Swedish Heart Baskets

Another new heart block and quilt.  This one was inspired by an email I received from Fran H. (a talented Tech Know Quilters member) on a Swedish Heart Christmas ornament.

​In this weeks video tutorial, I will share how to draft an interwoven heart using the Applique toolkit in Electric Quilt 8 and a new quilt featuring this block.

Swedish Heart Baskets EQ8 Tutorial

Back when I started quilts (more than a few years ago), I remember making some of these woven hearts for Christmas ornaments.   It might have been something I saw in a magazine or maybe shared by my quilt guild. 

Have you made these ornaments?  It is a really fun paper or fabric activity.

There appear to be quite a few You Tube videos on constructing the woven heart designs (for either paper or fabric).  Check them out if you would like to make your own.    Maybe fill your "basket" with some Hershey's kisses for a quick and easy gift.

Swedish Heart Basket Out of Paper

Woven Unit Ideas

Any EasyDraw block that can be drawn with horizontal and vertical lines than can be drawn from one edge of the block to the other, is perfect for incorporating in a Swedish Heart Basket block.  Here are a few examples I came up with.

3 x 3 Grid (9 Patch)

4 x 4 Grid

5 x 5 Grid

4 x 4 Grid with uneven strips. This could be drawn in EasyDraw with Snaps set at 10 x 10.

5 x 5 Grid with Uneven Strips. This could be drawn in EasyDraw with Snaps set at 9 x 9.

5 x 5 Grid with uneven strips. This could be drawn in EasyDraw with Snaps set at 10 x 10.

Drafting the Swedish Heart Basket Block

To turn these into a quilting block pattern, I found it useful to draw the Swedish Basket hearts as applique motifs.  Those "curves at the top of the heart" help cement the decision.

However, if you want a background behind the hearts, the best style to use is either Easy+Applique or Poly+Applique.  Both work equally well.

Block Options in EQ8

Setting Up the Worktable and Drafting the Squares

Set up a block size double the size of the segment of your block that is comprise of squares and rectangles.

For my four by four grid, I set up an eight inch block and placed the four by four grid in the upper left corner.

Set the snaps horizontal and vertical at 8 x 8.

Under Snapping Options, turn on Snap to Grid and Snap Whole Patch to Grid Point.

Under Shapes find the square and drag a 1" square on the worktable.

Clone and reposition for 16 squares in the upper left corner.

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Use the ellipse tool to draft the circle and divide it into two half circles.  

Put one half circle on the right side of the 4 x 4 segments.

​Put the other half circle on the bottom of the 4 x 4 segment.

Using the Ellipse Tool for the Half Circles

Rotate all the patches as a single unit.

Center in Block.

Color with a background and two "feature" fabrics.

I used the Moda Vintage fabric collection for coloring the project.  It was the free Fabric of the Month offered by Electric Quilt in November 2023.

Swedish Basket Heart drafted as Applique Motif.

Swedish Basket Heart Colored with Vintage fabric collection from Moda.

Drafting the Alternate Blocks

Create pieced blocks comprised of half square triangle units and rectangles for sashing and cornerstone units.

As a bonus, these same blocks will be used in the border (at the exact same sizes as in the sashing and cornerstones.

Sashing Block (Drafted at 8" x 3")

Cornerstone Block (Drafted at 3" x 3")

Swedish Basket Heart Quilt Layout

Set up an on point layout.

Number of blocks 2 x 2.

Size of block 8".

​Size of sashing 3".

Quilt Layout Set Up

Quilt Borders

Borders are as follows:

Border #1  - .5 Long Horizontal.  (I figured out the math for this one so the next border could use the same size blocks as the sashing and cornerstones.)

Border #2 - 3" Blocks.  Number of blocks 4 x 4.

Border $3 - 1" Long Horizontal.

​Border #4 - .5" Mitered (binding).

Quilt Borders Set Up

Putting Together the Quilt Design

Place blocks in quilt.

Rotate heart blocks (if desired).

Finish coloring the quilt.

If using a plaid or check fabric, consider rotating the fabric in any diagonal pieces.

Populating and Coloring the Quilt

Watch the video for more information on how to draft the blocks and quilt using Electric Quilt 8.

Here is the final quilt from the video.

Swedish Heart Basket Quilt drawn using Electric Quilt 8

Think through how you could personalize the design.  A few ideas:

• Swap out the fabrics with a different fabric collection.
• Swap out the "weave" portion of the heart using one of the options above.  Or design your own option.  Make sure any design is "weave" friendly.
• Change up the sashing and cornerstone units.
• Design a different pieced border.

Share your quilt in the Learning EQ Facebook group.  I would love to see your design.

Learning EQ Facebook Group Post for Swedish Heart Basket Blocks and Quilt

Happy quilting.

​Kari

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