I know you are supposed to hand applique the top of the dresden plate but is it ok to machine applique it also? I just don't know if i'll ever make it if it needs to be hand appliqued.

It is your quilt so You get to make the rules dear.

Thanks for asking..... I have wondered this also. I love them, but have steered away from them because I have arthritis in my hands and can only to small amounts of hand work at a time.

I only machine applique. I have a hard time getting handstitching to look even, so, I always machine applique my dresen plates. Check out the Dresden Plates under The Gallery of Quilts in the Picture section. They are done both ways and all of them are beautiful.

As everyone says, it is your quilt your method. I have made one in the past using machine blanket stitch and it looked very rustic and very fabulous.

The stitch you use depends on the look you want and the fabrics you are using. I suggest you do some test peices with any odd blades you have left overso that you can find the look you like for YOUR quilt.

I have machine appliqued mine and it looked fine.

I machine appliqued mine and they look fine..

I just looked it up in the Quilters Rule book. And its says in Chapter 3and 7/8, page 2 1/2, paragraph 4.5, that all applique should be hand stitched....it goes on with more detail about stitches and such. Its my duty as a law abiding quilter to turn you in to the Quilt Police, of course I could be bribed with a little chocolate and lets say 2 fat quarters....?

I have just completed the last of my ancient (35 years) Dresdan plate blocks and I machine appliqued all of the remaining ones. I had hand appliqued the first two blocks, cut out the rest and let them sit in a shoe box since I took my first quilt class the first winter after I was married. My guild's challenge was to finish your oldest P.I.G. and although the quilt isn't done yet the blocks are and they look great!!!! My good quilting friend who loves hand applique thought machine appliquing them was the only solution for me if I ever wanted to get these blocks done.

I am machine appliquing mine!!!