I love the idea of anonymous Valentine’s day gifts, and what better for a small stash-busting quilty project than a few bonding hearts. These are the pairs of fabric hearts given to mothers with a baby in a neonatal unit. One heart stays with the baby, and the other is tucked inside clothing next to mother’s skin, then the hearts are periodically swapped so each can get the scent of the other near them. It’s such a simple idea, and so effective, but relies totally on volunteers to make them.
These are very easy to sew – even if you don’t normally like the idea of curves. The free download gives full instructions (with pictures) starting with how to draw your own heart shape. You can also get a pattern from the Helping Hands (knitting and sewing for good causes) facebook group (where you can also ask where to send the hearts).
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PATTERN
This is a great occasional project for your quilting group too. The North Lincs group I go to (Our Quilty Pleasures) has had visits from a staff member from the local hospital who coordinates charity donations like these hearts and fidget quilts. It was great to find out what they can accept and to see the appreciation for our efforts. I’d encourage other groups to create that kind of direct link to recipients of charity projects.
I couldn’t do this project without the help of another one of my old ladies – this Singer is one I cleaned and oiled for the friend I stay with in Yorkshire. It came from the same household as Pearl (introduced in my previous blog post) and is an R series 28K made in 1903. It’s not really mine, but I did have to give it a good test, and bonding hearts was a nice small project to try out.
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