dresden plate help
 

bought the ez quilting plastic dresden plate cutting template...requires 20 'blades'...cut them & sewn them together, BUT...the circle doesnt lay as flat as i think it should...

went back & looked at instructions, 20 blades;
checked 1/4" seam
pressed flat

but still when i lay it on the table, the middle is ruffled, and the blades will have to be smoothed out before machine stitching, BUT...im afraid too much pull will ripple the background fabric

im an experienced quilter, have a quality machine - my machine, seam allowance and thread stitch length are on target...(have measured)

do i starch??...press w/presscloth??...will i have to baste down or dampen to block the circle???

ive checked the ez quilting website, they dont offer any suggestions...actually, the packaging & directions of their product leaves a lot to be desired...

im wanting to make this my leader/ender project for this year, so i want to make a lot of these for xmas gifts next year...but before i continue, i need to address this...

ANY SUGGESTIONS??? thanks, monica

Maybe this will help???? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He-iOBNdiVs

I hate to say it, but I checked, and the ruler is 18 degrees (360 / 20 = 18). If everything was perfectly cut and sewn, it would work.

Might I suggest not using steam as you press. I find that pressing with steam or spray after the pieces are cut, will make the fabric warp.

They're fun to make! I made about 18 for Christmas gifts last year.

My thought is that every seam stretched when you sewed, as all of the cuts were probably on the bias. What I would do is *heavily* starch the fabric before cutting the blades. By this I mean a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water; spray starch is not nearly as heavy. My method for starching fabric is to "paint" the starch on with a large wall painting brush, wait a few minutes to allow the fibers to absorb as much starch as possible, toss in dryer, then iron with steam.

Also, when cutting the blades, I would place one cut side on the straight-of-grain of the fabric (the lengthwise grain is even more stable than the crosswise grain). I would also try to keep this always the same side of the blade -- e.g., the righthand side of the blade when rightside of fabric is up. This would ensure that you would always be sewing a straight-grain edge to a bias edge. (The edges most likely to stretch and distort while sewing are two bias edges together; having even one of the edges on the straight-of-grain will help.)

All of the above will help stabilize the fabric so it is less likely to stretch and distort as you sew. It is still a good idea to handle the pieces carefully.

I probably wouldn't do this, but you can also carefully trace the template onto paper so you have a paper template against which to place your plate as it is partially completed. It would help to catch distortions earlier, rather than waiting until all 20 pieces are sewn in place.

One last thing you might look at is your sewing machine. Some machines are better than others at sewing without stretching fabric. You might find that lightening the presser foot pressure helps (not all machines have this adjustment, though). Or, you might find that you need a walking foot on this particular machine. Usually heavy starching and careful sewing is enough, especially if you can cut pieces with one edge on the straight-of-grain.

I would pin each blade as you go around onto your ironing board, spray starch, and Press straight up and down without moving the iron side to side. Let it cool before removing from the ironing board.

You could cut pieces of paper (with paper scissors) and sew the seams using them. This way the edges will not stretch if you pin them. I would work in quarters. Sew 4 or 5 together, lay aside, and sew each set like this. Then sew the sections together.

Another thing you could check is the circle size itself. Pin it to the ironing board and then measure from side to side, and top to bottom. Maybe that will show you if something is wrong. You could also fold it in half and see if there is something wrong this way. Hope this helps.

Annette, your plates are so beautiful!!

How did you sew them? Did you sew them one at a time adding another and the join the circle? I was shown at a class by Jenny Rayment to sew them in pairs, then join two pairs together, then join the 4's together pressing each set as you go(if this makes sense?) this gave us a flat plate.

I would suggest starching before cutting and joining in pairs before final day 10 and 10. I would not press in between only when final 10 stage and then I would not slide iron pick up and press.
good luck.

Hey Monica, There was a tudorial by the Missori Star Co. I saw yesterday. Jenny said when that happens, just put a little starch and a little steam and it will lay flat. What you may want to do in this case if it still won't lay flat, is to pick out the last blade you sewn on. Cut that in half or 1/4 off then sew and see what happens. But if you already put the circle on, that ok. just use the starch and the steam. It will be ok.

those are really pretty. I love dresden blades. I think they are just so cool. I hope to get a dresden template soon.

I agree with Prism99. If you made an accurate template without seam allowances cut of light cardboard, I think you may spot your problem. If you are just off the width of a needle, it all adds up very quickly. Sewing on the bias is so critical that is why I try to avoid it.

Quiltedsunshine, your blocks are beautiful!

mrodarme: Thanks for asking this question. I am having the same problem with one of my 1/2 plates. It also isn't quite a full 1/2 circle. I may need to redo a few seams.

I like the ideas and the YouTube video. Thanks to everyone that takes the time to answer questions so we can all learn.

Happy New Year!

Connie

i have gone back & done a lot of what was suggested, but couldnt find one specific thing throwing off the pattern..i appreciate all the suggestions, but this has been a lot of work...one more question -
do you press open the back seams, between the blades or around the circle in one direction...ive tried both, & like the all one way...but that seems to add to the nudging of the fabric going off...im not using any steam, but am starching...
thanks to all, i had an idea of these as wreath candle mats for xmas next year...i may rethink that... :(

If you are considering making candle mats (small projects, I LOVE them!), try sewing the blades right onto the backing fabric? Or even do a quarter circle, leaving a cross of fabric between 4, so it's a "focus" for the candle. No one need know that you had any problem at all! It would be unique and you could make a load of them in sequence, with minimal fuss and headache! As a matter of fact, hmmmmm, I think I might try one later today! LOL, now you've gone and done it!

Happy New Year!

you may have to lay it out upside down (wrong side up) and then pin the seams a bit starting from the inner circle area. just a bit. may only take a few to help it look better. then stitch one and lay out and so on until they look nice. starch does wonders, so for next cuts do that first.. Good luck.

Did you check the template? I've had some that were not exact.

Are you sewing from the center out or from the outside in? I have made several DP and a lot of stack n whack circles and had this problem sometimes. My home ec teacher taught us to "pet the kitty" and if it rubbed the ends of the fabric wrong, you should sew the other day. I think the instructions said to sew from the center out. Following the kitty analogy, this would be wrong. Well, I finally tried it the other way, and the results and difference have been astonishing. I am now sewing from the center out. Don't know what difference is, but working so much better. I don't know whether starting in the center distorts less since you have fabric to guide or what. When you go the other way, it gets down to a sliver and it is very easy to pull or relax so you don't get your fingers caught.

I have made literally hundreds of these. Here's what works for me. First, I never prewash my fabric. Press with Best Press starch alternative before cutting. Cut strip of fabric to size of wedge. Never cut more than four layers at once and use a new rotary blade. When sewing together, start at the wide end. Start sewing down from the top about the width of two or three stitches and then backstitch to the top, then continue to the bottom narrow end of the blade. Do NOT chain piece. The backstitch serves a couple purposes... It lets the feed dogs have fabric to start on, which avoids distortion, and it also hides the thread tails inside the plate. (Always give the dogs a bite!.) I use a stiletto to keep the bottoms lined up. As others said, sew in pairs, then add one more blade between two pairs to make a group of five wedges. Make four sets of five wedges. Sew into half circles, then combine the halves. If they are warping at the bottom, I'd bet a dollar to a donut that either your seams are slipping or you may be pushing or pulling when sewing. Let the feed dogs do all the work. Other than that, when you sew two wedges, remove from machine and check your seam on the under side to be sure nothing has shifted. Just go slow and you'll get the hang of it. If you are one that normally prewashes, don't, then when your quilt is done add a couple Color Catcher sheets to the wash. Oh and my preference is to press all the seams in the same direction from the back side, then I turn it over and press the front, using a little Best Press. This is the method that works for me. Hope it helps you. Jan

Hi! I am attempting to make a 36 inch dresden plate and am having a hard time with the template size. Can someone help?