Variations on the Heart - Embroidery on Felt

Using the traditional heart shape and some beautiful turquoise wool felt, I created this paisley heart necklace with antique finish brass chains. The embroidered heart on the necklace is backed by a layer of stiff fabric interfacing and a layer of ultrasuede. Although slightly flexible, it lays flat quite nicely. The tightly woven beaded edging helps with keeping it flat as well.


The exact same heart template was used for the ornament sets. Each heart was embroidered and backed with a layer of matching felt. I tightly blanket stitched up the edges, and added a little polyfill stuffing before adding a ribbon for hanging. The hearts are made with just three simple stitches - elongated chain stitches for the petals and leaves, french knots for the centers, and backstitching for the vines. I wanted to see the difference in feeling using the same design repeatedly but with different color palettes. 

I am really enjoying playing with this repeating motif of the heart - it's such a commonly used shape, and obviously has a romantic connotation. By using different colors and themes - the floral versus the mod looking paisley, and even the cyclops heart with the realistic eyeball included in the design, the simple heart shape ranges from the sweet and romantic to the unusual and strange.