I have recently made (2) Dresden Plates and for some reason when I finish the plate it will not lay flat and I have to go back and adjust several seams. Please tell what I'm doing wrong. I am using the Easy Dresden plate template by Darlene Zimmerman; trying to keep 1/4" seams, etc. and I cannot figure out my problem. I have watched tutorials on DP and they don't mention this problem..thanks for any info you have.

I ironed, ironed, ironed mine. And then ironed it some more. :) And then it laid flat quite nicely. :)

If you've cut it right and sewn it correctly, then it should lay flat. Just a thread difference in each of those cuts and/or seams can add up to the plate not laying flat.

Accuracy and attention to detail are critical!

is there any sort of arrow or line on the pattern that would show you where you place the pattern on the straight of grain???

i'm guessing you're not attentive to the grain lines in the fabric...

No arrow, but a line at the top of the template for each size you want to cut. I put the 6" line on the edge of my material and still a problem. It's for sure I'm doing something correctly

another thing you may want to address is pressing
it is simple to DISTORT fabric if you iron incorrectly
if you use the search feature at the top of this page, you may come up with a large discussion on use of an iron...

if you are familiar with bias,straight of grain,lengthwise grain,etc
you can ignore this link:

http://sewing.about.com/od/beginner1/p/fabricgrain.htm

Are all seams pressed in the same direction? This might cause it to not lay perfectly flat, too.

Do you mean the plate alone won't lay flat, or is it after you attach it to the background square and add the middle circle?

Do you mean the plate alone won't lay flat, or is it after you attach it to the background square and add the middle circle?

Make sure each quarter is 90deg - lay a square ruler on it and trim with your rotary cutter. Sew two quarters together and make sure the straight edge is straight. If necessary lay you long ruler down and trim. When you sew both half together the block should lie flat.

Do you press all your seams all the same way? If you don't they won't lay flat either.

I heavily starch the fabric before I start cutting. It is hard to distort if it is board :).

I cheat on my dresden plates. I make quarter plates and square them up into 4 squares. Some edges pieces will be a little bigger or smaller, but it will lay flat and by the time you quilt it you will have forgotten it wasn't perfect.

May not be the "correct" way to do it, but when I made mine, they didn't lay flat so I just added another blade to it. They laid flat after that.

When you cut your dresdan blades you create bias edges. Be very careful while sewing them together not to stretch these edges. Some people like to heavily starch them before sewing to stabilize those edges. Also, be sure you are pressing and not ironing.

Another thing to consider - some plates are 16 blades while another pattern is 20. The plates in my winter Dresden swap are 16, one quilter had the ruler which made 20, no wonder it didn't lay flat.

Starch it and iron it good.

check your fabrics if one has any poly content it will shrink
with each pressing eventually causing all kinds of trouble.
Is your thread 100% cotton?
If sewing by machine are you lifting the fabric as you join them
[To make the curves in hats the fabric is lifted up as fed into the foot]

It wont lay flat after I sew the 20 blades together before I add the circle and before I put it on my square. I press a lot too but I may be pressing the wrong way and stretching it a bit. gonna check out some info on the Board

No, I have been pressing them open and I probably should say ironing them open. think maybe this would help if I did it all in the same direction?

when did poly's start shrinking?

Something you might try that has helped me before is when you are sewing the blades together, start from alternating ends each tie you make a seam; with the first 2 sets of blades, start sewing from the outside tip of the blade, on the next set, start sewing from the inside tip...this technique helps a lot with a few other blocks that meet near the center, like the Leymoine Star, so it might also help with Dresden Plate.

I read someplace to put 2 blades together and don't put blade to blade to blade. But 2 + 2+ 2+ etc. then put them together. You ask why? Can't remember that part. Not sure this will help but it would not hurt to try.

Yep......what she said. Just don't beat yourself up, quilting is a journey, you practice and you will see your dresdens improve.

Yes, accuracy is very important. I took a BOM class where we made "plate" blocks. The first month, we all laughed after seeing each others blocks (or hats as the instructor called them).
The 1/4" seam was key.

After several months, we got our blocks flat and our 1/4" seams perfect!!

This was a great class to learn accurate stitching.

Good Luck !

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.

I just steam the heck out of them and then cover with the center circle. Sometimes I make the center circle a little bigger than Zimmerman suggests. Usually works!

I heard of some sort of mallet that you use to whack the center of certain patterns to make them lay flat when there are a lot of seams that come together. Do you think this would help. I would NOT use a hammer from the basement (LOL). It would have to be at least a wooden mallet that is a bit wide.

I don't know the name of the one that I read about, and I think I read about it here on the board a long while ago.

I get 2 different opinions on pressing open or all in same direction. Will try your idea on the sewing together. thanks for your time & info.

Always a good refresher course though.

I have seen a mallet you are talking about but I don't wacking would help mine, the blades are just too wide in a few places to lay flat so I have to adjust my seam a little

The same happened to me and it turned out my seams were not a quarter in so I bought a quarter inch foot with a guide and they turn out perfectly now so maybe you could a quarter inch foot

I was using a 1/4" foot with guide but haven't checked it to see if it is accurate, good idea; thanks for helping

The Dresden Plate was my first lap quilt. Press your seams as you sew them all in the same direction. Also check out your 1/4 " foot, sometimes they are not accurate. I'm sure you will be OK with the quilt. I loved making mine. Happy Quilting!

I had the same problem with my first one. I was cutting with the straight of grain down the center of the template. Woops! Should have read the directions first. Cut with the straight of grain down one side of the template so you are only cutting & sewing one bias edge to one straight-grain edge. Worked much better.

Guess I'm a little dense today, but with the way my template slants on both sides I don't see how I can get one side on the straight of grain, please explain a little more. thanks

Ironing has always shrunk the poly fibers it really does
affect quilting most because it gets ironed several times per block

Beat them to death with your iron, and bury them with starch

I know you said you've watched many tutorials, but have you watched the one by Missouri Star Quilting Company:

http://www.youtube.com/missouriquilt.../4/lcy_p4pryE4