I like making things.

I particularly like making one-off things.

After all, most people don’t, as Ryan O’Neal demonstrates in What’s Up Doc, tend to like repeating themselves, do they?

But sometimes I need to make not one of something, and not even two, but LOTS.

And then it’s time for the production line approach…

Yesterday my floor became a mass of snipped threads and bits of fabric, my iron worked like a trooper, and my sewing machine whirred busily as my production line got into gear…

I made these calico drawstring bags as packaging for my dolls. The brief was just for them to have Liberty trim of some kind.

I’m actually quite pleased with my patchwork hearts. They were very easy and quick, and make use of all the really little teeny bits of Liberty fabric I saved from making the dolls themselves.

To make your own patchwork hearts, you just need a piece of lightweight iron-on interfacing, fabric scraps, and an iron.

Put your interfacing on your ironing board, sticky side up.

Pick out a pretty selection of fabric scraps and lay them out, right side up, on top of the interfacing without overlapping them, but being sure to cover every single bit of the interfacing with fabric.

Then carefully lay a cloth over the top and press for ten seconds at a time, keeping the iron still rather than moving it around.

After pressing allow to cool, and check all the scraps have bonded. If not, press again.

Turn over and draw hearts on the back of the interfacing, cut out  – and voila! Patchwork hearts, ready to free-machine appliqué to anything you wish!

When using them, sew all around the edge of the heart first, then work your way in to the centre in a sort of spiral, sewing over any raw edges to ensure they don’t come unstuck.

Done!

I’ll be taking the finished bags with me today to London…

My own heart is all-of-a-flutter, as I’m off to the private view of the Liberty in Fashion exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, where my dolls will be making their debut.

(Squee!)

Wish me luck! ♥