Sew Can Do: Queen of Hearts Tart & Cake

Now, I love pretty treats, but they never last long. In my house they usually get eaten immediately, but if you try to save them thy don't exactly stay pretty. So I figured why not make a few that can stick around for a while (and not attract critters or get gross looking): The Queen of Hearts Tart & Cake. Make 'em as big or small as you want with a few simple stitches and you've got the perfect play food, holiday decor or crazy food-like throw pillows. I'm not here to judge how you use them, so have fun. Here's how:

You'll need:
- Fleece or felt
- Sewing Goodies (measuring tape, marking pen/chalk, scissors, pins, thread, embroidery needle)
- Sewing machine (optional - you could entirely hand sew if desired)

Now let's start with the Queen of Hearts Cake:

Start by cutting out two hearts in your desired size and a long strip that is 4" wide and 1" longer than the hearts (using a measuring tape along the outer heart edge makes this easy to figure out).

Bring short sides of strip together and stitch .5" inch from the raw edge so you'll end up with a big loop. With the loop's seam matching up at the point of the heart, pin this loop all the way around the edges of one heart and stitch in place .25" from the raw edges.

Clip the curved edges (careful not the clip through the stitches), so the heart will have a nice curve when turned right side out:

To decorate it, cut a long 1" wide strip of fabric for the icing that is twice as long as the felt strip used for the side. I use fleece because it's soft & fluffy like the real thing. Make a baste stitch down the center of the fleece. Don't knot the ends, but pull the lower threads on the both ends to cinch the fabric to make the ruffles and adjust until even. Pin this strip along the seam on the edge of the cake and sew in place.

For the dollop in the center cut a 1"wide strip that's about 10"long from white fleece and ruffle the same way, but bunch it into a circle in the center and sew on (a few hand stitches is enough). Sew on a bead or button to be the "candy" decoration.

Turn the heart inside out again and pin together the remaining heart and the open edge of the side. Stitch together .25" from raw edges, leaving a 2" gap. Turn right side out and stuff. Hand stitch the opening closed.

To add the lower frosting cut & ruffle another fleece strip, pin in place along the bottom edge and hand sew on. And now you've got a pretty, permanent cake!

To make a Queen of Hearts Tart, cut two large circles from tan felt. Trace a plate to make it super easy. In one circle, cut out 4 heart shapes to make the top crust. In the other cut out a circle from the center to make the side of the pie and then cut a circle piece that is 1" larger all the way around than the circle hole for the pie's bottom.

Cut 4 square pieces of red felt or fleece that are slightly larger than the heart cut outs on the top piece. Place then underneath each heart, pin in place and sew together close to the heart edges.

To make the crinkle crust, cut a long strip of tan felt that is twice as long as the circumference of the pie top and is 3" wide. Fold piece in half lengthwise and do a baste stitch .25" from the raw edges. Then pull the lower threads to make the felt ruffle slightly:

Now with the raw edges matching up, pin together a "sandwich" with the side piece on the top, the crust piece in the middle and the top piece on the bottom with the right side facing up:

Stitch all the way around .25" from the raw edges. Almost done! Now pin together the open edge and the smaller circle piece and stitch those together, leaving a 2" gap for turning right side out.

Turn & stuff and hand stitch the opening closed. Ta-da! A permanent tart for the queen (or king) of your heart:

Now tasty treats can stay pretty permanently. And come on back tomorrow for some coordinated treats by Meaghan of the The Decorated Cookie that you really can eat! Here's a sneak preview: