A little heart filled fun will fill these next two weeks of February. I will share a speckling of posts with a heart theme.
This heart frame is one of my sweetest finds of 2022. It was tucked in a bowl of the corner of a local antique shop changing hands. Luckily, I saw it out of the corner of my eye from many feet away. Time has worn away the silk on oneside, revealing the construction techniques beneath.
It is made of two layers of pasteboard. The back is covered in dark blue velvet. The front is covered in off-white silk taffeta that has disintegrated.
The heart is 3 1/8″ tall and about the same wide. The 1″×3/4″ opening for the tintype photo sits about an inch above the point of the heart.
The threads pulling the silk and velvet around the pasteboard can be seen through the photo opening as the photo has slipped.
The whole is bound with a bright golden yellow embroidery floss, likely silk, in a blanket stitch.
At the top of the heart is a red ribbon hanging loop and bow. The ribbon is a silk grosgrain with picot edge. At the bottom is a gold silk pom hanging from cord.
I recreated this heart frame from materials on hand using Fanciful Utility techniques. I think they came out quite darling.
You can create one for yourself using your favorite FanU techniques. Cut two hearts, approximately 3″ tall and wide. Of course, you can make yours a little larger or smaller. Cut a window a smidge smaller than the size of your photo in the center. Cover one heart with velvet. Cover the other heart with silk. Cut an X from corner to corner inside the photo window. Fold the triangles created to the inside and paste down. Secure the photo to the back heart. Sandwich the hearts together and whip stitch the edge. (I could see beadwork added to this edge looking pretty.)
Do you enjoy reading my blog? Do you find it helpful? Please consider supporting through Patreon or Sending a Tip.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
Leave a Reply