Snowflake Dresden Plate Tutorial

Thank you for stopping by for my Snowflake Dresden Plate Tutorial!! If you're visiting from another blog please take a look around! :)  

Quickly about us, we're two sisters, Heather and Megan, who write quilt patterns (found here).  We also blog here with lots of tutorials, finishes and we feature other quilters as well.  You can find out more about that on our tabs above.  You'll also find us on Instagram A LOT.  @quiltstorymeg and @quiltstory

Let's jump right in!

Materials

Use 1/4" seams throughout

Folk Art Holiday bundle from Sew Lux

Pillow

-At least 4 FQ prints (or large scraps)

-1 yard background fabric (Essential Dots (B&W) I used found here at Sew Lux)

-17" pillow form

Embroidery

-Embroidery floss & needle

-Embroidery hoop

-Temporary Fabric Marker

-8" square or larger white felt

Download the Dresden Plate Wedge templates HERE.

Cut out 10 Large wedges, 5 Medium wedges and 5 Small wedges.

I missed photographing an important step.  (If you search other Dresden Plate tutorials you could find this step there.)

Take each wedge and fold right sides together lengthwise (so it looks like a long skinny strip).  

Stitch each end (leaving the long edge open).

Press open and each end will come to a point like below.  Press well.  Repeat on every piece.

Lay out all your pieces, 20 total.  In this order, Large, Small, Large, Medium (repeat).

Stitch together in four sections of 5.

See above and below.  Stitch end to end of the shorter pieces.  If you stitch over a little don't worry, it will be ironed over and you won't see it.  Take care to backstitch your start and finish.

Take each section of 5 and press the seems open. You'll find that the taller pieces naturally and easily fold in 1/4".  See below.  Stitch all sections together so you have a complete and continuous Snowflake Dresden Plate.

Embroidery "Let it Snow" found HERE..

Ultimately the pillow will be cut down to 18.5".  However keep your piece generous until after it is embroidered and your Dresden is attached.

Place the "Let it Snow" underneath the fabric.  Trace the letters using a temporary fabric marker.

Place the generous size of felt under the fabric.  You'll embroider through both pieces.  The felt make it not only sturdier but you are unable to see the stitching underneath and you move from letter to letter.

I used all 6 threads of floss and used a basic backstitch.  (A quick google search will show you lots of tutorials if you aren't familiar).  On the wider sections of the font there is a close up below so you can see how I did it.  Still using a backstitch.

Place the Snowflake Dresden over top and center it with "Let it Snow".

Carefully pin around the entire snowflake.

Use a tight zig-zag to attach the snowflake to the front of the pillow.  Zig-zag around all the inner and outer points.  You can see this above and below.

Trim the pillow front to 18.5" x 18.5".

I used an envelope closure in the back.  Easy to do and easily removable to clean.

Cut two pieces, 9" x 18.5" and 14.5" x 18.5".  Turn under, press and stitch one side on each piece for a nice finished edge (below).  

Right sides together place the front and back envelope pieces together, pin around and use a 3/4" seam and stitch around completely.  Turn pillow right side out, press and place in your pillow form!

This block would be so cute done as a table topper, I thought about shrinking the size a bit and doing the regular size in the middle and two smaller snowflakes on the side.  It would also make a really cute wall hanging!  And of course an entire quilt would be awesome!!

Here's the schedule for the blog hop and prizes...make sure to be checking Sew Lux as you go!!  

• July 7th - Series Announcement & Bundle Sale 
• July 14th - Solstice Wreath Mini Tutorial (See that cute wreath in our series button image? We'll show you how to make it here on the Sew Lux Blog!)
• July 21st - Sewing with Winter Wonderland - Lee of May Chappell
• July 22nd - Sewing with Be Jolly - Chrissy of Sew Lux
• July 23rd - Sewing the Folk Art Holiday - Sarah of Stitching & Bacon AND Megan ofQuilt Story
• July 24th - Sewing with 25th & Pine - Tessa of The Sewing Chick AND Tracey oftraceyjay quilts
• July 25th - Sewing with Solstice - Christen of Love by Hand AND Stephanie of Quarter Incher
• July 21-August 4th - Linky open to link up your projects
• August 5th - Winner Announced

Double Hourglass Quilt from Crafty Cupboard

During the Block Party Heather and I came across these great blocks, so of course we followed link to link to link and soon we were admiring all of Melanie's things from The Crafty Cupboard.  We were looking at all her tutorials she offers, as well as following her "quilts" tags.  It's so fun discovering other crafters.  And here is Melanie's fabulous double hourglass quilt that she made for someone in need of comfort.


I brought this quilt to our Young Woman weekly activity last night to finish up the binding while the girls practiced their volleyball skills. The occasional "Yeah!!! Great effort!!" was all that was required of me, so I was able to finish a side and a half :). I know, I'm terrible.

This quilt is uber cute. Primary colors make me smile, and want to go play at a part and have a picnic. How about you? Especially when you toss in a good stripe for the binding.

This quilt is particularly important because it is for my sister's mother-in-law, Karen, and a longtime friend of our family. She is going through Chemotherapy for a second time after her Lymphoma returned. I guess it missed the memo that it wasn't welcome back.

The double hourglass signifies time. Doubled. The fabric is 1930's reproduction prints, reminiscent of time past. Cancer is a mean, yucky, frightening thing, but the one thing we can be assured of is the time we have spent with those who mean most to us. Like many, Karen's life hasn't necessarily been filled with gilded pathways and gleaming adventures, but she has been a shining example of love for the Lord, and love of family. We are looking forward to many more years with her as our friend!

Fabric Tuesday #23

Heather and I are back together again!  Not only are we in the same city crafting, we're in the same house.  My two boy's and I have been making ourselves at home for over a week, and it's awesome!  And to celebrate, let's have 

Fabric Tuesday

edition 23

Our dear sweet mother came over Monday afternoon and we both whined for a nap. (We have been staying up til past 1 am crafting almost every night).  So she said "Sure." I told her I wouldn't mind if she assembled dinner for us either.  When Heather and I were rudely woken from our deep slumber 2 hrs later, our mom had made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, babysat our children, ironed Heather's pile of snowball blocks, cut my binding, and organized Heather's much needed tupperware cupboard.  Makes me want to nap again just listing all she did. Heather and I can't accomplish all that in one whole day together! We don't know how we were born from her uterus and not nearly as productive or organized as her!

Heather has a GORGeous quilt to show off today, isn't this a great quilt pattern?

This is the fabric I got from Fresh Squeezed fabrics. It is not my normal color choices at all, but I LOVE it. It is my favorite style of fabrics, vintage and floral. My heart always goes back to those. A couple months ago I posted this tutorial how to make the dutch pinwheel's. I finally got it all together, ready to quilt. I think I am going to attempt to quilt it myself, this would be the largest quilt thus far (scary) but I want to try.

Also, Fresh Squeezed Fabrics is going to do a GIVEAWAY of these great fabrics right here on Quilt Story so you could make one of your own!!  Stay tuned.

Here is a photo from the tutorial on how to piece the Dutch pinwheel block. Cute?

Sorry Mother dear for showing my quilt in front of my dead annual flower pots. Yes, I know you told me to move those to the garage. No I obviously didn't, and what is the point now? In no time you will be back over here replanting them for the spring!

FABRIC TUESDAY!

Edition 23

Link up a recent craft project that uses fabric...if you're new don't be shy!  This is for everyone.  Click the button to add your link at the bottom and link up a recent blog post where you used fabric to create or enhance something. Below are a few "rules" to play.

Mention us in your post with either a link or make it easy and add the button to your blog sidebar and you won't have to remember each week. ***You can take either our blog or our Fabric Tuesday buttons on the sidebar.***
PLEASE READ ME:
Most everyone does this, but please actually mention that you are linking up to Quilt Story in your post...even if you have the button on the sidebar there needs to be mention in the post :)  We've just seen a couple where we can't see any button or link to us and then we scroll way way down and there's the button...we want to make sure everyone knows so everyone can play!  Thank you!!

You don't have to do this to link up, promise. However if you want to follow us, we follow back :) But please comment telling us you did so and we will hop right on over and make sure we're following too!

And how about we each take time to comment on the link just before yours, that's easy enough right? We'd love for this to be a linky party where everyone gets comments, so if you take the time to look, take a second to leave a comment!

***We've been having problems with McLinky since it was changed to a paid subscription...he tried to do some system upgrade and it's been a little crazy.  SO if you are not seeing the linky try back a little later.  Cross your fingers!!

What projects have you been working on the last two weeks??

Heather and Megan loner block party...vote please !

Well Heather and I are just giggling like crazy.  You'll see why in a minute.  First, since we're having a really fun Block Party for ya'll, we decided we wanted to do a mini block party between us :)  We've each created a traditional quilt block this week and you get to vote on the sidebar for your favorite block.  We'll have the poll open for a week until we have next week's block, modern.

This poll is no longer open.

Heather's Block 

Megan's Block

See why we're laughing?!?  We made the same block!!! Of all the blocks in the world..seriously.  We've been chatting all week but decided not to tell what we're doing as to not influence the other.  We didn't discuss fabrics, colors, anything!  Ah we're funny people.

Quick Story. If you don't care to get to know us better, skip this paragraph :)  A few months after I had my second baby it was my birthday, so I went and bought a new dress (uh, from Walmart, it's seriously all that I had to shop at for two years).  You'd be surprised how cute Walmart clothes can look to you when you have no other choices.  Anyway, at church I got a compliment here and there about how nice I looked.  And then they kept coming, and coming.  And then I got downright angry.  Seriously??  I looked so awful for four months that now you see me showered and in a $15 dress and you can't stop saying how good I look??  Well I told this story to Heather and her husband Dallan.  Heather had a disturbed look on her face and was nodding right along with me.  Dallan, however, couldn't stop laughing at how similar Heather and I are.  She tried her best to convince him that each additional compliment was rude, but he never got on board. :)

Back to the parties!  So not only did we want to have this little challenge for fun for ourselves, but we wanted to give you guys ideas and inspiration to join the Block Party!  However, us each making the same block didn't really make that statement we had planned.  Below we've compiled a mosaic of blocks from Flickr that fall in one way our another into the traditional category.

1. Deanna's Block, 2. December Block for Kimmie -- Sweet Dreams Quilting Bee, 3. Test block for March, 4. Stash Busting Bee: February, 5. Dresden Block for November MLB, 6. Card Trick, 7. Modern Bee Quilt Block June, 8. Quilt Along Block 2, 9. Quilt Block Swap - May - For Debbie, 10. Quilting Divas block for Sandy, 11. The Euro Bee September - for Tacha, 12. rainbow around the block blue, 13. Jelly Roll Quilt Along Block 5, 14. Sweet Dreams Quilting Bee Blocks, 15. Sweet Dreams Quilting Bee Blocks, 16. Nettie's Block

A couple of people wondered if they could still enter the block party if they don't have a blog, and the answer is YES!  Check out our original post where I've edited to add that information.

Don't forget to vote for your favorite block (or color) on the sidebar! :)  Vote for me!!
This poll is no longer open.

PS Do you know a good poll widget that allows pictures?  I'd love to know :)

Fabric Tuesdays!

Welcome to Fabric Tuesdays!! We've been bouncing this idea around forever and we are finally ready to start, and we hope you'll play along and tell your friends :)

First we want to show a fabric finish of our own for the week. Heather and I felt like we had a lot of spare time and hardly anything on our plate, so we decided to sign up for a virtual quilting bee. Essentially every month we receive fabric and instructions from another member, create a block for them and mail it back by the end of the month. This bee happens to be a house block bee. c.u.t.e.

Here is Heather's finish.
This block was totally freestyle. I ended up loving it! It helped that the instructions were for a "wonky" house. I started with the window and put a little gnome and girl with a balloon in it. Then I added shutters...Then I made the little piece with the door and frame. I just kept adding and adding.

The address is just because I felt there was alot of extra space floating on the house. I feel like I should have made it part of her home address, but that genius didn't come to me until I finished the numbers. I hope she likes it!

This is my second block. She wanted freestyle too. At first my house was to tall and skinny and I thought it looked like an outhouse. I added the grass and made it a shorter house and it fixed that problem.

She also gave us some cute owls and little kids playing and wanted them added in. I appliqued them and the tree. I like the final product. Hopefully the lady in my group does too... (if I make them cute houses, I think I will get them back. I am one of the last to send out fabrics) So far virtual quilting bee's are fun!

Now we want to see YOUR fabric finishes!

Here's how our linky party will work.  First, the new button.

<center><a href="http://quiltstory.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Fresh Poppy Design" src="http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad311/freshpoppydesign/fabrictuesdayfinalcopy.png" /></a></center>

HOW TO PLAY
Link up a recent craft project that uses fabric.
Mention us in your post with either a link or make it easy and add the button to your blog sidebar and you won't have to remember each week.
Follow us, we follow back :)
Oh and comment, because Heather wants to know how great her house blocks look!
Oh and comment on each other, that's so much more fun right??
EDIT NOW YOU CAN SUBMIT! Nothing like starting your first linky party and having the time wrong!