What if the Back now becomes the Front?
This way…
Or this way.
I am just experimenting. 
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Made A Pieced Back For My Dresden Plate Quilt
Trying something different for my Dresden Plate mini quilt. A pieced back, using most of the fabrics I used to make the plates plus I sneaked in a couple new fabrics as fillers.
I cut 5 1/2″ squares and made nine 9 patch blocks. Each block has one burnt orange square and one brown/white polka dot square. And the rest were randomly picked. The squares are all sewn together. Just need to sew the 9 patch blocks together.
Now… knowing what the back measurements will be, I can go about finishing up the front. And I do believe I am going to make 3 more plates for a total of nine. The finished quilt should be around 52″ by 52″.
You will be delighted to know that I am just about out of all of these fabrics EXCEPT FOR the Brown and White Polka Dots. I have tons of it!!
This is what I worked on yesterday and today. What have you been working on?
No Brown In This One
Not quite the look of Spring but no brown either!!
Black, green and mustard yellow with a touch of white. But first, before I go into the details of my newest Dresden Plate, let me ask you this…
Anyone remember this?
They were really popular in the 70′s and 80′s. Country themed fabric panels. I can’t remember if you bought them by the panel or by the yard. But I remember buying up a bunch of them in the early 80′s. And making up a bunch. Wall hangings on wicker mats and circular wooden hoops. I had the panels in green, blue, peach and of course, BROWN!!
Can you believe after all these years, I found 3 panels in my stash!! I fussy cut around the geese to get some flowered green pieces. Then I cut strips for borders where I could.
And after all that… I ended up removing what I thought were the prettiest blades. The ones I used to make hearts. Oh well. The plate was too large and some wedges had to go.
Which border arrangement do you like best? Or maybe I won’t add one.
Going Small With The Dresdens
I had enough fabric to make six Dresden Plates in the browns, beige and burnt orange. And for a couple of them, that meant rummaging through my scrap bin. But six it is.
Most Dresden Plates use 20 wedges. I am only using 16 for these. The plate measures 12 1/4″ diameter. Originally had more but it made up a bit larger than I wanted.
Now I have to decide on the border. Or borders. I think I like this arrangement. But won’t know for sure until I put it up on my design wall. I want to sew on the borders first before I hand stitch the plates to the fabric. Just to be sure I have them positioned correctly.
My plan was to make two Dresden Plates using mostly leftover pieces from my first quilt and make a small wall hanging. But then I had enough to make a 3rd, then a 4th. And so on. That is how I ended up with 6 of them. Though not enough to make a quilt, I could end up with a nice throw for the back of a sofa. Or even a table covering. At bit too large for a table mat but I will find somewhere to put it.
It is fun sewing these plates. I have perfected how to get crisp sharp pointed tips. I use my tweezers that came with my sewing machine. I hold the sewn end with my left hand, and very carefully go into the fold with the tweezers. On the right side first, then the left. Going slow and careful not to poke through the tip. I smile every time that last tiny end pushes out. Perfect tips!!
I made a plate in black and green. Have to take pictures. Next, I am going to experiment with different size wedges and designs to see what I can come up with.
(Phsst… notice anything about my table. It is all cleared off!! Ready to quilt my tops.)
My New Weight Loss Program
Who knew!! Quilting has a built in side benefit.
You would think that making a quilt involved mostly sitting at the sewing machine. Nope. I am doing more standing and walking than I ever did making jewelry and crocheting.
I am standing when I work with my fabric. I am standing when I measure it and cut it. I am walking into the next room to press the quilt pieces. I am walking into a completely different room to place the pieces on my design wall. Back and forth.
And surprise!! Guess what happened?
I lost seven pounds.
I don’t have time to eat. I don’t want food. I want to look at delicious quilts in all different colors, shapes and designs. I want to sew them all.
If I keep up the same pace throughout the rest of this year, I can say good-bye to 21 more pounds. Wish me luck!!
A Plate Full Of Dresdens
Moving on. Drunkard Path… Log Cabin… And now the Dresden Plate.
I found a quilt block on-line that I really, really like. But before I tackle it, wanted to make a practice block first. Since I had lots of scraps from the first quilt I made, thought I would use up some of them. (Yeah, I know. Brown again. But you know how much I LOVE brown!!)
This is the tutorial I used to make the wedges. http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=6713
Easy to follow. I printed out the template on hardstock paper and got to cutting.
Sewing was easy, too. I did chain piecing following along with this You Tube video. It saves time and thread.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPb5J-vdO5E
Ta-dah!! Here is my practice block.
Now I have to sew the wedges together and decide on the center. I kind of like the ivory vine fabric they are sitting on now. Maybe use the same fabric for the center. And not decided yet on how to attach the plate to the foundation. Machine sew or handstitch.
Decisions, decisions.
Quilt Top #2 Finished
Ready for Stitch In The Ditch!!
Finished sewing on the borders yesterday. I settled on the beige and giraffe print fabrics since I was out of the gold color and couldn’t find anything I liked on-line or in the stores.
I bought 6 yards of the giraffe print to use for the backing and binding. Any leftover, I think I will make a couple of pillows or pillowcases.
I have learned so much. Between getting tips from my quilter friends and the net, there were tons of resources to help guide me. Such as, the correct way to square up my fabric, measure and cut it. The different techniques for sewing on borders.
If you are thinking about learning to quilt, do a Google search or You Tube search on the quilting process. Hundreds, thousands of useful tips at your fingertips.
And so many pretty quilts. I have probably 40 quilts bookmarked. It will take years to make up all the ones I like.
But I am enjoying it.
Quilt top measures 82 1/4″ by 82 1/4″.
Surprise!! 5 Giveaway Winners!!
I was so excited with the number of comments left for my 3 Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway that I got carried away picking numbers. I randomly picked five (5).
These are the three winners for my Blog Anniversary Giveaway.
Comment #7.
On March 9, 2011 at 7:01 am Ajna said:
Congratulations on 3 years. May you have many more. I would like the Bead Grab Bag
Comment #58.
On March 14, 2011 at 8:04 pm Debra said:
Getting close to the big day! Whoever wins is going to be a happy camper for sure!
Comment #25.
On March 9, 2011 at 6:53 pm KipperCat said:
Oh boy, I see that you have lots of pretties in your store also.
This next one I picked to Celebrate A New Milestone on my blog. 750,000 hits. Wow!! As of Tuesday, March 15.
Comment #18.
On March 9, 2011 at 12:50 pm Jenny said:
Congratulations! I just started my blog a month ago and get excited with every visit. I found your blog to grab a tutorial. Thanks! I would love a sewing/quilting grab bag!
And one more pick. For the Person With The Most Comments. Tanya is the winner!! She entertained us all with 11 comments. Returning again and again. She even posted a poem.
Comment #62.
On March 15, 2011 at 1:42 pm Tanya said:
It’s Tuesday morning – all aglow
with visions of Macrame knots tied all in a row.
The spiral sinnets weaving the intricate design
with the hidden message “Won’t you be mine?”
No, this isn’t Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to submit a rhyme in another request for the Macrame grab bag.
With lots of “knotty pipe dreams” ….
Have a wonderful day!
To All The Winners:
Congratulations!! Go check your e-mail and send me your name, address and confirm the prize you have selected. You have 48 hours to respond, or sadly, I will randomly pick another winner.
You are all winners in my book. Even if your comment wasn’t picked. Thank you, thank you for participating. You made it fun. Maybe you will be lucky for my next giveaway drawing. I plan on having another one soon.
Go here if you would like to use Random Generator for your giveaway/drawing. It is super easy.
Barn Raising… Barn Raising??
I am learning all sorts of things. Did you know there is a name for just about every quilt that was ever made? Dating back to when cloth and dirt were invented.
When I was searching for Log Cabin quilt designs, I found out the quilt I am making is called Barn Raising. As in, get all the neighbors together for beer and pizza and throw up a barn in several hours.
Who names these quilts!!!
For as long as it has taken me to make 66 blocks, my quilt would have to be called Tree Planting. We have to go wayyy back.
But… the blocks are finished and I even have two spares. I won’t even tell you why there is a week between this post and the last.
Oh, ok. I’ll tell you. I ran out of the gold fabric with the painted dots. After a trip to the fabric store and leaving empty handed, I searched on-line and actually found it at eBay. The exact fabric!! An hour after it arrived, I started back to sewing the last batch of blocks. I only needed 20 but what the heck, made two extra. I can make a pillow.
Here’s how my Barn Raising blocks look on my design wall.
I added my own design on the corners. My bookends. And along the edges. Follow the giraffe print with your eyes. I wanted a continuous line.
It measures 76″ by 76″. 8 blocks per row. 8 rows. Each block is 9 1/2″.
Now I need to sew the blocks together and add the borders. After which, I’ll stare at it for several days. Then it goes in the To-Be-Quilted pile.
“My Blog Is 3 Years Old” Giveaway
GIVEAWAY CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
Winners will be announced Thursday, March 17. Thank you everyone for participating.
Three years ago, on March 9th, I threw open the doors to This Year’s Dozen and wrote my first words. I got 24 hits that day. I was so excited, I about peed my pants.
If you hadn’t guessed by now, I LOVE blogging. And I love all of you. My regulars, I call you. Those who come here daily, or weekly, just checking to see what I am working on. And those who leave a comment of support and encouragement. You are all important to me and to the success of my blog.
And to show my appreciation, I am having a 3 Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway.
Your prize will be a Grab Bag of your choice from the following crafts.
Bead Grab Bag
Crochet Grab Bag
Macrame Grab Bag
Sewing/Quilting Grab Bag
Or you can select a $35 Shopping Spree at my Jewelry Shop, Midnightbeader.
Each Grab Bag will include craft supplies for that craft. Such as Swarovski crystals, seed beads, yarn, macrame cord/rings/beads, fabric charms/thread, etc.
To win, just leave a comment below and state your preference. Grab Bag (which one) or Jewelry Store Shopping Spree.
I will use Random Generator to select THREE (3) WINNERS from the comment section.
Enter as often as you wish. Each comment is eligible to win. Only comments posted here on this post will count.
Contest runs for one week. Beginning Wednesday, March 9 and ending Tuesday, March 15, 12 midnight EST.
Winners will be announced Thursday, March 17 and will be notified via e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. Prizes will be mailed within five days.
Help me get the word out. Tell your family and friends. Thanks much!!
Go here to browse my Jewelry Shop.
