Pink and red are a traditional color combination for Valentine’s day and I simply adore them together. I am sharing a simple pieced heart quilt block in those lovely colors that you can use as a foundation for a sweet holiday project. Although it is a small quilt block, only 4 1/2″, this size is very versatile. I used it to make a festive table runner, but you could create coasters, placemats, mini quilts or even a baby quilt. I combined four of them to make a 9 1/2″ block. This would be a great project for a beginning quilter.

Materials

Scraps of pink and red cotton fabric
For each Heart – 6″ x 6″ square is plenty
Background – 6″ x 6″ is plenty here too

Hint: This simple pieced heart quilt block is fat quarter and jelly roll friendly.

Directions

Cut the fabric:

Heart fabric

1 – 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strip
1 – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square

Background fabric

1 – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square
4 – 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″ squares

See block diagram above to use as a guide.

Sew the quilt block:

Take both of the heart pieces of fabric and two small background squares, right sides together (RST) at one end.
Sew diagonally across both small squares to form a V. Trim 1/4″ away from stitch.

3. Iron the flaps out. These are the tops of the heart.4. Sew the remaining background square to the left side of the small heart square, RST. Iron open.

5. Sew the two heart pieces together at the center of the heart. Iron open.

You now have a beautiful unfinished 4 1/2″ square simple heart which will finish at four inches. You can use this anyway you like.

Make a Larger Block

I added one inch strips to combine four simple heart blocks together.

From background fabric, cut:

2 – 1 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ strips
1 – 1 1/2 x 9 1/2″ strips

Here is a table runner that I embellished with my simple heart blocks in red and pink. I placed the block on point to add some interest and used a pink and white striped binding on the bias for some punch. It is the perfect thing to set off my table for Valentines day. What are you making for the holiday?