Step 21. Love is in the air

I've been spending the morning hours this week stitching Valentine hearts.

Embroidery on wool felt.

I was originally inspired by zentangle hearts. I tried making some tentangles of my own to use as a pattern for my stitching, but I'm not zen enough to pull them off. I'm guessing zentangles are supposed to be relaxing and free, but I was stressed out thinking up doodles.

Instead, I free-styled these hearts with the needle in my hand instead of a pencil. I started with a French knot in the middle of the heart and just kept going around in circles until the spaces were filled. The white one went much more quickly than the red one because I copied the first pattern and didn't have to think as I stitched along. That was zen for me.

I got ideas from a heart tattoo I saw online and also from my bedspread. The bedspread was a convenient inspiration as I stitched these mostly in the early morning hours.

Happy Valentines Day.