8cm x 15cm (3” x 6”) of 20 assorted fabric for petals.
60cm x 60cm (24” x 24”) wadding.
40cm (16”) zip.
45cm (18”) cushion insert.
Fabric glue stick.
General sewing tools.
Cutting Instructions
From the white homespun, cut a 22” (55cm) square. Reserve rest for back of cushion.
From Dresdan Plates die, cut 20 x square petals. These are the centre shape.
Sewing Instructions
From the 20 petals shapes create the pointed petals with the following directions.
Fold one pointed petal in half, lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch ¼” (6mm) across folded end and reinforce both ends of seam. Trim corner at fold, being careful not to cut too close to stitching.
Turn point right side out with point turner or blunt tool, pressing seam so
it is in the centre of the petal as illustrated right.
Select a group of 13 petals to be sewn together for main section of the Dresdan Plate.
Select a smaller group of 3 to be sewn together as the segment part of the Dresdan Plate.
With the first group of 13, sew pointed petals groups together with a ¼” (6mm) seam allowance, matching notches.
Tip: start sewing 3/8” (1cm) down from folded tip end of seam. Sew toward tip end in reverse, then sew forward to complete seam. This keeps the thread ends hidden on the back of the pieced work.
Press seams open to reduce bulk.
Repeat for second group of 3 petals.
On each end of the segments and the remaining individual petals, trim the ‘notches’ on the side as illustrated right . (We don’t want these notches visible on the end of the project.)
Take to 22” (55cm) square of homespun and iron in half, horizontally and diagonally to find centre.
Take the Dresden petals and arrange on the homespun until you have the desired effect you are after. Use the fold marks as reference points for layout.
Flip the segments over and apply fabric glue to the back of the segment and press in place.
Sew 1/8” (3mm) around the outside edge with a straight stitch for a raw edge effect.
Tip: Using an Edge Stitching Guide foot, similar to what is illustrated right helps to keep stitching accurate.
Once all petals are attached, layer quilt top, with wadding, and quilt as desired. I chose straight lines ¾” (20mm) apart to keep with modern theme.
Trim cushion top to18 ½” (47cm).
Using remaining white homespun, cut in half vertically and insert zipper. Trim to 18 ½” (47cm) to match quilt top. Place right sides together.
Using a 3/8” (1cm) seam allowance , and opening zipper slightly prior to sewing, sew around the square to complete the cushion.
Trim corners and turn inside out, ironing seam allowance flat and add cushion insert.
A Brief History of the Dresdan Plate Quilt
The Dresdan Plate quilt became very popular pattern in the 1920’s and 1930’s, during the romantic Victorian era. Named after the town of Dresdan, Germany, where elaborately decorated porcelain plates were made featuring flowers, fruits and foliage. These plates became the inspiration behind the Dresdan Plate quilt block.
During this time, the block was often made using recycled grain and feed sacks. Women often traded the fabric and when husbands went to town, they were sent with swatches of fabric, to make sure they returned with suitable fabric of colour and design.
Traditionally, the petal shaped segments were all pieced together and then the complete plate was appliqued to the backing fabric.
The quilts were commonly known as feedsack quilt, although there were many other names, including Grandmother’s Sunburst, Friendship Ring, Dahlia and Sunburst. It is one of my favourite traditional quilt blocks and I am excited that we can cut it so quickly with the GO! cutters!Happy Sewing
