Quilted Pendants for the Girls

Once I got my sister's sewing machine out of my attic and started using it I became obvious that I reasonably capable of sewing I started looking at patterns and taking sewing projects on pinterest more seriously. Mostly though, I want to do things with materials I have around the house. I made a few doll quilts out of scraps of fleece (from blanket making activities) and burp clothes (we have a ton of those since my first daughter was especially spitty). Then last week, the morning of the day I left for a four day business trip to Montana I saw a cool little pin on pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/120963939961468112/. And I thought, "hmm, I could do that for the girls. I can do that for the girls today." So I thought about what fabric I had around the house and remembered a giant pile of receiving blankets (again, with a really spitty baby you just have a bunch). I decided I'd make monogram necklaces for the girls before I left and they would have them when they came home from school and know how much their mommy loved them even though she wasn't there.
Here's how I did it:
I found two blankets with pink patterns and cut out little squares, four from each blanket. Then I cut hearts out of some scrap felt I had left over from the doll making. My plan was to iron the hearts in between two pieces of the smaller squares I cut, to give the top quilted piece some textural depth. I had some stitchwitchery for hems, a perfect fit for what I wanted to do.

I didn't really like the idea of simple ring jump like the inspiration pieces had. I know that the girls would tear something like that off in 30 seconds without even trying. Plus, I didn't even have any handy. But what I did have was safety pins. I used pliers to crimp them shut so they wouldn't accidently open under the fabric and ironed the safety pin between the larger squares of fabric.

After that, I painted the hearts I'd ironed into the smaller square with silver nail polish. It took a few coats to get the metallic shine to really come through. I let it dry between coats.

After letting it dry I used embroidery thread to give the hearts a monogram with each girl's initial.

I cut two mid sizes squares of felt I sewed the largest squares together with a small zigzag stitch around the edges. Then I sewed on the felt with a larger zigzag stitch, then I added the smallest square with the hearts, again using the zigzag stitch again.

I added some colorful silk rope and viola, two easy to wear, practically unbreakable monogrammed necklaces for the princesses in about 90 minutes total.

I've got ideas for more, but for now I'm going to write in permanent marker on the back "mommy loves you" just a little reminder.