Pattern of the Day - Basket of Hearts

Basket of Hearts

Artwork by Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm

Pattern adapted for rug hooking by Spruce Ridge Studios

There are times when I am hooking on a project and I find myself overthinking the color plan for the design.  I end up making things much more complicated than they need to be.  Often this leads to frustration because I can't quite figure out what I'm going to do next.  I have learned to stop and tell myself "you need to simplify!"  By scaling back all the "busyness" and making things less fussy....keeping it simple...I find more creative satisfaction and joy in my project.  

So!  When I look at the Basket of Hearts pattern, I see lovely, sweet simplicity.  You don't need to overthink the color plan.  Just yummy shades of reds (hearts), greens (leaves) and browns (basket).  I envision the background as being light because it gives a fresh, clean look.  

If you want to switch up the hearts a bit, you could use some lovely plaids with pops of red, along with some textures in warm barn red.  Use several values of greens for the leaves. You could use the darker green values for the leaves closer to the basket and then choose the lighter values for the leaves toward the top.  

You could also use the basket-weave technique for the basket or eliminate the wicker lines all together and hook the name of your favorite Valentine in the middle of the basket.  You are still keeping it simple but making it more personal.

The original size of the pattern is 20" x 26" but I had a friend who requested a larger size of 27" x 35" to fit a space in her house.   I have to say that if I hooked this pattern, I definitely would do the larger one...terrific for those wide cuts!  The smaller version is perfect for those of you who like a quicker project or smaller cuts of #6 and #8.  However, I am a #8.5 girl and I'd find a way to work those cuts into the background somehow ! Haha!

You can find the smaller pattern here:  https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/basket-hearts-20-x-26/

And the larger one here:      https://www.spruceridgestudios.com/product/basket-hearts-27-x-35-large-size/