We had our first project related to hand sewing this week. I had very little prior sewing experience, so I learned a lot about the different types of stitches and techniques. I chose to do the beginner level project of making a stuffed heart and added my own personal embroidery flair.
I started by cutting out a heart out of paper for reference. I folded the paper in half and cut to make a symmetric heart. I then cut fabric around the paper heart. I left extra fabric on the sides so I could do the running stitch along the paper heart outline. I secured the two hearts together using pins and adjusted the edges to make sure they were the same size.
I had never done embroidery before, so I wanted to give it a try. I wrote a block letter “C” in Sharpie on one of my hearts. I then did a backstitch all along the letter. I was very pleased with how it turned out. I only outlined the C on one side, so I ended up adjusting the needle often and repeatedly poking it through until it was on the line. I am interested in embroidering more things and will continue to develop my new learned skill outside of class.
I then moved on to sewing the two hearts together. I used a running stitch. I made sure to have the two backsides facing out for now, so when I flipped it inside-out the stitch would be hidden and the embroidered face would be on the outside.
I did the running stitch nearly all the way around the edges of the heart. I left about 3/4 of an inch opening to put the stuffing in. I flipped the heart inside-out and added the stuffing. I used a closed sharpie to pack the stuffing into the corners of the heart. If I were to do it again, I would have made the opening slightly bigger because it did take some time to get all the stuffing inside. I then continued the running stitch, trying to hide it between the fabric pieces.
I also wanted to add a more decorative stitch to the outline of the heart. I watched a Youtube video about how to do a blanket stitch. I added that in the same color as the embroidered “C”. Adding the blanket stitch also allowed for some of the extra frayed pieces to be secured. However, most of those were secured when I flipped the heart inside out after the running stitch. I am pleased with the final product and think my sewing skills and knowledge greatly improved.
I made sure to clean up my work area, as shown below.
Cost Breakdown
Raw Materials
- Fabric – $4.19 for 1 yard
- Thread – $1.29
- Stuffing – $3.57 for 12 ounces
All prices based off Hobby Lobby.
Tools
- Sewing needles – $1.49
- Pins – $1.99
- Fabric scissors – $8.99
All prices based off Hobby Lobby.
Labor
For labor, I’m assuming I would be paid $10 per hour, a standard rate for student jobs on campus. I worked for roughly two hours in the OEDK, so would have a total labor cost of $20.
Total Cost
The total cost for this stuffed heart would be $41.52. However, if I were to make another heart it would be significantly cheaper because I would already have the tools and additional raw materials that were not used.
