Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Absolutely love it!

A "hangover" from last week.  I have the quilt top done, packed away and waiting to purchase the backing.  I have a long strip left over from the front, so I'm hoping to use that as the centre piece down the back.  I'm hoping it will save me some money when I purchase the fabric.

A couple of tips for you.  This isn't my first Dresden Plate quilt.  My third actually.  It's a very old pattern dating back to the 1920-1930's.  The first one I did was part of my beginning sampler quilt.  Okay in truth that was only half as it was a Grandmother's Fan.

A few years ago I used up my stash of 1930's prints and made a Dresden Plate quilt with muslin as the background.  I was asked if I was teaching it, and I had to say "no".  It would have been a great class as there is so much history behind this quilt.  You can read about it here if you wish.
http://www.patternsfromhistory.com/colonial_revival/dresden-plate.htm

I found when I sewed the blades if you pressed the seam each time it was easier to handle.  I press the seams open.  I sewed two blades together, pressed; sewed four together, pressed; and so on until all 20 formed the "plate".

When pressing make sure each time that the "plate" is lying flat on your board.  It's an indication of whether they will lie flat on your fabric.

When I placed the plate on the background, I first of all finger pressed the background fabric at the half way mark.  You have to do this both ways.
I then laid the block with a tip at each crease line.  If you do this each time and don't "fudge" it, you will have your blocks in the same placement all the way down and across your quilt.

I made 12 blocks all machine appliquéd.  I have too many problems threading a needle now, so machine appliqué is easier for me.
I cut my first border 2 1/2", the second border 2 1/2" and the final border is 4 1/2".
I cut my blocks 15" to finish at 14 1/2"

The fabric is a directional fabric.  I decided as this quilt doesn't have an up or down, right or wrong to it, that I would place the first border and the final border "running around" the quilt.  
The jug was what I could find the easiest so I used that as my guide.  The top and the bottom of the quilt have the jugs in opposite directions as do the sides, so that it won't matter which way you toss it over you, it will always be the right way.

My donation of pillowcases are on their way to Illinois. 




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