This project combines two designs, applique and cutwork used as applique, and is created in the hoop. Add some wording with Alphabet Express and it becomes a unique decoration you can leave up through snow season. Start with Dakota Collectibles MI2021 heart applique as the base. I resized it to fit in a 240x100 hoop and combined it with their cutwork mittens design XM1555 with Catalog Xpress.

Eliminate the holly and berries from the mittens design. Add the wording in Alphabet Xpress and rotate where indicated.

Get back into Catalog Xpress, choose the color editor, and change the color sequence so the outer satin stitch for the heart applique outline is last.

Hoop adhesive tear-away stabilizer. Carefully score around the inside of the hoop, peel the protective paper away, and finger-press wool felt in the hoop. My favorite is Marcus Brothers. It is extremely soft (70% wool and 30% nylon), but hard to find. My source? The Stash Store.

I used two thread colors, red and blue, to match the fabric applique. The first stitch-out is the outline for wool placement. The second is the tack-down. Trim close to the stitch line.

The cutwork component can be used as an applique. The technique is essentially the same, except you are cutting the top layer around the outside of the stitch area as you would with applique rather than the inside of the stitch area as you would for cutwork. After the placement stitches, place applique fabric and stitch the tack-down, trim, and stitch the satin stitch outline. Finish the mitten satin stitches and the wording.

To add a back, before the final satin stitch, apply spray adhesive to the back of another piece of wool felt. Finger-press it on the back of the hooped heart. Then, run stitch sequence one and two again to tack down the backing. Trim the same as the front.

Run the final satin stitch around the outside using the same thread in the bobbin as that with which you are stitching. Remove from the hoop, tear away the stabilizer, and attach a hanger!

Debbie SewBlest