Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Colorworks Dresden Plate

What’s on my Design Wall

April 4, 2011 12:30 am ⋅

Woo Hoo!!  I finally finished my Dresden Plate quilt. It was February’s UFO Challenge Quilt.

The fabric for the plates started out life as a skirt my mom made for me in the early 1990’s.  I loved that skirt.  But an elastic waistband on a longer skirt and a rolling desk chair just don’t mix well.  I rolled over my hem and attempted to stand up one too many times.  Putting the fabric into a quilt apparently has not solved this problem. As I was binding the quilt, I rolled over the end of it and got tangled up.

This is the back of the quilt.

I’m working on a pillowcase to go with the quilt.  Right now I’m leaning toward a black case with alternating blades and a narrow gold trim.

I hope to get this pillowcase, and perhaps one for the Dragonfly quilt finished before I leave for retreat later this week.

To see what others have been up to follow the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate, designwall, UFO Challenge 2011

Stash Report

April 2, 2011 11:37 pm ⋅

I’ve still used more fabric than I’ve brought into the house year-to-date, but the difference has shrunk considerably.  Last week I picked up the backings for two of the “7 by July” quilts, and since they were wide backings I did a bit of math to figure out the 42/45″ wide yardage equivalence.    The only fabric used was the backing for the borders of the Dresden Plate quilt which I have finished quilting.

Fabric Added this Week: 14.4 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 33.094 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 2.16 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 43.791 yards

Net Used for 2011: 10.667 yards

Check out how others are doing by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate, Stash Busting Report

Making Progress

April 2, 2011 9:10 am ⋅

The borders are on the Dresden Plate quilt.  I have one border quilted.  Now to mark and quilt the other three.

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate

What’s on my Design Wall

March 14, 2011 12:50 am ⋅

There’s all sorts of things hanging about today on my ‘design wall’.  First, I’ve finished the center of the Dresden Plate. It’s UFO #10 which was February’s UFO in Judy’s UFO Challenge.

Then there’s a single block from Fun with Bricks.  This the leader/ender project I started in January.  Last week I got impatient and started working on the quilt so I could mindlessly piece.  I’m currently sewing the light squares to the pairs of bricks.

Not pictured is the border and binding which I cut for both the Dresden Plate quilt and the Dragonfly quilt.  I’ll work on the Dragonfly quilt and Fun with Bricks at this weekend’s sew-in.  With luck I’ll finish the Dragonfly quilt so I can get it quilted in the next week or two.

The big news is that I finished a UFO!

A friend gave me the quilt top (sans border) at a retreat two years ago.  I didn’t know how I was going to finish it, so it sat on my Quilts In Progress list.   I finally decided  I wanted Easter Egg fabric for the border, but couldn’t find any that I liked.  I bet I had a dozen bolts of fabric pulled out trying to find the ‘perfect’ fabric before settling on this light green with tiny white butterflies.  I got my Easter Eggs though — it’s on the back.  You can see a scan of both fabrics here.

I used the Faux Piped Binding technique from TCL Stitches tutorial.  Who knew I would be able to use it so quickly.  I think the tiny bit of purple sets it off nicely.  I’ll get back to you toward the end of the month to see if I substitute this one for this month’s quilt.  I think I tweaked my rules to allow for this….

In the meantime, check out the links at Patchwork Times to see what other quilters are working on this week.

Posted in: Bunny Wallhanging, Colorworks Dresden Plate, designwall, Fun with Bricks, UFO Challenge 2011

Stash Report

March 13, 2011 11:11 am ⋅

Last night I ran out of gold thread for the Dresden Plate quilt sashings with only a bit over 100″ of stitching left. So, a trip to the store was in order. I pulled out of the driveway and then remembered the little bunny wall hanging that needed a border, so turned around and came back after it. — That explains the purple (backing) and the light green (border). The blue floral American Jane print is a FQ I got by simply walking into my LQS wearing purple on Tuesday.

So, did I get anything done? Well, I finished quilting the rest of the Dresden Plates. They are all attached and I just need to finish sewing down the sashing. Then it will be on to the borders. I know what I want, it’s the how that I’ve been pondering for the last couple of weeks. I think I have it figured out.

One night last week I decided I needed to piece. So, I bumped my leader/ender project up and finished sewing the bricks together. I then cut the squares to go with then and now my leader/ender project is sewing the squares to the bricks. I haven’t reported any of this quilt, so it will all hit the report once the top is completed.

Oh, yes. After getting back from the store I put the borders on the bunny quilt and cut the binding. I’m going to attempt to do a Faux Piped Binding.  I found this tutorial at TLC Stitches.  As soon as I finish making the binding I’ll be back to the finish up the center of the Dresden Plate.

So, here’s the report:

Fabric Added this Week: 2.694 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 8.194 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 1.362 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 29.598 yards

Net Used for 2011: 21.404 yards

Check out how others are doing by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Bunny Wallhanging, Colorworks Dresden Plate, Fun with Bricks, Stash Busting Report

What’s on my Design Wall

March 7, 2011 6:00 am ⋅

There are 4 more blocks to appliqué, quilt and then attach to the quilt center (two blocks are already quilted). Then I’ve got to figure out my inner border. I could go buy more gold Dimples so there’s no thinking involved, but what fun would that be?

The quilt is a bit stiff at the moment — at least I hope it’s just at the moment. I don’t know if it’s the batting – Soft & Black, a needled polyester batting by Warn & Natural (no longer made); the basting spray; the amount of quilting or a combination of all three.

I’m quilting a 2″ diagonal grid up to the edge of the plate. I’ve stitched in the ditch around the outer edge of the plate and center and between each blade. The sashing is edge stitched on both edges. If you click on the picture and enlarge it the quilting is visible. I’m using black thread, so any white in the grid is the result of the marking, which will wash out.

Follow the links over at Patchwork Times to check out other design walls.

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate, designwall, UFO Challenge 2011

Stash Report

March 6, 2011 12:33 am ⋅

I suppose I really should be showing the back of these blocks, as my fabric usage is primarily of the backing fabric this week.  I cut the backing for all 15 blocks. These six are quilted.  Additionally, I borrowed a friend’s light box and finished tracing off the snowmen for my red work quilt.

No new fabric came into the house.  I did consider buying some Easter fabric to make a border for an Easter quilt, but since I didn’t have the quilt top with me I stuck with my original shopping list of green thread for the sashing on the back of the Dresden Plates.  I also bought a package of needles since my DH was looking for a curved needle to repair his snow boots.

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 5.50 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 4.35 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 28.236 yards

Net Used for 2011: 22.736 yards

Check out how others are doing by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate, red work, Stash Busting Report

Three in a Row

March 5, 2011 12:23 am ⋅

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate

Another Design Change to UFO #10

March 3, 2011 11:31 pm ⋅

I tell you, it’s as though I’m working on a new quilt, not a UFO started in 2006.

The Dresden Plate started out as a Quilt-As-You-Go (QAYG) project, originally because it’s so much easier to maneuver a 16″ square than a full size quilt under the arm of my sewing machine. I still intend to make the quilt a QAYG project, but since I couldn’t find the blocks I previously quilted, I was free to make a new design.  I no longer have a full size bed, so decided to scale the project down to twin size.

For the past four weeks I’ve been pondering how to put the quilt together, but hadn’t settled on a solution.  Then earlier this week, Fiona from BubzRugz was the guest blogger at Stash Manicure.  Fiona wrote a tutorial on QAYG where she joins her blocks with sashing by machine.  I have seen this style of joining before, but did not realize it could be done completely by machine.  Since I had 4 string blocks I tried it out.  It works pretty well.

Oh, did I mention I finally realized that my 6 1/2 yards of black fabric was not going to be enough for the border, backing and binding for the Dresden Plate and the border and binding for the Dragonfly quilt?  I’m committed to the borders and binding on both quilts, but that still left the backing for the Dresden Plate.  You do see where this is going, don’t you?

Yes, this is the new design.  I have just enough of the gold fabric for the sashing and inner border — if I don’t make any mistakes!    I’ll be able to quilt each block with ease and then join them together.  I dug through my stash and found a fuchsia and purple floral which came from Mom’s stash and half a yard of a mottled green which I’ll use for the sashing on the back.

I can’t wait to finish this quilt.  But first I need to finish the quilting on my friend’s baby quilt.  Her great-niece is two months old and needs her quilt!

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate, string blocks, UFO Challenge 2011

March UFO Challenge

March 1, 2011 1:35 pm ⋅

Judy has announced the # for the March UFO Challenge, and I’m not finished with February’s!  Although significant progress has been made.   It’s a good thing that Judy let us modify the rules.  As a result I have two lists – one of project to get to the top stage and one for tops which need to be quilted. The idea was I would pick one of the two projects and get it done.  January I was lucky and got both done, but February the Dresden Plate was on both lists, so I didn’t have a choice.

This month’s number is 1.

On my “get it to the top stage” list is Mom’s 4-patch Stacked Posies that she started the last time she hosted my friends and me for a quilting weekend.

To be "Topped"

On the “To be Quilted” list is a Red, White and Blue baby quilt.  This quilt top has been around since Spring 2008.

To be Quilted

So, this month, I’m going to continue working on the Dresden Plate – hopefully complete it.  I will also try to get the baby quilt finished.  The Stacked Posies is on my list of projects to work on at the quilt retreat next month, so I don’t think I’ll work on it.  Besides I have a “new” project to work on — Dragonflies —  which I’d like to have done before I go to the retreat – not to mention a few other projects which I need to make progress on this month.

Posted in: Colorworks Dresden Plate, Mom's Stacked Posies, RWB Baby Quilt, UFO Challenge 2011