A Short Video of some Motifs/Techniques Learned in the Free Courses!
Last month I signed up, along with 20+ other ladies, to stitch the pattern "Merry Merry Snowmen" as a group stitch-a-long over at the HGTV Message Board Group. Each person is doing their own quilt...but, we have deadlines to get each block completed.
This is block one...and was not too difficult to create. This quilt is not as easy breezy as Erin Russek's "Jingle" quilt is...that I blogged about last week. Mostly because this quilt has more pieces and pieces that are smaller than the ones commonly designed by Erin. Still, this is not a hard quilt...and the pattern includes pages and pages of instruction and full size templates...no re-sizing! Got to love that!
The pattern is available at Bunny Hill Designs. You can get the idea for the entire quilt. I'm using my own fabric stash...and did not order a kit. One lady in the group is pulling blues instead of reds...and so far, her quilt is very nice...very "winter" looking.
Some of the ladies are doing machine applique...but mine is all by hand. I don't enjoy stitching fusible, and hand applique just looks worlds better to me....so, it is worth my time. So, if you are looking to start a full-size project for Christmas...this is a good pattern to work up.
Wow, what a week! I feel as though I'm chained to this laptop!First, before I forget...there are ten more books loaded on my Etsy shop...and I also have two CQ Kits available; so please go check those out if you need that.
Working feverishly on some classes for StitchMap as I promised to write a Beginner Quilting Course, Machine Piecing based on the Sampler Quilt Course I use for the college.But, if you have ever taught anything via the internet...it is a LOT differerent than teaching one eye-to-eye! Any information that "might" be needed to understand the instruction you are attempting to get across needs to be available to the student...without your having to be present.So, it takes more charts, photos, etc...and writing!At least, for MY classes that's the way it is. Some of you might have found easier ways...and video would be one of those...but I don't have that available to me. So, the written word with charts, tables, diagrams, patterns, and photos is what I have to work with.I'm on Chapter 10 of 14 chapters...so moving right along. All of the "finished" chapters still have to be edited and tweaked...and the last four will just have to wait until this weekend to be written. I'm just too pooped to think!
Finished up a center medallion block today...for a friend. Just have to get it into the mail.Trying to get caught up on "normal" quilting blocks...even though that means that my CQJP Block for June...will probably not be completed until July. How many days until July?....
Got the pattern/instructions completed for the Dresden Plate; the pdf file in in the Files Section of Shawkl_Blog_Files site. Look in the folder: Quilting Patterns.Or, copy the image above and enlarge it to fit an 8.5 x 10 printed page.ETA: PDF File is HERE (Takes a minute to upload, so please wait.) Instructions are easy.
Cut wedges, you can get 3 out of a 5" square of fabric. (Note: I first started by folding my square in half, and got two wedges.
Then, I realized that if I placed them differently, I could get 3 from a square. Also, I use my rotary cutter to cut my pieces. You can see from the photo above that I cut multiple pieces at a time. This stack is actually one of the sets of 10...so 10 wedges in each stack. You determine your own cutting preferences.
Hint: I roll up a piece of masking tape, sticky tape out, and put that on the back of the pattern piece...that keeps it from sliding around as I move my ruler to get the cut. See it above?
Determine if you want "points" or "curves". Curves are turned under and appliqued down. Points are sewn in by matching the flat seam at center and stitching across. They will will be appliqued down eventually, but the edge is already nice and neatly folded under.
Do a lot of these wedges at once to save time, and thread.
Clip them apart. Pinch the sewn seam point flat and press open the seam allowance with your fingers.
Turn right side out and match the new seam to the center of the wedge. I just "eye ball it".
Here's the finished single wedge...with a point that is turned under and ready for applique when the plate is done. 
Sew three wedge patches together to create a unit. Repeat until you have 4 units for each Dresden Plate. Sew two units together to form a half-circle.
Sew two half-circles together, matching center seam, to form the Dresden Plate. Note: If the wedges outside edges don't match exactly, as in this photo above, then...
Open the seam on the two end wedges of one half-circle. Sew the circles together, then sew the two open wedge seams back together.
(Note: I trimmed the "V" in the pattern for you. IF you want to meet all seams in the center and NOT have a hole, then extend the pattern piece all the way back out to a POINT.Iron, starch, iron until the dresden is good and flat.
Cut a background square of fabric that is 9.5" square, and applique the Dresden Plate to it. Note: Fold the Square into quarters and crease. Use these creased lines "+" to match your plate to. It should rest the same distance from edge of the background fabric square at all four points on the "+".
Create a circle of fabric and applique it into place, or use a button in the center as in the last photo.If you want larger Dresden Plates...enlarge the pattern piece. The angles will still be the same, but test one block before you cut a lot! Don't be afraid of Dresden Plate blocks. They are flexible if you mess up. Increase/decrease a couple of seams, un-sew the ends. Re-sew...until the plate lays flat. You don't want "bowls" and you don't want "mountains". A personal note: I believe that quilting should be fun. And fabric is flexible...that means that mistakes will happen. They just do; even when you try your best. Accept that as a FACT...and learn how to "fix things" when they don't work out the first time. Don't give up! I'll show you the good, bad, and maybe...the ugly! Almost everything can be FIXED in quilting...except cutting where you should not have. I've been quilting for 30 years...and stuff just happens; No One is perfect...and if they tell you they are...stop listening to them; you'll just get yourself in trouble. Hugs!
I'm rusty! Didn't realize just how much until this past week. I sat down with my favorite book of quilt patterns by Judy Martin...to stitch up 4 blocks for a row-by-row Round Robin. For almost three years now, crazy quilts have been my main stitching...and they don't involve matching points! So, when I started on these quilt blocks...I felt very rusty indeed. Finally, I got them where I could live with them...but they are a long way from perfect!This row is now ready for mailing...to the next Round Robin gal (NickiLee) for her to add a row to it. In a few months...it will return home all completed with a lap-size row-by-row quilt. I'll add black sashing along the sides and finish with a wide border fabric. Can't wait to see what the ladies in this group cook up for me!
