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The Hearts and Gizzards quilt block is a traditional design of curved, contrasting shapes: a recognizable heart form paired with a less familiar shape called the “gizzard.” There is no single standard size or construction method. One published pattern finishes at 15 inches and uses needle-turn appliqué; another specifies a 12-inch finished block and names a Half Heart Template. Choose one pattern and follow its own templates, cutting details, and measurements.
What the Hearts and Gizzards block looks like
The block combines heart-like curves with a contrasting central or opposing shape known as the gizzard. Its name is unusual, and the available historical sources do not establish why that term was used. Barbara Brackman records other names associated with the design, including “Hearts,” “Pierrot’s Pom-Pom,” and “Aunt Jerusha”; treat these as names noted in her discussion rather than universally interchangeable titles. Barbara Brackman’s discussion describes variation in the width of the center shape as well.
#1 Best Overall
- Pattern only, fabrics not included
Choose a pattern before cutting fabric
Published patterns differ in size, templates, and construction. Their measurements and fabric quantities belong to their individual projects; do not combine one pattern’s cutting list with another pattern’s template or block size.
| Pattern or method | Size stated by the source | Construction and materials |
|---|---|---|
| AllPeopleQuilt block | 15 inches finished | Needle-turn appliqué. The page lists ¼ yard each of solid white and solid red, two 8⅜-inch squares of each color cut diagonally for triangles, and four each of pattern pieces A and B. |
| Missouri Star quilt pattern | 12 inches finished; 12½ inches unfinished | Names the Missouri Star Half Heart Template. Its supply list is for a 63-by-75-inch quilt, not one block: it includes 10-inch print squares, coordinating light print, border fabric, binding, and backing. |
| Carefree Curves template method | The 2015 post lists template block sizes of 16½, 14½, 12½, 10½, and 8½ inches. | Uses a template-based approach; check the current product instructions for availability and compatibility before relying on those sizes. |
The Missouri Star pattern’s listed 2¾ yards of coordinating light print includes an inner border; the project also lists 1¼ yards for the outer border and ¾ yard for binding, with backing yardage options. Those are quilt-level quantities, not yardage for a single block. Consult the PDF for its complete cutting and assembly instructions.
Rank #2
- Pattern and instructions only
- Large quilt finished size - 74" x 90"
- Small quilt finished size - 37" x 45"
- Jelly roll and scrap friendly
Two ways to sew the curves
Needle-turn appliqué
In the AllPeopleQuilt instructions, pattern pieces A and B are positioned on contrasting triangles and the curved edges are appliquéd with slip stitches. The pieces are assembled into four quadrants, then the quadrants are joined to form the block. Use the downloadable pattern pieces and the page’s sequence for that specific 15-inch block: AllPeopleQuilt’s block instructions.
Template and fusible-interfacing approach
PBS Wisconsin’s Sewing with Nancy program discusses fusible interfacing as a way to make curved construction easier than older approaches. The program provides technique context, while Nancy Zieman’s Carefree Curves post describes a separate template method. Missouri Star’s Half Heart Template belongs to its own quilt pattern. These are related approaches, not interchangeable instructions: follow the cutting and assembly details for the exact pattern and template you select. PBS Wisconsin’s program.
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What is known about the block’s history
The historical trail reaches the late nineteenth century, but it does not identify a definitive inventor or exact first publication. Barbara Brackman connects “Hearts & Gizzards” to Ladies’ Art Company pattern #125, about 1890, and notes that the design could be pieced or appliquéd. PBS Wisconsin likewise characterizes it as a nineteenth-century pattern. Those accounts support a late-1800s association, not a proven origin story.
Documented later examples show the design continued to appear in quilts and patterns. The Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogs a Pennsylvania-made cotton quilt in a Hearts and Gizzards pattern variation, dated circa 1930–50. Morehead State University catalogs a Linda Lowe pattern published in 1980. These records document particular examples; they do not establish how common the block was overall.
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Rank #4
- Fat Quarter Friendly
- Finished Quilt Size(s): 48in by 60in Crib; 60in by 72in Throw; 72in by 96in Twin; 96in by 96in Queen, and; 108in by 96in King
- Please Note: Offered for sale is a Pattern, Not a finished item.
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