Help - Dresden circle
 

I am making my first ever Dresden plate and my blades are working well but the circle for the center is kicking my backside I have tried the turning inside out method and ironing under the edge no luck with either way. I get wonky uneven sides and they are not totally round. Any ideas. My next attempt will be to try fusing the circles down and just zig zag around the edges. I am lost on this one.

cut a piece of thin cardboard the same size that you want the finished circle to be. Do a running stitch around the cloth circle and pull the thread up enclosing the cardboard in the fabric circle. Press the circle with cardboard inside and then remove it. This should give you a perfect circle.

Cut circles from your fabric and a light-weight interfacing adding the seam allowance. Put them right sides together and stitch the circle shape all the way around. I mark the shape so I can follow along easier. Cut a slit in the back of interfacing and turn Right Side Out.

Use a glue stick to hold in place on the dresden and stitch down.

Do you have the pivot function on your machine? It allows the needle to stay down in the fabric and you can turn the fabric. It may be called something else on other machines.

I did this and it worked on 24 circles because I made 4 Dresden plate quilts.

This is how I make circles and it works like a charm. The only thing I do different is after pressing the circles with the cardboard template, then removing it, I give the circle a spray of starch, let it soak in a bit then give them another shot with the iron to really set the shape. I made this quilt that way: https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...c-t207883.html

this is how I do it too--works well. Keep the cardboard thin so you can get it out (I use cardstock)

This is how I do appliqué circles as well - it works really well.

This method works great! I have used it many times to achieve perfect circles!

I do a lot of Dressies and I do it this way when I put a circle in the center.

I do this for circles all the time, too, only I sometimes use two layers of freezer paper (iron them together before cutting) or mylar plastic (make sure you get the kind that can be ironed). Plastic holds up better than cardboard if you're doing a lot of circles.

The running stitch with cardboard or template plastic is my favorite method. I iron it with lots of best Press. For small circles the hardware store is a great source. I buy the thinnest washers I can find for smaller circles. They work really well. Just let them cool a little before you remove them.

Cut a fabric circle and one of very lightweight interfacing. Sew right sides together with 1/8th inch seam. Cut a slit in interfacing. Turn right sides out. Iron flat. Remove some of the interfacing or leave as is. Easy to stitch down in the center of Dresden plate. The center will be a tiny bit firmer but the results are wonderful.

I think I learned the way I do it from Nancy Zieman. I use the light interfacing method. I use fusible interfacing.
Sew around your circle, making sure that the side with the fusible is towards the right side of the fabric circle. cut the slit in the interfacing, turn and use a wooden or plastic seam presser and run around the edge, BECAUSE YOU CANNOT PRESS THE CIRCLE DUE TO THE FUSIBLE. When you turn the circle the fusible will be on the outside.
Then center the circle on your "plate", NOW YOU CAN PRESS. Most of the time, I leave the full interfacing circle on the back....some people trim to a 1/4 inch, leaving a small amount all around the edge to fuse down. I have found the light weight fusible interfacing doesn't add that much to the weight.

I forgot to mention in my previous response. To get the perfect circle, I place freezer paper in my printer, draw a circle from "shapes" in word and make several sizes, then print. I cut the chosen circle out, fuse it down to my fabric, cut 1/4 inch around the freezer paper circle. I'm not good at drawing or even tracing perfect circles, so this works for me. I am good at the quarter inch...been quilting too long, I guess. Ha! Some people use glasses, jar lids, compasses etc. ( still don't get those straight) You can use the freezer paper circle numerous times, just peel and press on the next fabric piece. Someone told me in class that they make a two pencil little holder that when you put the pencils together in it, you can trace around anything and it automatically marks a 1/4 inch. That would be handy. Another lady at the guild said she just tapes two pencils together. I guess that work too.

I have made the circle with success using the method described by all the other ladies, you just have to find the one that works best for you. I hope you are successful in making this as dresden's are so much fun to do.

To make your own template for a circle......Measure the center of your dresden petals, add 1/4 inch all around that measurement to allow for stitching to make the center fit properly. Next Find a round object, plate, vase, cannister etc. something around your home that is a circle around the same size as you require, and make a template by tracing around the object with a pencil onto cardboard or the waxie side of freezer paper or another piece of your fabric, or posterboard. When making your template - Make certain you have added on a 1/4 inch around the circle for stitching. Once you have done that follow the instructions of Rhonda K, as in the quote above.

I hope this helps you.

This is the method I use, but anytime I am sewing “in the round”, I shorten the stitch length and use the slower gears (setting) on my sewing machine. It just makes the circular stitching much easier.

I draw my circles on the smooth side of my thin interfacing with a washable marker, and then layer the bumpy side to right side of the fabric and pin between circles with quilting safety pins. For me, this is easier than trying to stitch, and hold a small piece in place. For dresdens I draw several on a piece of interfacing, and stitch them all before cutting them out.