A WOOD Exploding Heart Quilt!

Monday, May 23, 2022

Sometimes, I get a hare-brained idea and just can't stop thinking about it. This was one of those ideas, and I'm SO excited to share the finish with you!! It's a WOOD version of my Exploding Heart quilt!!

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

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If you're new here, hello! I'm Laura! I design quilt patterns, and I'm a self-proclaimed deal hunter! Be sure to join the popular Quilting & Sewing Deals Facebook group where I post sales, deals, and coupon codes from all around the web!


I've now made eight Exploding Heart quilts, and I started to imagine what it would be like to make the quilt out of WOOD instead of fabric. Can you imagine an Exploding Heart barn quilt?! I couldn't shake the idea, but decided it would be much easier to handle this type of experiment if it was smaller than the fabric version.

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

I contacted a local-to-me laser cutting business (shout out to Wonder Wood Handcrafted Designs!), and she cut all the pieces with a laser cutter! The whole piece is only 18" square!

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

Each "quarter square triangle" is just 1" square!

1" square quarter square triangles

I was so excited to craft in a different medium than my usual. I thought about using paint, or colored stains, but decided I wanted to preserve the look of wood.

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

I found eight different stains on clearance at my local Home Depot ranging from light to dark, so a plan began to form.

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

The heart came with masking tape covering the top so the pieces wouldn't fall apart. If I would have thought the whole process through, I would have left the tape on, flipped over the whole thing, then labeled each piece. But I took the tape off first then had to figure out how to flip it over. Just like in quilting when I try something new, I always learn something along the way!

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

I labeled each piece with the row and column number so I could reassemble it after staining like a puzzle. Then I made a mock-up in browns to help me visualize the next steps.

Exploding Heart quilt in brown

I sorted the pieces based on what color I was going to stain each one.

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

Then I took them outside on a nice day and stained them. This actually went pretty quickly even though there were a lot of triangles. Only a little over an hour!

Staining the pieces for the laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

Remember how I had purchased eight stains? I ended up only using five. Turns out, a few of them were too close in color to others, so the pieces didn't have enough contrast. It worked great with five though! And I left the background pieces unstained.

Pieces for a laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

Once the pieces were dry, I drew a 1" grid on an 18" square board using a pencil and my quilting ruler.

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

Then it was time to sort and start putting the puzzle back together! A large cutting mat turned out to be fantastic for sorting the pieces into rows! Row 1 went on the 1" line, row 2 on the 2" line, etc.

Pieces of a laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

I used E6000 glue to glue each piece down to the larger board, one row at a time. I knew immediately I was indeed going to love it!

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

I had a few friends help me sort the pieces and put them into the rows, then I glued them down. It only took a few hours!

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

The finished piece is so pretty!

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

I can not stop smiling when I look at it! 

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

I'm going to spray a clear coat over the top of the whole piece to add a layer of protection. I think I'm going to look for an 18" frame to put it in too.

A laser cut wood Exploding Heart quilt

It will live inside, as I just can't bring myself to risk it in the elements outside. But I might make another one so I can put the second one outside! Until then, this one is going to bring me much joy every time I see it!

I'm looking into having some kits made, so if you'd be interested in making one, please be sure to comment or email me so I can add your name to the wait list!

Oh, and I made a TikTok video of the process (and an Instagram Reel), so be sure to check those out!

60 comments:

  1. Your Wood Exploding Heart is great. This will look pretty on a wall. You have some wonderful ideas!

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  2. LOVE this! Very clever!

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  3. What a great imagination you have! It turned out beautiful!

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  4. WOW! This is absolutely awesome. I love the idea of using new media--how creative of you. I look forward to further information about this beautiful project.

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  5. That is so cool. Love the way it turned out. Could be used in all sorts of patterns

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  6. I love this! Put my name down for a kit if you do them! I am in the process of making an Exploding Heart quilt and it's so fun. Thank you for your wonderful ideas!

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    1. The kits are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. There is a limited number though!

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  7. Love this and would like to know when/ if you have a kit available!

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    1. The kits are now available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. There are a limited number though!

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  8. Interesting use of your beautiful pattern.

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  9. Que hermosa idea y que trabajo tan laborioso, felicidades!!

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  10. What a great idea! Would love hearing about a kit.

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    1. The kits are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. There are a limited number of them though!

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  11. I LOVE this! I love wood grain! Very ingenious idea!

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  12. I love it!! Interested!!

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    1. The kits are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. There's a limited number of them though!

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  13. What a wonderful piece of art and I can so appreciate all the thought, time and love that went into this project.

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  14. So pretty! I think I’d like a kit!

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    1. The kits are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. They are a limited number of them though!

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  15. It came out beautifully. I would like a kit.

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    1. The kits are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. There are a limited number of them though!

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  16. I’m definitely interested in a kit. You do have great ideas and are so talented! Thank you for sharing❣️

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    1. The kits are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. There are a limited number of them though!

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  17. I would love to make an Exploding Hearts wall hanging but the quilt is too big. Seeing this wood version I’m hoping there is a way to reduce the quilt size

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    1. Email me, and I can give you the changes you'd need to make to the pattern to make it in a smaller size! I've had many people make it in a wall hanging size!

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  18. I would be interested in a kit if they become available.

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    1. The kits are ready now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  19. Love it! Would be interested in a kit

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    1. The kits are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/. There are a limited number of them though!

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  20. Laura this is stunning! thanks for sharing!

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  21. WOW! What fun this is to see it come to life in a 3rd medium....first the quilt, then the jean jacket and now the wooden version. Such a great pattern and this is just stunning.

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  22. Wow! The design is lovely in fabric (can't wait to make one), but in wood.. amazing! What a versatile pattern. I would be very interested in making a wood version! Please add me to the waiting list.

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    1. The kits are now available for the wood Exploding Heart! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  23. I enjoy puzzles and this one is absolutely stunning . I would be interested in a kit please add me to the wait list.

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    1. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  24. Nicely done. I have the pattern and it's on my list to make once I finish several UFOs in progress so I think I might be interested in a kit. Let us know how it goes

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    1. The wood Exploding Heart kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  25. Wow! I love it! And I would definitely be interested in a kit. Please put me on your list.

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    1. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  26. I love it! What a great idea! I've seen many quilts that would be beautiful in wood, too.

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  27. Wow!! Really awesome, Laura!!! I see your Exploding Heart quilt hanging at our LQS and think of you all the time!

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  28. I'd be interested in hearing more when you make it into a kit. Hoping the triangles would already be cut. It would also be cost effective if the kit included small packages of the different colors of stain. Exciting!

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    1. Yes, the triangles will already be cut! I'm working on the details, but am hoping for several different options!

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    2. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  29. Debbie8704@outlook.comMay 25, 2022 at 11:11 AM

    I love this and the idea! What creativity you have! Please put me on your list for a kit when available.

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    1. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  30. What an ingenious idea! Such amazing creativity.

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  31. A clever and creative idea! Yes, I
    am interested.

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    1. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  32. Great idea! Hubby is/was a woodworker. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2020 so is no longer able to enjoy his hobby any more. I made the quilt to celebrate our 50th. anniversary recently. I love it! Just thought he might enjoy one made of wood. sewgood414@hotmail.com

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    1. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  33. This is beautiful! I would be interested in a kit!

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    1. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

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  34. I would love to purchase a kit if you decide to offer them for sale.

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    1. The kits are available now! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1307764884/ There are a limited number of them though!

      Delete
  35. This would look gorgeous using different types of hardwoods....purple heart, maple, walnut, padauk, oak, canary wood, zebra wood, maybe lace wood. then putting several coats of varnish like spar or gym coat on it which would protect it from water. I don't know of anything that permanently protects from UV damage.

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  36. My plan is to use Liquitex Basic acrylics 6 piece metallics and iridescent paints. I had a total hip replacement a week ago and this project is my therapy. So here I go!

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