Are'nt you supposed to press your seams open on a dresdan plate? I always do, and theres a certain way to stitch them together also. Make them in sections, till you have 2 halves then sew the halves together. When you are sewing the blades together, you need to start at the end that is the widest, and dont start stitching right at the edge of your fabric, I start about 1/4 inch down then back stitch to the edge, then continue stitching. That way there are no threads sticking up and showing from the front of your plate. Can you tell I have made several of these?? Its a learning process. Hope this helps.