Goodness gracious me oh my. This project has been a Long Time Coming!
Begun back in 2019, but not really realized until 2020, Key to My Heart was a spin-off of a group of voided monogram projects that I was working on at the time.
Finally, this project is ready for you!
Key to My Heart is a 50-page downloadable PDF packed with all the information you need – with large, detailed photos – to take you step by step through creating this project. It’s like a mini workshop or class. The e-book is filled with embroidery tips and techniques for this project, but they also can apply to pretty much any hand embroidery project!
I include information on substitutions, if you don’t have access to the same supplies. It really is a universal project – you can use any fabric, any thread, any trim to make the heart uniquely your own.
Both the front and the back of the heart are embroidered. I have to admit, I love the sampler bands on the back! And of course, you’ll find all the instructions for the various lines – as well as suggestions for others – within the e-book.
Whether you’re making the heart into a sachet or a hanging ornament, the outcome is really bright and happy! It would make a perfect gift – for your mom, a friend, a child, grandchild – or just for yourself! Even though it’s perfectly suited to Valentine’s Day, it would make a lovely wedding token any time of year, a beautiful Mother’s Day gift, or even a Christmas tree ornament.
In this particular PDF, I focused on keeping the images larger so that they’re easy to see, whether you’re viewing them on a screen (where you can zoom and really see the details) or whether you’re using printed pages.
I also used a different font that tends to look less crowded on a page, so that it’s easy to read.
Supplies
If you have purchased the Garden Bright floche pack on Needle ‘n Thread, you have all the same threads I used to create this project. There’s a list of the thread numbers in the PDF. The nice thing about DMC floche is that the numbers correspond to the same numbers in stranded cotton, so if you want to use stranded cotton, you’ve got the color numbers!
That said, you might change the color scheme completely – it’s up to you!
I’ll have the Garden Bright floche in stock again soon. I have a big shipment on the way and we’ll be working on thread packs as soon as it gets here.
If you have the White Linen Sampler Pack from Needle ‘n Thread, you also have the fabric that I used on this project. If you don’t have that, never fear! I’ve included information on the fabric and on what to do when you make substitutions. I particularly like linen for this project, because it makes the linear nature of the back of the project very easy to space and to stitch. Still, you can use any fabric – it’s up to you!
You can find Key to My Heart available right here in my shop.
The PDF will be delivered to you via a download link in your email, so please be sure to double check your email address when you enter it… nothing worse than a heart floating around in the ether, undeliverable! Especially on Valentine’s Day!
If the download email doesn’t show up within 30 minutes after your purchase, please check your filters – spam, social, promotional, and other similar folders – in case it’s been slid somewhere else by your email service provider. Some email service providers are not fond of auto-generated emails and may block an email. Just drop me a line if it doesn’t show up and I’ll get the PDF to you!
My Eye!
Today, I’m nursing my eye, which is much improved, and I’m prayin’ hard for no further complications. Tomorrow, I plan to STITCH! I haven’t been able to for almost a month now. I cannot wait!
Thanks so much for hanging out with me here on Needle ‘n Thread! I really hope you enjoy my heart!
I am praying for healing for you. I love the heart. My son is a paramedic so I’m embroidering an anatomically shaped heart for him. The things I do for love 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
Love your kind heart of flesh and your delightful heart of floche!
And praying with you for your eye. May that hurdle be cleared!
Linda
Thanks, Linda! LOL – I like the way you put that. It made me chuckle! 🙂
Mary praying for a complete recovery for your eye.
Would you consider the heart a good beginners project?
Hi, Deborah – I’d probably say “determined beginner.” If you’ve done some stitching, yes, you should be able to work this project! 🙂
Thank you so much for this design – I’m so excited to get started stitching! I just thought you would want to know that on the final page where you discuss using scrap fabric to extend the fabric the link isn’t working for me. I pray that your eye continues to heal so that you can stitch too; especially with your deadline for your goldwork project looming.
Although I can’t find exactly what happened to your eye, I can commiserate! I got a macular hole in my distance eye in May and had to get it repaired. They put gas in my eye and that took 3 months to dissipate and it causes the lens to cloud. Now I finally get my cataract surgery in two weeks. My close up eye had to wear glasses to see both distances. I struggled to sew these last few months. We will both be SEW happy soon!
I hope it all works out well for you, Karyl-Lynn!! I’m so grateful for the eyesight I do have, that’s for sure!
I have missed whatever happened to your eye but I’m glad to hear it’s getting better. I recently (November) had glaucoma and cataract surgery done in my right eye and it did not heal as quickly as I had been told. I’m just now getting back to some counted cross stitching and my stitches are not as accurate as they had been when I started my project. I hope you are back at it soon!
Thanks, Kathleen! I’ve been working through ongoing eye problems since cataract surgery over a year and half ago. I had an ocular stroke last year which further complicated the eye issues, but I’ve learned to live with that. Thankfully, it only affected part of my vision in my left eye. I’m hoping that things have settled down and my eyes will behave for me for a while now. I’m able to see detail work without magnification, which is nice – but I still need to use PLENTY of very good light, so lighting is a big deal for me.
Dear Mary
Just purchased a copy and have glanced through the e-book, it looks lovely and all those beautiful stitches, as you say the instructions could be applied to any embroidery project. The instructions are very thorough and easy to follow and I’m looking forward to experimenting with the project. Thank for creating the e-book ‘Key to my Heart’ and for sharing it with us, I can see that a lot of work went into the book.
Regards Anita Simmance
Dear Mary
I forgot to mention the problems with our eyes. I’m glad it has improved and I do hope and pray for a complete recovery. Take Care
Regards Anita Simmance
Thanks, Anita! So far, so good! Heading to the eye doctor today for the follow up. I’m hoping to get a new prescription for computer use, but otherwise, my everyday spectacles are working great for needlework, and no need to a magnifier. It’s quite wonderful!
Dear Mary
My first post didn’t go in I couldn’t have posted probably. I’ve just purchased the Key to my Heart e-book and have glanced through it. It’s lovely and I’m looking forward to experimenting with it. As you say it doesn’t just apply to this project but can be used for other embroidery designs. Thank you so much for creating such a delightful book and for sharing it with us, it must have taken a lot work to produce. So thank you.
Regards Anita Simmance
Thanks so much, Anita!!
I know it says it makes an ornament or a sachet, but just how small is this? I’ve looked on this page and the product page and can’t find a size. Am I missing it? I’m a bit daunted if it’s too much detail on something tiny. Can you take another photo with your hand or something to show the scale?
It is 4″ hight x about 4.5″ – so, slightly larger than most ornaments (as in, Christmas ornaments, which usually are around 3″ – 4″). That said, you can certainly enlarge the design and work it with heavier threads, etc. I have one reader who is enlarging it to about 14″ wide and working it as a pillow front.