How to Applique a Dresden Plate Quilt
The Dresden plate quilt pattern is usually sewn with 12 to 20 equal-sized pieces of fabric assembled in a circle, with each piece also attached to one small center circle. The resulting design resembles a colorful plate. Victorian era quilters gave it the name, because it looked like fine porcelain plates made in Dresden, Germany. Quilters applique or sew each “plate” onto a square of background fabric, using one of several applique techniques. Two of the easiest methods of appliqueing Dresden plates quilts are by using a simple needle-turn technique or appliqueing by machine.
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Things You'll Need
- Clothes iron
- Quilter's ruler
- Fabric marking pen
- Straight pins
- Hand-sewing needle
- Thread
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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Prepare the Square
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1
Find the center of the background fabric. Fold the background fabric in half, and press with a clothes iron. Fold in half again and press.
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2
Open out the fabric on a flat work surface. The two ironed-in creased will be visible and cross in the center of the square.
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3
Lay the completed Dresden plate on the background fabric. Measure and mark the widest part of the plate vertically, using a quilter’s ruler and fabric marking pen. Measure and mark the widest part of the plate horizontally. The point where the two lines intersect is the center.
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4
Push a straight pin through the center mark of the Dresden plate, adjusting the background fabric until the pin also pushes through the center mark on the background fabric.
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5
Pin or baste the plate in place.
Needle Turn Applique
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6
Thread a hand-sewing needle with a thread that blends with the background fabric.
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7
Push under the edge of the plate fabric ¼-inch, using the needle and beginning away from a seam or curve. Hold the folded under fabric with the fingers of your non-dominant hand. With the other hand, bring the needle up from the back of the fabric and sew a blind stitch, catching a few threads of the applique fabric and the background fabric with the thread.
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8
Push the plate fabric under ¼-inch again. Slide the tip of the needle 1/8-inch horizontally through the fold you made when pushing the fabric under. Pull the needle and thread toward you. Make another blind stitch.
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9
Continue to needle turn and blind stitch all the way around the plate.
Machine Applique
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10
Thread your sewing machine and bobbin with either a matching or contrasting color thread.
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11
Set your sewing machine to the satin stitch. If your machine does not have a satin stitch, adjust it to the tightest zigzag stitch.
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12
Slide the prepared background fabric, with plate pinned or basted in place, under the machine needle.
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13
Sew around the edges of the applique, working slowly. Make sure each stitch catches both one side of the plate fabric and one side of the background fabric.
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14
Turn the fabric gradually as you stitch around the curves until you have sewn completely around the plate.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Instead of using the needle-turn method, you can turn under the edges of the plate ¼-inch and baste before blind stitching the plate to the background fabric. Baste loosely and shrink in any fullness around the curves. Press the turned edges lightly with an iron before centering the plates on the background fabric.
Practice machine applique with one piece of scrap fabric placed on top of another before appliqueing the quilt plates in place. It will help you learn how to adjust the sewing speed and make gradual turns on the curved pieces.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Michael Blann/Digital Vision/Getty Images
