Make: Someone Loves You, Valentine.

I have long been contemplating completing a stately project, a gift, small token or treasure for someone...or many ones. After making some cloth bookmarks last week, I had it all worked out. Who wouldn't love to receive (or give) a lovely stately measure of their esteem.

Luckily for all of us it's pretty dang easy, and pretty dang sweet...

First things first. Unless you are an amazing scissors master, and can just freehand cut out state shapes, I'd recommend making an easy embroidery pattern to transfer your outline to the fabric. If this isn't something you have on hand, you could also use a regular cut out pattern and carefully lay it on your fabric to cut the shape.

(Here is a more detailed example of how the embroidery pencil works; if you have a moment and are curious I break it down in my embroidered napkins post.)

The other supplies you'll need are some yarn and a needle, iron on backing, and iron on fusing web. And of course you'll need your delightful fabrics all picked out and ready to go. 

Take your pattern and iron it onto two pieces of fabric (or use your pattern to cut two pieces of fabric out). Iron on backing to one of the pieces, on the opposite side of the pattern.

Now to give your heart away. You can place it on the state's capital city, where you live, where your sweetheart lives or anywhere you please really (I put this one in Olympia for Catherine).

Just make sure that you are putting it on the correct piece of fabric; the messy part should be on the wrong side of the piece of fabric without the backing.

Now you're almost done! Get out your iron-on fusing web and make a sandwich. Lay down your state outline piece, with the backing (wrong side up), and generously cover the edges and internal with fusing web; then cover it with your other piece (right side up) and iron to bind them together.

Final step, trim up your states so they look fresh and clean.

So now that they're done comes the fun part, what to do with them....

Your token could be a constant reminder to someone that they are loved, fridge art!

 They could be a constant reminder to someone of where their place is in their book...

Who knows really where they will end up, personally I can think of 101 things to do with them, but the best would best part would be to receive one. I can't wait until St. Valentine's Day!