I recently saw a tutorial on how to paper piece a Dresden Plate. This was not English paper piecing using the cardstock templates. It was foundation pieced. I've done a search of the topics here and also googled it but can't locate it. Have any of you ever done it this way?

I'd be interested in this too!

I've thought about making my own pattern by doing 2 halves, then sewing them together, but haven't figured out what to do with the rounded or pointed tops.

Was this it: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-73878-1.htm

They aren't really paper foundation piecing it though. They are just sewing it face down onto a foundation and then turning it right side out by clipping the foundation material. I do small applique pieces this way too. Saves all the clipping and turning under of traditional needle turn applique or messy glue basting or starch some folks use and you don't have to pull out the foundation if you use something really lightweight like fabric softener sheets (my favorite), coffee filters, stabilizer or interfacing.

The trick to Dresden Plates is deciding how many blades to use and then figuring out the necessary angles to cut at if you aren't using a special ruler. You could take a piece of paper & keep folding it in halves--half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, thirty-secondths or you could use a compass and mark every 10 degrees for 36 blades, 20 degrees for 18 blades, 30 degrees for 12 blades--whatever. It's a math problem to figure out. Anyway, once you figure out how many blades, then figure out the degrees to mark or use the fold lines in your paper. Cut the paper in half, paper piece as usual and sew the halves back together. I'm not sure why you would want to paper piece it though as it is all straight sewing & no pointy points to worry about chopping off.

I found this refernce to paper pieced dresden

http://www.amazon.com/No-Stress-Pape.../dp/0896894932

Rita