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  Plain Hearts I got an email from a Mom who asked me if I could make a plain heart pattern for her 8 year old daughter. She said the Scrappy Hearts pattern confused her a little and thought she could go it on her own if the pattern used just two fabrics. I'm happy to help a young quilter in any way I can, so here's a plain heart pattern. |
The young quilter wants to make six inch red and green finished blocks, but I'm not sure how many, so I'm going to tell her (or her Mom) how to make just one block. For one six inch heart block you need to first cut one 4 inch red and one 4 inch green square.
1. First, carefully draw a line down the center, corner to corner, diagonally across the lightest color square. (This will be a cutting line when you are finished.)
2. Place the red block and green squaress right sides together.
3. Now if you have a true 1/4 inch foot on your machine, you can sew on either side of this drawn line. If not, you will have to draw a second line on either side, exactly 1/4 inch from the first line. This is your sewing line.
4. After you have sewn on your sewing line, 1/4 inch on either side of your corner to corner to line, you will cut this square in half on your cutting line. Don't forget to trim your dog ears. (The corners of the diagonal half squares.)
5. You will now have two diagonal half-squares, which should measure a wee bit over 3 1/2 inches. Press one to the green, and the other to the red. Now trim them on two sides to make them exactly 3 1/2 inches. Keep the diagonal line in the center to make sure that it stays in the center and your square should be perfectly 3 1/2 inches square.
(Note: Some people like making the diagonal half squares this way, making them larger, then trimming them to size. I personally like making them as I show on the Scrappy Hearts pattern here, which is by cutting the original squares smaller. Try both and decide which works best for you.)
6. Put those two 3 1/2 inch diagonal half squares right sides together. Notice how the seam allowances each go in the opposite direction? They are kind of like locking two puzzle pieces together isn't is? That's because you pressed them in opposite dirtections.
7. Now put those two squares right sides together as shown.
8. Sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
9. Press the seam allowance to the left and the bottom half of your heart is finished.
10. For the top half you need two 3 1/2 inch red squares and four 1 1/4 inch green squares.
11. Put a green square on two corners of a red 3 1/2 square as shown. Now sew a diagonal line directly through the middle of the green squares. Cut the outside corners off, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance. On the first red square, press the seam allowances towards the red square.
12. Repeat the same steps for the second red 3 1/2 inch square until you get to the pressing. This time you want to press the seam allowances towards the green squares.
13. Now you can put the top half of the heart together. Place the two red and green squares right sides together. Your green seam allowances should be going in opposite directions and should lay smoothly next to each other. Sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance, then press the seam allowance to the right.
14. And last but not least, you can put your first block together. Simply put the top and bottom right sides together, with the middles matching. Your seam allowances should be going in opposite directions, and if not, you can repress them now. Sew the two pieces together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and then press the final seam allowance in any direction you want. Your finished block should measure 6 1/2 inches, which will be six inches when you sew it into your quilt.
15. One red heart finished, but you can't make a quilt with just one block can you. And a quilt with all the same color hearts might look blah, so lets make a green heart next, following the same directions as above, only reversing the colors.
Now you have two blocks done but that is not enough for a quilt. You need to decide how big you want your quilt to be and keep making blocks until you have enough. The sample quilts below are made with 25 blocks and woud measure about 36 inches square, a nice size baby quilt. If you want it larger, make more blocks.
Once you have all your blocks finished, press them all neatly. Measure them to make sure they are all the same size. You want them to be at least 6 1/2 inches. Any that are too small will not fit in your quilt. (BUT don't toss it away just yet, you might be able to use it in a crooked quilt setting.) Any that are too big should be looked at carefully and if possible, take it apart and trim down each segment and sew it back together.
Now it's time to decide how you want them to be in your quilt. here are a few examples of different layouts of quilts using 25 blocks, five across and five up and down. Quilt #1 is just the red and green blocks set alternately, it sure needs something. Quilt #2 has 1 1/2 inch sashing between the blocks, which helps and adds more color to the quilt. Quilt #3 also has 1 1/2 inch sashing, this time around each of the blocks instead of between them.
If you like any of the settings above, please do use them. However, I happen to like crooked settings, and have made a page showing how to make them HERE. I've even used these hearts and another block to show how a little bit of crooked can add to a quilt. Take a look and see if you think you might like making your hearts crooked too. (And just to tempt you, here's a picture of my crooked heart quilt.)
You can make your hearts any size you want, to suit what ever need you have.
Cutting your squares 2 1/2 inches (2 7/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 4 inches. Small squares are cut 1 inch.
Cutting your squares 3 inches (3 3/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 5 inches. Small squares are cut 1 1/8 inches.
Cutting your squares 3 1/2 inches (3 7/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 6 inches. Small squares are cut 1 1/4 inches.
Cutting your squares 4 inches (4 3/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 7 inches. Small squares are cut 1 3/8 inches.
Cutting your squares 4 1/2 inches (4 7/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 8 inches. Small squares are cut 11/2 inches.
Cutting your squares 5 inches (5 3/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 9 inches. Small squares are cut 1 3/4 inches.
Cutting your squares 5 1/2 inches (5 7/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 10 inches. Small squares are cut 2 inches.
Cutting your squares 6 inches (6 3/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 11inches. Small squares are cut 2 1/4 inches.
Cutting your squares 6 1/2 inches (6 7/8 for diagonals) will give you a finished heart of 12 inches. Small squares are cut 2 1/2 inches.
Remember, finished means the size your heart will be when it is sewn into a quilt. The unfinished size is 1/2 inch larger.
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Updated October 6, 2025
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