Here is what I worked on today - Not sure what I want to put for centers yet.

I plan on doing all my applique by machine with a narrow zigzag with invisible thread. I've been doing that quite a bit and like the results. I don't have any trouble stitching by hand, but I don't like how long it takes. Rather do it by machine and be done and on to the next fun. Beside, I'd rather do cross stitch or hand embroidery if I'm going to hand stitch.

BTW - these three are sort of a set. I sewed the WOF strips and got 20 wedges, and used half on one circle and half on the other. I did make them so that I removed the inner piece on both, so that is why one has the gold and the other does not.

Then I cut WOF of the two solid petals, and got 20 of each, so used 10 on each of the mixed petals, and sewed the remaining 10 each into pairs to make the plate with the larger points. Next I'll play with rounded petals.

Wow Macybaby, those are spectacular!

Cathy, your Dresden's are beautiful! The variety of techniques in each one make them really sparkle and shine!

Cathy that is stunning!!

Okay I've progressed quite a bit and am happy with where I am at. I stitched the plates on the the background block and then added sashing with cornerstones. I found the cornerstones came together quite easily and will try that technique again. Here is a picture, show casing Cadbury Cream Egg. The quilt is actually 3x3 but I have two kittens and when they saw me lay the quilt down out they assumed it was a new toy and this was the only picture I could get! lol I'm going to use the blue for a border but not sure if I want to do just blue or something more.

Your sunflowers are SO pretty, Lizzie3! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/heart.gif Your kitten is cute, too. :)

For what it's worth, there's no indication that you had any trouble at all with your circles, or that your plates aren't nice and flat. Good job! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/thumbup.png

Next time for your circles, instead of pinning the circles on, you could press your plate and circles very flat, then apply Elmer's Purple School Glue stick to the back of a circle and position it on your plate, pressing well to set the glue.

It's fairly easy to remove the circles and reposition if you want to, you can iron right over a blob of wet glue and it won't stick to your iron. No pins to sew around and pucker up your fabric. I buy these glue sticks by the case - I use them for every kind of basting in quilting and apparel sewing. (Not so much for bags - I use Fabri-Tac for that because bag material are sturdier and pull apart easier.) But, it's really great stuff for applique, in particular - and I use two or three tubes of it to baste the binding on the quilt, first the front, then the back. They should give me rebates. :D

Congratulations on a CUTE Dresden top!

Those sunflowers are very pretty!

I'm another that uses Elmers washable glue. I've used a couple of other "generic" brands but find Elmer's is softer and works much better. It also seems to release easer when I need to remove something. I even use it to stick my fabric down to the stabilizer when doing machine embroidery (I don't hoop the fabric, just the stabilizer).

For the plates - a trick I do is sew them in quarters, so if I've got 20 petals, I sew them into groups of five. Then I square them up which helps take out any excess in the middle so they lay a lot flatter. I've been using the appliquik method for the circles, and just ordered the larger size "perfect circles" so I'll have heat resistant templates.

I cut out the fabric 1/2" - 3/4" larger than the template, then use washable glue and put a spot on to hold the template in place. I take a dry iron and press the excess fabric over the edge, maybe by 1/8" to 1/4". I do not try to iron the excess flat, I'm just pressing a firm crease in all around the edge. Then I remove the template and trim the allowance to a scant 1/4". It's much easier to press with enough fabric to hang on to, and trim afterwards.

Then I use the small glue pen that the appliquik uses (though a cheaper brand) and use pointed tools to glue the pressed edge down, working in the excess fabric. Once done I press it good and starch it (about the only thing I use starch for.

Then I lay out the plate and press it again so it's good and flat, get the circle in the right spot, and flip over a spot on the edge and glue, and work my way around the edge. I sew them on by machine using a narrow zigzag and invisible thread.

I finished all the plates for the RR quilt , and have them sewed to the corners so the next step is sewing the corners to the quilt (I turned it on point). I'll share pictures when that is done.

I'm looking forward to starting my Dresden Plate/Doily quilt top. I have a spot in my office where I can hang a 60x60 quilt, so that is what I'm going to aim for.

I don't know how I missed these plates, yesterday - they're just gorgeous - I especially like the one with the gold tips, but they're all beautiful and it looks like they're perfectly sewn, too. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/heart.gif

Aww thanks for the positive feedback on my flowers. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/heart.gif I am easy going (at least when it comes to my quilting) so even when it's imperfect I still love it.

But I like to improve so I'll try the gluing method for next time and follow all of your advice and bookmark this thread!

How do you all do your centers? I used the ' light-weight interfacing, stich and turn' method. I put it on last. I like the way it turned out, but the flowers are a bit bulky.

I use Karen Kay Buckley’s perfect circles. Add a quarter of an inch around when cutting. Run a basting stitch, starch the edges, pull the basting around the template, and iron. If it’s not as perfect as I’d like, I can re-starch/iron. Then I use a glue stick to hold it in place for appliqué stitching. I prefer hand stitching but machine stitching works too.

I liked the interfacing method and I would still recommend it to beginners, but starching around a template is easier for me now and as you have noticed, less bulky.

I center the template on the fabric, starch around the edges, and start pulling the edges over the template a little at a time with the edge of the iron until I've gone all the way around. Pull out the template, run a glue stick around the outside of the circle under the fold, rearrange it and then press again until the glue dries.

Great attitude! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png You should love your work!

I'm finally piecing the top from all the blocks I made for Barbara Brackman's Civil War Blog BOW in 2011 and some of those blocks are pitiful. One was almost a full half-inch wider than the rest. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/shock.png I felt like Cinderella's ugly step-sister who says, "I'll MAKE it fit!" https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/redface.png

I steamed it and squished it and pressed wrinkles right into it to take up the extra width. Yep, it's a little wrinkly now, but by the time I get to the quilting stage, the wrinkles will soften and then when it's washed, it's not going to be any more wrinkled or crinkly than the rest of the quilt. It's fine. :D

"Finished is better than perfect" and someday, my children will fight over who gets it. Hahahahaha! 😄

What a coincidence, as I just "discovered" Dresden Plates and have been playing with them.
Not sure I'll make a whole quilt, but I will certainly follow along with you all and see what wonders you come up with.

Watson

Here is a picture of the Round Robbin quilt I used the plates on. I only added the four corners, the rest was done by other participants.

Cathy - The quilts for the round robins I've seen posted are truly works of art. You all do some beautiful work! What a gorgeous quilt!

Ohmigosh! You're going to be a hard act to follow!!! What a GORGEOUS quilt! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/heart.gif

I have decided to drop out of this. I was iffy to start with and since my time just can hold another activity the completion of my current Dresden Plate will have to wait. To think I could pull out the WIP and finish it up while working on the projects I have going was not to smart on my end. I will watch this thread. I love to see other Dresden Plate quilts and I will post here a pic of one of my first ones. I made this King Size quilt more than 30 years ago.

My first Dresden plate and I'm hooked. I've been looking at Dresden plate videos all day long!

Still needs a centre.

Watson

Another experiment. This isn't applique'd yet, just sitting on a towel.
Watson

Those are really neat Watson!

Here are some that I've been working on. I don't know if I'd have the disciple to stick with it if I was making a bunch the same though.

The brown stripe with the cream is two plates that I'll put together. I'm thinking of appliqueing circles on the outer ends to match what I put in the center, just not sure what that will be yet.

Beautiful Macybaby. I've never done the rounded dresden plate. Is it easy?

Queenbarbiej - you finish the rounded edges before you sew the petals together. I simply traced the curve onto the wrong side of the petal, then I cut muslin squares for the facing and sewed along the traced line. Then I used my pinking shears to trim off the excess fabric, turned and pressed. I sewed the curves with a rather short stitch to give a smoother curve.

I recently bought the large set of the Perfect Circles templates, they go from 2.5" to 4". I used a pencil to mark the exact center so I could get them lined up correctly for tracing. I also them to create the centers. They are heat resistant

At that point sewing the petals together is the same as when you sew and turn the points first..

I had always looked at these and thought that turning the outer edge after all the petals were sewn together would be a nightmare, had no idea you did it first! I've been very surprised to find how easy and fun these are to make.

I LOVE your experiments! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/heart.gif That kind of plate would be so pretty scattered across a wholecloth top, or on a pillow or a wallhanging.

Macybaby describes a faced curve, which is a nice easy way to create the curved ends - and if the facing is deep enough, it can even make your plates dimensional, with the tips of the wedges not sewn down.

You could also finish the curved ends with a starch-prepared method - brush some heavy starch on the curved end and press the edge over a heat-resistant template - you can do this before you sew the wedges together or afterward. Steam press the sewn plate flat, use a little School Glue stick to baste it to the block and sew around the edges.

Or you could mark a quarter-inch hem all around the plate with a wash-out marker and use needle-turn applique to apply it to the block. I love needle-turn, but I'm juggling too many projects right now to even think about hand applique, but it's a nice project to take with you in the car or to work on while you're watching tv. :)

Quite a nice mix you've got there! I love the bright colored ones with the flowers lining up all around.

The circles idea sounds pretty amazing - very inventive! :)

This quilt is so gorgeous and such a one of a kind!!! I love it!

It gets overwhelming to have too many quilts on the go, focus on the ones that are inspiring you! Purple quilts are awesome, thanks for sharing your quilt. Is it still in use? That's impressive

Watson I'm so glad you joined us, I love when you post pictures of your quilts you are so talented. It's amazing to me how varied the dresden plate can be, yours look very modern! It's giving me an idea for a fireworks quilt...hmmm

My plan today was to do a border - and I was going to make a fancy border - diamonds. I pulled out my border book that I bought and never used and figured out everything, did the math, cut, and started sewing strips. And then I realized the border would only add 1.4" and I didn't think it would like right that thin. I decided to set aside those pieces for another quilt and just went for a typical border.

Normally I would add the yellow all the way around, then the blue. But I thought hey why not sew the yellow and blue strips together first? It will have the same outcome! Nope, nope it doesn't. Got a small yellow stripe thing happening in the corners, whoops. Now I know why you go around one border at a time. My plan is to sandwich it this weekend and maybe even quilt it.

I can't get the photo with a border added, but will post on the weekend hopefully

The Poly Parrot - Just a quick question from my thread on the main board: When you use invisible thread for the top stitching of applique do you not follow the shape of the dresden plate blades? Or since it's invisible do you just do a circle and avoid the pivoting/up/down?

I follow the edges. I'm doing it on my large embroidery machine and it has the setting so when I stop, the needle goes down and the foot lifts about 1/4" off the fabric, so pivoting is real simple. Well, not so simple when you are sewing the plate to a full size quilt top! Glad my machine has a very large throat.

Here are more pictures, showing how I plan on combining the plates with doilies. I'll move them around as I get more done, but this is what I'm after. Hope to make a trip to the LQS this afternoon to look for fabric to use for the background.

I went through my tote of doilies and selected some to choose from. The last pic is an idea I'm not sure if I'm going to go with or not. Nothing is sewn down on this plate yet. I made all the circles for a different plate and then didn't like how that turned out. I may decide to save them for a plate that has less movement to start with.

I use turned edges on the blades, so I follow all the edges to sew it down - lots of pivoting and turning! :)

If you put a facing on the outside edge of the plate, then you can sew only a circle on the outside, leaving the rounded ends of the blades free and dimensional.

That is a gorgeous plate! All the fussy cutting and attention to detail - just outstanding!

Here some of the dresden plates I'm working on.

Queen - I really like those colors, that is going to be very pretty when complete.


This is an update on what I'm working on. I went to the LQS looking for ombre fabric and found some with a green tone that I really liked. Unfortunalty I had figured yardage based on ombre that went from dark to light and back to dark, and what I bought only goes from dark to light so I would have needed to buy twice as much to have enough dark to go around the perimeter. I had also bought a dark green to go with for border and binding,.

Ended up pulling fabric from the stash that went with the dark green I bought and assembled the background. Now to start playing with the plates. I am going to sew them down in the quilting process. I'm not liking the brown plate, so I think that will get pulled and left for another project. I sprayed the doilies with Terial Magic and that is keeping them in shape. Once I have more plates made, I'll play around with it laying flat so I can easily move pieces around. Way to much work to pin and unpin!

This is 60x60. I'm making it as a wall hanging for my office.

Ooh, Cathy. That's really gorgeous!

Too late to join? I have one very large block, made with ties. I would like to make some smaller blocks to complete. I will try and get a picture posted.

Beautiful Cathy! I love the combination of the soft doilies with the bright colors in the dresden. So gossamer!

And CrafterBarbara - a dresden made from ties sounds fabulous!

crafterbarbara, I'd love to see what you've done with ties. I collected an assortment of ties and have a tote of them, but no ideas.