Two Hearts Beating as One {Finished Quilt & Pattern Release}

Do you like to make seasonal and holiday themed quilts? Honestly, I typically would answer that I do not. But I happened to be doodling about a month ago and struck on the fact that I could overlap hearts to make transparency hearts.

Transparency Hearts

Well, suddenly that looked like something I wanted to explore more and turn into a quilt! I have been really enjoying quilts with offset columns of detail and lots of background space, so I quickly went from a concept to 6 different sized quilts (from mini to queen size). Since I was on a roll, I decided to go straight into pattern writing. To test the pattern, I opted to make a lap size version in a happy rainbow of colors (aka I sewed from my stash).

Two Hearts Beating as One

And I am thrilled with how the quilt came together. The hearts are paper pieced to reduce the number of seams and to help achieve a repeated and crisp block.

Quilting Prep

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you might have already seen my post from earlier this week with the tip to pre-mark quilting lines prior to basting. My friend Riane mentions this tip in her book Inheritance, and it has honestly been a game changer. Be sure to have your quilt top on top of your batting as you mark (if you are using a hera marker like I do). The hera marker is a plastic tool that presses folds into the quilt top and the lines held up through basting and all the turning and handling the quilt had from quilting on my domestic machine.

Two Hearts Beating as One – Quilting Detail

I quilted horizontal lines spaced every 1/2″, and I used 45-degree lines within the hearts themselves to help denote the two overlapping heart shapes.

Two Hearts Beating as One

I used Quilter’s Dream Dream Green batting, and the quilt is still very soft and has a wonderful drape. I love all the texture the quilting created! I quilted each heart and background stripe in coordinating 50wt Aurifil thread. From the top I used 2423 (baby pink), 2105 (champagne), 2835 (medium mint), 5006 (light turquoise), and 2520 (violet). The magic of quilting is that you have to get up close to see the changing thread colors.

Backing and Binding

I purchased coordinating backing and binding from my friend Bernie’s Etsy shop Needle and Foot. The backing is Shine Bright, Rainbow Hearts, By Katie Webb Design, for Clothworks Fabric (which is no longer in stock in her store) and the binding is Rainbow Rectangles in White, Uptown by Kim Schaefer for Andover.

To celebrate the finished quilt and release of the Two Hearts Beating as One digital quilt pattern, the pattern will be on sale through Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14th. Two Hearts Beating as One is a fun modern quilt that is perfect for anyone in need of a quilty hug. I don’t often sew seasonal quilts, but these overlapping hearts (transparency hearts) could make a fun Valentine’s Day gift or any occasion quilt for someone you love.

Many thanks to Cheryl Brickey for her technical editing skills and my exercise partner, Tia Crank, for being willing to hold the quilt for photographs after an upper body workout day!

Linking up with TGIFF at Sarah Goer Quilts, Beauties Pageant 68 with Michelle (From Bolt to Beauty), and Favorite Finish (February 2020) with Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs.