Tag: Tiny Dresden Quilt

Dresden Quilt Workshop Quilt-Along

Dresden Quilt Workshop Quilt-Along Week #1

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Week # 1

I’m so excited that you’ve decided to join the challenge

& sew my Dresden Quilt Workshop Sampler with me!

It is such an honor to have you join me.

You’re going to love the finished quilt.

It was so much fun to create & so beautiful too!

Everything you need is in the pages of my book;

Dresden Quilt Workshop.

I’m just going to help you realize it!

Each week, for 26 weeks, we will create a portion of the quilt

using bits of each of the 13 quilts in the book.

Today it’s finally time to get started with week #1!

This week we will refer to

Button Box quilt, page 51.

This step was chosen first because the block touches so many other blocks in the quilt.

Whenever I make a sampler quilt I’m careful to plan

 the fabrics so they will not blend into each other.

That can change or even ruin a design.

I had fun auditioning fabrics for this block.

In the end, my favorite lime green won out for more reasons that it’s my favorite.

I really liked the contrast of the black letters on the green.

This is the only block in the quilt where I changed the dimensions.

This block will fit on a fat 1/4 yd. (18″ x 22″).

Cut the background 9 1/2″ x 21 1/2″.

(Not as instructed for the actual Button Box quilt in the book!)

Follow the illustration below & the instructions on page 56 to make the applique.

If you purchased one of my kits,

you can use the “Authentic” black fabric

with words printed on it for the “Quilts” applique too.

Just remember, yours doesn’t need to match mine.

Use whatever fabric you want anywhere in the quilt.

Please note: I’m VERY FRUGAL when it comes to using sample fabric in a quilt.

Sample meaning, new and not yet available in quilt shops,

but if you follow my blog you already know that…

Many of my quilts are made with sample fabrics generously supplied by Moda.

I order what I think I need and if I need a bit more of something it may or may not be available so I use it very sparingly.

If you’re more liberal with your cutting you may not be able to use your kit the same way I used my sample fabrics.

You may also want add more fabrics to make it your own.

It’s your quilt!

 

I love using Sulky’s 12 wt. threads for my fusible web applique.

I like to say that it reminds me of when I was little & outlined everything with my black crayon!

(Most often I use this thread in black. This sample is an exception.)

It covers the raw edge of the fusible web really well & it makes my applique stand out.

That’s what we want, right?

With the REALLY busy print in this fabric it’s hardly the best example,

but I love it just the same.

Once you’ve stitched around the letters you’re done with this week’s challenge.

I hope you enjoy week #1!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

Dresden Plate Quilt, New quilt pattern, Tiny Dresden quilts

New Patterns Spring 2018, #13

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New Pattern #13

is God Bless This HOME.

I started with some green fabric, some perle cotton thread & a Tiny Dresden plate.

With so many options though

come so many opportunities to second guess myself!

& third guess…

When photographing a finished quilt for a pattern cover it makes all the difference in the world sometimes.

As I started stitching I knew the thread color wasn’t right.

What looks good in person, doesn’t always show well in a photograph,

that’s why I’m constantly taking pics to discern my progress.

But maybe the addition of the fused letters would help?

I finished the embroidery even though I was pretty sure this wasn’t “it”.

Maybe changing the Tiny Dresden plate fabric would help.

Or not.

The letters needed to be darker, so I started with my pigma pen.

It helped the letters, but not enough to suit me.

Perhaps another Tiny Dresden plate color would help?

Nope!

I started over using black perle cotton thread.

Much better!

At this point I wasn’t sure if the orphaned Tiny Dresden plate was “it”

or if I just thought it was so I wouldn’t have to make another…

It was “it”.

This one is just too dark.

I don’t remember why, but I made a new plate.

I think I toyed with the idea of making the center dark instead of cream.

And then there were half-square triangles.

Just right!

Meet God Bless This HOME.

Such a long story for not so big a quilt

which by the way is available on my website.

Just 1 more new quilt pattern to show you.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dresden Plate Quilt, New quilt pattern, Tiny Dresden quilts

New Patterns Spring 2018, #8

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New Pattern #8

is Dresden Sundaes.

It’s my favorite new pattern.

It uses my Tiny Dresden Template.

You’ve seen bits of it here & there on my blog.

It uses Jo Morton’s New Hope Collection by Moda.

It started with my challenge to cut & sew as many Tiny Dresden petals as possible from a jelly roll.

That was fun, but not necessary for the pattern!

After I made all of the petals, I sewed them into half plates

I worked on a lot of this quilt while on a quilt retreat.

Aren’t these scrumdiddlyumptious?

Who knew that was a real word??? Look it up!

Next, I went to work to design the bottom of the blocks.

First I needed to decide on a background fabric.

Ultimately the decision was made to go outside the collection to use a lighter fabric so the baskets would show up much better.

Choosing a center for each half plate was fun.

I have even more fun photographing them.

Can you tell?

I called these baskets from the start of the design.

HOWEVER… my sewing “Friends” (they look in-the-know, huh?)

told me they weren’t baskets, but instead sundae cups.

I got a lot done that weekend.

And so my sundaes grew…

Soon all of the “sundae” blocks were complete.

At this point I thought it needed one more element.

Since there were a few leftover petals…

I put a little bazinga in the corner.

I sewed the rows together.

If you’ve never pieced a quilt “on point”,

it’s just as easy to sew blocks together on point as in horizontal rows.

You just sew the triangles on like they’re another block.

And I always over-size the triangles a bit

so that you can trim them down after they’re sew onto the quilt.

When I finished the top I took if for show & tell at my guild.

Everyone there also saw sundaes so I named it Dresden Sundaes.

Meet Dresden Sundaes.

I’ll have you know that this was my best-selling pattern at spring market.

I’ll also have you know that almost every quilt shop owner that bought the pattern called it my “basket” quilt! Peer pressure…

There are instructions for scalloping the edge of the quilt

& also how to make and sew the bias binding.

Don’t let that scare you.

You can make the edges straight if you prefer.

I also designed this smaller, 8 block version for my pattern tester, Chris.

Perhaps it’s more appealing to you?

All the same pieces to cut & sew, just a lot fewer of them!

 Dresden Sundaes is available on my website.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

My Life, New Pattern Sample

More Rainbow Progress

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Since I last posted,

I’ve spent more hours at my sewing machine

with my Grunge Seeing Stars fabric.

Remember the Tiny Dresden blocks?

They’re each now the center of a star block.

How appropriate that the fabric collection I chose for this design also has stars?

The sewing went quickly since I did all of the cutting at the beginning,

as shown to you earlier this week:

Here are all of the tiny Dresden blocks sewn into star blocks:

Do you like my colorful new rug (& cute booties)?

I couldn’t resist leaving them in the pic!

Next, I quickly added the pre-cut sashing.

Originally I designed a simple white border,

but while I sewed the star blocks,

the colorful stack of leftover corners

trimmed from the flying geese blocks

kept speaking to me!

I couldn’t resist using the leftover rainbow…

So, back to the computer I went

to see what kind of border I could make using the

8 half square triangles of each of the 16 star fabrics………….

This is what I decided on,

and quickly sewed BEFORE I CHANGED MY MIND!!!

The possibilities are practically endless, right?

This was a quick, painless & pretty clever addition to the quilt

(if I must say so myself, Lol)

and I feel good about using most all of those triangles!

I next cut the backing & batting,

then took it to my quilter, Tamara, yesterday so she can do her magic.

On to the next thing!

(which has been cooking for my family’s Easter breakfast & dinner)

I hope you’ve enjoyed my rainbow journey this week.

Hopefully the pattern (which remains nameless at this time) will be ready mid-May.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life

Happy 100th Birthday, Margie!

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Although you hear of it more & more,

it’s not every day that you can tell someone,

Happy 100th Birthday!

A friend of ours, Margie, is celebrating today.

Margie+100

She’s a lovely lady & has been the host to countless

4th of July parades & potlucks for our family.

Her shady lawn has brought our family so many fond memories

that I couldn’t help but make her a quilt!

Happy+100th+Margie

Next week you will see the inspiration for this Tiny Dresden Quilt…

We had the pleasure of seeing her just three weeks ago,

& while there she showed me what she was sewing.

Yes, at 100 years old she’s still quilting!!!

Sharp as a tack she is!

How could I not make her a quilt?

Margies+Party

Here’s a photo of us girls with the birthday girl.

During the party she told me it was a shame we live so far away.

She’d like me to come over & quilt the day away with her sometime…

We should all be so fortunate as to want to quilt at 100.

Until next time,

Susan