How to use handmade bias tape to embellish a Valentine’s Day wall hanging

Yesterday on QUILTsocial I showed you how to turn fabrics into game pieces with HEATNBOND Lite, so let’s keep the fun happening! This adorable heart tree is so easy to make, you probably can’t stop at just one! While you could just use it for Valentine’s Day, it can also be hung up all year long as it symbolizes love, happiness and all things sweet!

Let’s get started.  I chose Northcott’s Urban Elementz fabric line because really, what else symbolizes happiness like polka dots!

materials

• 12” squares of the following fabrics to make your hearts, these are all different colored polka dots:
  • 21462-28 (pink)
  • 21462-58 (orange)
  • 21462-84 (purple)
  • 21462-64 (blue with large dots))
  • 21464-64 (blue with small dots)
  • 21462-74 (green)
• ½yd of 20796-99 (colored dots on black) for trunk and branches
• ½yd of 201785-99 (small colored dots on black) for small sashing and binding
• ½yd of 900-900 (light grey) for background
• ½yd backing
• ½yd batting
• HEATNBOND Lite Iron-On Adhesive Value Pack roll
• Clover Bias Tape Maker ¼” and ½” 
• DYLON spray starch
• UNIQUE SEWING Fast Fade Fabric Marker with Eraser Tip – Purple

instructions

This tree uses your imagination and creativity. Don’t say you only like patterns, because after you read these instructions, you’ll be creating your own like a pro!

We’re going to use Clover’s Bias Tape Makers in two different sizes (¼” and ½”) to make our tree trunk and branches.

For the trunk and branches, I chose the large colored dots on black fabric. Following the manufacturer’s directions make 4 bias tape lengths using the ½” size and 6 pieces of bias tape using the ¼” size. I find that if I give the fabric a bit of a spray with DYLON spray starch, just before ironing, it holds a sharper and better press when I manipulate it on the quilt.

Set these aside.

Cut a 20” x 30” rectangle from the grey fabric. This is going to be your background. Iron on the HEATNBOND Non-Woven Light Weight Fusible Interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. The interfacing helps when sewing the bias tape down.

Now comes the crazy creative and fun part! Take your larger sized bias tape and lay it down like you were outlining a tree trunk. Pin in place.

Add a couple more for the bigger branches, pinning in place. Then take your smaller pieces of bias tape and lay them down to simulate branches.

As you keep going, you’re going to need to cut some pieces of bias tape shorter, depending on the length of the branch. When branches meet up with other branches or the trunk, tuck the raw end underneath and pin. The far end of the branches doesn’t need to be tucked under as we’ll be placing hearts on all of them.

You’re going to topstitch along each side of the bias tape, one side at a time. Since the fabric was cut on the bias, you’ll find the tape has lots of stretch for making the curves and bends of the branches. Continue to stitch down all the branches.

Once you have made sure that all of the trunk and branch bias tapes are stitched down on each edge, press.

Join me tomorrow and I’ll show you how to finish our beautiful quilted heart tree! I LOVE how ideal these polka dot fabrics from Northcott’s Urban Elementz are for this cheery quilted project!