroidery thread including black and white. Each fabric page is stitched with a contrasting color of thread – see the Page Placement Diagram for details
505 Temporary Spray Adhesive
2 – ½” strips Steam-A-Seam

Instructions

Preparing the Designs

• Add lettering to the designs and stitch each page using a single color of thread. Use lettering in your embroidery machine or from a software program as desired. The lettering used on the sample is 15mm in height. Arrange the wording as shown or as desired. Once the stitching is complete, the fabric will be trimmed to create each page of the book. The specific design information for each page is shown in the diagram below.

Embroidery

• Using temporary spray adhesive, adhere batting to the wrong side of fabric.

• Loosening the screw on the outer hoop to accommodate the batting, hoop the fabric/batting, and re-tighten the screw.

• Stitch the design/text for each page; remove hoop from the machine and unhoop the fabric.

• Once all 6 pages and the front and back covers are stitched, trim each one to 7″ x 7″, placing the complete design approximately in the center.

Book Covers

• Following the Page Placement Diagram, stitch the two covers together. Using an edgestitch foot, place the edges side-by-side and stitch with a zigzag stitch.

• To create the spine, fold the long edges of the fabric to the center of the wrong side, creating a piece, 7″ x 2″; press.

• Position the fabric over the seam of the covers and edgestitch it in place along each long edge.

Inside Pages

• Continue by stitching 2 pages together in the same manner as the covers, making sure they are placed in the order shown on the Page Placement Diagram.

• There should now be four sets of two (1 cover and 3 pages).

Page Assembly

• Place the cover wrong sides together with the Page 1/Page 6, using temporary spray adhesive to adhere. Stitch along all four edges using a zigzag or overcast stitch.

• Trim ½” from each edge of the inside pages (Pages 5/2 and Page 3/4). Each should now measure 12″ x 6″.

• Place Pages 5/2 and Pages 3/4 wrong sides together using temporary spray adhesive to adhere. Stitch along all four edges using a zigzag or overcast stitch.

• For the inside spine, fuse Steam-A-Seam on the wrong side of the narrow ribbon.

• Fuse the ribbon over the seam of Page 3/Page 4, covering the zigzag stitching; do not stitch the ribbon in place at this time.

Raw-Edge Binding

• Cut the ribbon for ties into two pieces. Position a piece on each cover as shown on the diagram; pin or baste in place.

• Fuse Steam-A-Seam on the wrong side of each binding strip (4 short and 4 long); remove the paper to expose the fusible.

• Place the strip right side up along the edge of the pages, covering the overcast stitching; trim the length to fit if needed. Using black thread, stitch the strip to the edge of the page. NOTE: The end of the ties on the covers should be covered by binding strips. Fold the strip around the edge of the page and press to fuse the strip in place.

• Stitch again, sewing from the opposite side as before.

• Repeat Steps 1 – 4 for all edges of the book.

Book Assembly

• Place the covers face down with Pages 1/6 facing up.

• Position assembled Pages 2/5 – 3/4 on top with Pages 3/4 facing up, aligning the centers of the inside spine and the outer spine.

• Using black thread, stitch along the edges of the narrow ribbon of the inside spine to stitch the book together.

Pages must be placed in the order shown and stitched together in twos as shown for a total of four sets. The first two sets will be sewn wrong sides together and the remaining two sets will also be sewn wrong sides together