Created by: Casey Michelle
This Galentine’s Sweatshirt project is one of my favorite ways
to turn fabric scraps and a thrifted sweatshirt into something
totally one-of-a-kind. It’s cozy, sentimental, a little bold—and
a great excuse to use up those quilt scraps you can’t bring
yourself to toss.
The idea is simple: create a small quilted panel, cut it into a heart
shape, and attach it to a sweatshirt so the quilt shows through
the front. No perfection required. In fact, the more handmade
it looks, the better.
What’ll You’ll Need
- A thrifted sweatshirt (crewneck or hoodie work)
- Fabric scraps
- Batting
- Backing fabric
- Downloadable heart template
- Sewing basics: scissors or rotary cutter,
pins or clips, hera marker, adhesive spray, ruler - Sewing machine (I am using my Janome 6700)
- Printer for templates
Step 1: Make Your Quilted Panel
Start by sewing your fabric scraps together until you
have a piece that’s slightly larger than your heart
template. This is a great place to play with colo
texture, and contrast—there’s no wrong way to do it.
Once your scrap top is pieced, layer it with batting
and backing fabric. Use adhesive spray to secure the
layers. Quilt the layers together as desired (straight
lines, organic lines, dense or minimal—it all works).
Step 2: Cut Out the Heart
Using the downloadable heart template, fold your quilted section in half and use
adhesive spray to secure your paper template. Cut around the outside of the paper
template to create your quilted heart.
Step 3: Prep the Sweatshirt
Turn the sweatshirt inside out. Decide where you want
the heart to sit on the front and pin the quilted heart to
the inside of the sweatshirt, with the right side of the
quilted heart facing the inside of the sweatshirt. This
step feels backwards—but trust the process. Make
sure the heart is centered and smooth, then pin well.
Step 4: Sew the Heart in Place
Sew around the heart shape, stitching about ¼” inside
the edge of the heart. Go slowly,especially around
curves. This seam will become the finished edge once
the sweatshirt is turned right side out
Step 5: Cut to Reveal the Heart
Turn the sweatshirt right side out. You’ll now see
the heart shape outlined on the front.
Carefully cut away the sweatshirt fabric inside the
stitched seam, cutting as close to the seam as
possible without snipping your stitches. This reveals
the quilted heart underneath.
Take your time here—this step makes the magic
happen.
For this version, I also:
Removed the hood
Cut off the ribbing along the bottom hem
These changes gave the sweatshirt a more cropped,
boxy shape and let the quilted heart really stand
out—but they’re totally optional. You can keep the
sweatshirt exactly as-is if you prefer.
A Few Tips:
- Thicker sweatshirts work best—they hold their
- shape after cutting.
- Imperfect stitching adds charm. This is meant to
feel handmade.
This Galentine’s Sweatshirt is a small project with a
big payoff. It’s cozy, personal, and a great reminder
that quilts don’t have to stay on beds to be
meaningful. If you make one, I’d love to see it ❤️
Share your creations on Instagram with #GalentinesSweatshirt. It’s such a simple, fast project, you’ll have several done in no time. Tag me
@wellspringdesigns_co or share in the
comments—I’d love to see how you use them!