*NEW* Festive Little Fobs : Valentine

The idea for this series came to me as I was sitting at a freshly-wiped computer hard drive wondering if any of my lost charts and data were going to be recovered. I was at a complete loss for what to do if I had to re-create months worth of charts that I had in queue for 2018. I opened a new file and started designing some simple little motifs, and then the ideas started rolling. Before I knew it, I had a rough list of 12 different themes, enough to fill a year, should I need to start from scratch with releases to keep you all busy.

This series, unlike the others that I’m in the midst of, has a clear start and finish, as well as a total number of volumes. There will be 12 total, one for each month of 2018. Some will be seasonal, the rest will have general themes, good for any time of year. The intent is for there to be a whole lot of littles that you can stitch for friends and/or that you can fill a little tree with. Imagine if you worked your way through this entire series; with at least 9 different motifs per chart, that’s a total of 108 little ornaments or fobs that you could fill an old feather tree with. Or 108 friends that you could spoil with the labors of your hands.

I’ve included basic instructions for a few of the fob finishes, but I encourage you to explore the internet on your own for the fabulous DIY tutorials there are out there on Floss Tube and Pinterest. I’m far from being an expert finisher, and easily confess that my methods aren’t new. The Silver Dollar finish might be original, but the other finishes are the same that are already out there. If you’re not a person that likes to finish their own stitching, I’m sure you can find a willing person out there to do it beautifully for you for a fee.

My intention for this series is for the motifs to be mix-and-match-able. Your fobs don’t have to be one-sided; you could easily stitch front and back with the same motif, or with different motifs of the same size. You can customize with your initials and date over two or over one, or put in the initials of a special someone that you are making a gift for. Use your creativity! They are small and really quite simple to make… don’t let your fear of finishing get in the way. If I can do it, so can you!

You could also finish your pieces as ornaments for an old feather tree. There are no limits to the things that could be made with these little motifs. When you finish, please send me a picture; I love seeing what you all do with my designs, and I like to share on my finish blog for others to see as well.  www.heartstringsamplery.blogspot.com

My utmost thanks for the lovely stitching of these motifs goes to Nataly Koplovsky. I did the finish work, but there’s a strong chance this series would have never been brought to fruition if she hadn’t so willingly stepped up to do the stitching. Give her a hug for me the next time you see her.


Stitch Count Varies: Approximately 30 x 30 or smaller for each fob

Models stitched with one thread over two
on Weeks Dye Works’ 36ct. Parchment

Using threads from Weeks Dye Works:
Red Rocks, Oscar, Mocha, Havana,
Bluecoat Red, Fawn

Conversion to DMC included with the chart.

Additional Materials Suggested:
US Silver Dollar
Acid Free Card Stock
Felted Wool
Rick Rack, Mini Pom, Chenille, Braided Floss, Seam Binding,
or other ribbon-type finishing notion
Large Lobster Clasp

This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will soon be in the hands of my distributors and the shops on my auto ship list. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com