Riley Blake Block of the Month-February

February's block is a paper pieced heart.

I have only done one paper pieced before, my dots on dots block.

I have a simple tutorial here.

I cut the heart along the dark lines, there were six numbered sections.  I set the stitch length really short on my machine.

You sew fabric 1 to fabric 2 and sew the fabric right through the paper.  Then add number 3, and so on.

Here are all 6 completed sections.

I'm sewing the different sections together.

All of the sections are sewn together and it's time to tear off the paper.

The stitch length was so small or close together, that it perforated the paper making it very easy to tear.

The paper's all torn off but it sure doesn't look like a heart!

Notice how there is a seem going down the middle and another going across the middle.

I took my 13" square base fabric and traced the heart template with pencil.  Then I trimmed l/4" away inside the heart.

The pencil line is the stitching line.

I will place the patchwork fabric under the heart opening and applique with the needle turn method.

I attached the heart opening onto the fabric with applique glue (Roxanne's glue baste).  I have my straw needles, cotton thread and needle threader, all tools of the trade :)

Do you see the fabric underneath the pink fabric? 

I won't trim it until I have finished appliqueing.

Straw needles are great for applique, but the eye is so teeny weeny that a fancy needle threader is a necessity, even for the best eyes!

I finished the needle turn applique and trimmed the fabric underneath so that only the l/4" seam allowance is visible.  

This seam disappears when the batting and backing are added.

I love my pink heart!  I know that it's a lot of pink.....I am thinking about introducing a new color in the sashing.

Here are January and February's blocks, I'm anxious to see what the  March block will be.