All Grown Up Layout & Process Video featuring a Chain Link Stitch

Hey there scrappy friends! How is your day going? Today I'm sharing a brand new layout featuring a chain link stitch! Up until a couple weeks ago I'd never done anything on my layouts except a backstitch so this was a super fun change of pace and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the texture this type of stitch adds! I will most definitely be doing lots more chain link stitching in my future :) Scroll to the bottom of this post to find the link to the FREE cut files for re-creating this layout!

First, here is a process video so you can see how this layout was made from start-to-finish including how to make a chain link stitch!

To begin I modified my Overlapping Heart Background cut file and had the machine draw the dots instead of cutting out the hearts. Then I used a paper piercer to poke holes around the hearts about every 1/4" or so. I chose colors of thread that match my Turn the Page collection with Pink Paislee and stitched a chain link through all of the holes.

I'll be honest, the stitching took about 12 hours to complete, but I didn't have any other scrappy assignments due at the time and I was itching for a stitching project - they're my favorite! If you don't like to handstitch or don't have the patience (hey, I completely understand!) you could just use a sewing machine to stitch the hearts.

Once the stitching was finished I punched little patterned paper hearts to go inside each stitched heart and tried to match them color-on-color. I used my Cameo once again, this time to cut photos into the exact same shape as the hearts. I have a tutorial showing how to do this on my YouTube channel. Then I placed an even smaller heart sticker from my new 30-page sticker book with American Crafts on the patterned paper hearts. To finish I wrote journaling with a pencil and then splashed some coordinating watercolors across the middle. I love the texture and color the chain link stitching adds and hope you are inspired to give it a try!

BONUS! Here is a link to a dropbox folder where you can download the overlapping hearts stitching template and the inner heart pieces I used for die cutting the photos! Enjoy and pretty please if you use them your finished project with me on Facebook or tag me on instagram! Thank you!!