Rogue--Gertie's Plan/Hearts for Valentines Day

Pieced back for 2021 Temperature quilt

Monday, I started the morning piecing a back for my 2021 Temperature Quilt top. A friend gifted me the big print fish fabric at least four years ago. It was time to move it out of stash! I didn't quite have enough so I added a chunk of purple. 

Fabric selection 

Interestingly, the closer I came to completing the back, the more Gertie enticed me to start a new project. She can be so persuasive! 

I heard her say, "It's small." "It won't take long." "You can use scraps. That red/pink drawer is too full anyway!" "It will be a fun." "Come on, your other projects can wait for a day."  "There's a holiday coming up. Why not surprise some people with a gift?" "Think Sally and Happy Mail."

Most of the finished bookmarks

That Gertie!!! She has a come back for every "no" that leaves my lips!

One bookmark in service

I knew the project that Gertie wanted to start. At the end of January, CraftyStaci, posted a tutorial on how to make a heart bookmark. I'll admit that I could envision making a few. I didn't make it a goal because I need to stay on course to make progress on the projects on my list like the heart table runner for example. 

So much, however, for my will power. I need to tap into Gertie's will power because she convinced me to open my pink/red scrap drawer to select fabric. I spent some time cutting hearts. To make a bookmark, I needed to cut four hearts. I cut 48 hearts which was enough to make a dozen bookmarks! 

Turning the heart right side out is the most "fiddly" part of the process. Staci's tip was to use a jeans needle to sew through all of the layers. I found that the combination of my featherweight and a size 70 microtex needle handled the layers fine. 

It did take me a day to sew the dozen hearts. They will be in the mail tomorrow to brighten someone's day! I used half a yard of fabric. This brings my total of stash used to 14 yards this year.