EZ Dresden Challenge: Strip Pieced Dresdens

Welcome to the last and final blog stop for the EZ Dresden Quilting Challenge kick off!  I'm sure by now you've caught wind of this great challenge the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild  is hosting with Simplicity, but if you haven't, check out this post with all the details about the challenge...and the prizes!!  Oh yes, there are prizes, and they are good ones!

For my project, I decided to stick with the traditional dresden layout, but spice things up a bit!  This represents one of my most favorite things about quilting in general, how something so "traditional" can be shaken up to be modern with a simple twist or a change in fabric.

I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to dig into my Flea Market Fancy stash, and cut strip pieced dresden plates.  I paired this with some Kona Azure, and a Lotta Jansdotter Echo print for the binding.  I am super happy with my "dresden with a twist" pillow, just enough fancy to brighten up our living room.

If you'd like to make your own, see below for the tutorial, and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to check out the giveaway to win your own EZ Dresden ruler!

Strip Pieced Dresden Pillow Tutorial

This pillow cover will fit an 18" pillow form as pictured, or a 20" pillow form snugly

You'll need:

(6) assorted fabric strips 1.5" wide measuring a total of 60" in length (I used fat quarters and cut three 1.5" strips from the 22" side of each FQ)

background fabric measuring 18.5" square

5" square of fabric for center circle

5" square of lightweight fusible interfacing
(2) pieces fabric measuring 25" x 18.5" for envelope pillow back
(2) strips of fabric measuring 2.5" x WOF (44 inches) for binding
18" pillow form

All Seams sewn with 1/4" seam, unless otherwise noted.  Press all seams open.

Instructions:
1.  Sew strip sets of your 6 different fabric strips, taking care to sew each strip set in the same fabric order.

2.  Align your EZ Dresden Ruler along the bottom edge of your strip of fabrics.  The top edge should align with the 6 1/2" marking on the ruler.  Cut along both long edges of the dresden ruler with your rotary cutter.

3.  Repeat this process until you have 20 wedges (I could get 7 wedges per strip set using strips from a FQ), taking care to align the ruler along the same edge each time.  In my example, the green fabric will always be the at the narrow end of the wedge.

4.  Fold each wedge in half lengthwise, right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the "fat" short edge of your wedge.  Trim the seam along the folded half to reduce bulk for turning.

5.  Turn the "fat" edge of your wedge that you just sewed, so that the wrong sides are together and a "point" forms.  Center the point along your pressed center line.  Use a pointed object if necessary to form a nice crisp point.  Repeat with remaining 19 wedges.

6.  Once all your wedges have points, we will begin sewing our wedges into a circle.  Choose two wedges, and pin along one long edge, right sides together, taking care to align the seams.  Sew the two wedges together.

  **Tip:  I find it helpful in achieving a nice flat resulting dresden to begin sewing my wedges together starting at the narrow end of the strip, and start with a full 1/4" seam, tapering to a scant 1/4" inch seam at my point edge.

7.  I like to sew my dresden together in quarters.  Sew (4) sets of 5 wedges together.  Before sewing your dresden quarters together, align the raw edges with the 90 degree edge of a square quilting ruler.  If your edges do not 100% line up, trim your edges to a perfect 90 degree angle.  This will help your dresden lie nice and flat when assembled.

8.  Sew (2) quarter dresden pieces together to have 2 dresden halves.  Again, trim your halves, this time using a long straight edge quilting ruler.

9. Sew your two dresden halves together, and admire your work!

10.  Take your background fabric and fold in half, press a crease.  open fabric, and press in half the other direction, to mark the center.  Center your dresden on your background fabric and pin in place.  Set aside.

11.  To form the center circle, take your 5" squares of fabric and interfacing, and trace a circle, measuring approximately 4" in diameter and cut out of both materials.  Cut a slit in the center of your interfacing, this will allow us to turn the circle right side out after sewing.

12.  Layer the fabric right side up and the interfacing adhesive side down, and stitch around the edges appx 1/4".  

13.  Turn your circle right side out through the slit in the interfacing.  Align your center circle in the center of your dresden plate and press into place.

14.  From here, you can choose how to finish your dresden.  I chose to layer a backing fabric, batting and then my dresden, spray basting my layers together.  I then appliqued my dresden plate on to my background fabric by sewing appx 1/8" along the edge, and then along the edge of my center circle, so my appliqueing did double duty as the quilting as well.  

15.  To finish the pillow back, fold your two pieces of 25" x 18.5" fabric in half wrong sides together, so each piece measures 12.5" x 18.5".  Layer your dresden pillow front right side down, one of your pillow back pieces, with the raw edges aligned to the top, bottom and left, and the second pillow back piece with the raw edges aligned to the top, bottom and right.

 

16.  Carefully flip your aligned pillow front and back over, so that your pillow front is facing up.  Pin in place and baste with a 1/8" inseam to hold the front and back together.

17.  Sew binding strip in place around all four edges, insert pillow form, and enjoy!

To get you started on your own dresden project, I've got one EZ dresden ruler to giveaway!  Leave me a comment on this post, any old comment will do, to enter to win your own EZ Dresden ruler.  Mr. Random will draw a winner on Sunday, June 17th.  

Thanks so much for stopping by, in case you missed any of the previous blog stops, here is a schedule of all the stops on the blog hop, filled with all sorts of EZ Dresden inspiration, happy sewing!

June 1:  Salt Lake MQG: Kick Off www.slmqg.com/

June 2:  Lee: freshlypieced.blogspot.com/

June 3:  Katie www.fromthebluechair.com/

June 4:  Victoria: bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/ 

June 5:  Val: howaboutpinkplease.blogspot.com/

             Leigh: leedledeedlequilts.blogspot.com/

June 6:  Amy: amyscreativeside.com/ 

            Elisa www.stitchoutsidetheditch.com/

June 7:  Katie: www.swimbikequilt.com/

             Emily: emsscrapbag.blogspot.com/

June 8:  Melissa: happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com/

            Brooke: pitterputterstitch.blogspot.com/

June 9:  Nicole: mamalovequilts.blogspot.com/

            Amy sukie.mt-wudan.com/

June 10:  Elizabeth: www.dontcallmebetsy.com/

              Colleen: www.thebusybean.com/

June 11:  Faith: www.freshlemonsquilts.com/

              Deonn: quiltscapesquilting.blogspot.com/

June 12:  Angela: angelaflicker.com/

June 13:  Amy: www.diaryofaquilter.com/

June 14:  Jessica: sewcraftyjess.blogspot.com/

June 15:  Salt Lake MQG: Wrap-up www.slmqg.com/

WIP Wednesday {6.6.2012}

It's been a little quiet in these parts lately, and mostly because I've been working on projects that I just can't show you yet!  I've been scrambling to meet a few deadlines (I may have over committed myself just a tad..), but I have a plan in place to finish everything up and get back to a little sewing "normalcy".  So without further ado, this weeks post is mostly a post of sneek peeks!

Completed Projects

EZ Dresden Project

I finished up this project over the weekend, but have to wait to share it until next week!  Check back next Thursday for a tutorial!

In Progress/New Projects

This project is for Sara's Purse Palooza, and has jumped to numero uno on the "need to get done" list, as I'll be guest posting a review of this pattern on Monday!  Hopefully all will go smoothly, I'm excited for a new summer bag!

MBS Project

I've been playing away with these super adorable fabrics for an upcoming Moda Bake Shop tutorial.  The fabrics are from Tim and Becks upcoming line for Moda, Bungle Jungle, and will make just the most adorable baby quilt!  Stay tuned for a completed project soon!

do. Good Stitches x and + quilt

I feel bad.  I've been a horrible do. Good Stitcher.  It seems I've been working on finishing up this Japanese x and + quilt for eons now, and it keeps getting put to the wayside.  It's about a third of the way quilted, and hopefully I'll be getting back to it soon!

EPP Hexagons

Believe all the hype.  These are just as addicting as everyone says!  I'm hoping these little guys will turn into a lap quilt in time, I have about 150 basted, only about 1000 more to go.  More about this project in yesterdays post.

That about sums up this weeks goings on!  Stay tuned for full posts about all these sneaky peeks in the coming weeks.  Be sure to head over to Lee's and add your WIPs!

pillow re-do

Looking for the SMS Giveaway?  There's still time to enter, check here!

This Giveaway is now closed.

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I got an itch the other day to make new pillow covers for the couch.  When I started thinking about it, the old covers I made have been in our living room for about a year now.  Once I got over the shock of realizing that was an entire YEAR ago...seriously it feels like a few months at most, I figured no time like the present.  

I decided I wanted to go a little simpler than all that intricate piecing like last time, and just find some complimenting prints, to whip up a few super simple easy covers to spruce up and summer-ize the room.  In perusing the home dec section of Joann's, I came across a few fun prints that worked well together, and after realizing they were 50% off I knew it was meant to be.  

These seriously took about a half an hour per cover, my kind of project.  Like I mentioned last week, I accidentally bought regular zippers instead of invisible zippers, and after getting home, realizing my mistake, and muttering a few curse words, I decided to make the best with what I had, and searched my favorite blogs for how to use these zippers without them showing.  I came across this zipper flap tutorial from Sew Mama Sew, and decided to give it a go.  I must say, I absolutely love these zipper flaps, and may go this route more often, especially when working with a super simple pillow front. 

I also picked up about a yard and a half of this natural linen-y looking fabric, that really is a home  dec weight fabric, and thought it was far too boring to just make a simple cover out of, and consulted with my pinterest pillow board for what to do to spruce up this boring neutral color.

 

I have been wanting to try this V & Co Faux Pleated Pillow tutorial for some time, and thought it would be perfect using the neutral, with a strip or two of color from one of the other pillows, instead of varying the color.  I like my pillow covers to be nice and snug (I cut my fabric pieces at 19 1.2" square for a 20" form), so I ended up having to use a little fusible web on the pleats on either end to help keep them in place.  It worked like a charm, and this is one of my favorite favorite pillows ever.

While I was at Joann's I also picked up a pretty greyish nylon-y fabric (because I can never buy just what I went in for), with the intentions of maybe making  this fun ruffle pillow at some point.  Well in my pillow making madness, "at some point" turned into now.  This pillow took far more material than I had thought it would, so my only regret is I didn't have enough fabric to make the "base" square out of the same material, and at some spots you can see the material under the ruffles.  I'm sure I'm the only one that would think to notice that, but it bugs me a little.  Oh well, live and learn.



I have enough material to make 3 more pillow covers to go on the opposite couch, but I am really loving how this nice and simple, quick and easy project makes a big change in the look of the room.  I don't think I've quite gotten the "pillow bug" out of my system, so stay tuned for more!

WIP Wednesday {5.16.2012}

I'm still here!  I promise!  I feel like its been eons since I've been around these bloggy parts...I've been quite busy doing some behind the scenes work, working on my quilt for market (which I'll show you next week) and we were out of town for the weekend, so I feel like I'm just now settling back into normalcy.  There's not much to show, but heres a little bit of what's been going on!

Last minute new pillows

Pillow Back with Zipper Flap

As I was perusing Joann's last night with my coveted 60% scratch-off coupon (I ultimately bought them out of Kona white, and saved a bajillion dollars on it with the coupon), I came across some super pretty summery home dec weight fabrics that I thought would be great for new pillows in our living room.  I whipped up two last night, super simple slip covers.  It felt nice to just do some easy sewing with a quick result.  I accidentally bought regular zippers instead of invisible zippers, so I used Sew Mama Sew's zipper flap tutorial and am super happy with how they turned out.  I'm going to just work on a few here and there until I hopefully have 8 total.

SewCraftyJess Makeover

After creating a new blog header, I was inspired to order some new business cards, and some new fabric labels, with my new logo of sorts, and I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out.  The business cards are from Vista Print and my labels are from Mommiemadeit on etsy.

Kitchen Facelift

Since finishing painting our cabinets, we've been stalled just waiting for the new coutertops to come in.  After  living like this for the past two days, I'm thrilled to report that the men are installing our coutertops, new sink and dishwasher as we speak!  Yippee!

That about sums up whats new in these parts!  I'm off to enjoy a rare day off of work Wednesday, and do a little sewing just because.  Be sure to head over to Freshly Pieced and add your WIP!

WIP Wednesday {2.22.2012}

This week has not left much room for sewing, and the sad thing is there is nothing super exciting to report that I was doing instead!  Oh the hum drum ins and outs of every day life...

No new finishes this week, but a few goings on down in my sewing room, here's what I've been working on:

New Projects

Swoon HST pillows

I've been playing around with my leftover HSTs from my swoon blocks, and just couldn't settle on a design.  One or two of these layouts will become a set of pillows, and thanks to everyone's input, I've decided to definitely make the top right design.  As for the second pillow, I think the only logical solution is to whip up some more HSTs and make all of the other three  designs!  I'm kidding, but it's so hard to choose!  I'm leaning towards the top left as well, but we'll see.

In Progress

Swoon

I feel like I have been working on this quilt forever, and I'm at the point where I just want it to be done!  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love everything about it, but it's been So. Slow. Going.  Argh.  Hopefully by the weekend I'll have a finished quilt to share!

Sparkle Punch Mini - I've finished all the hand quilting and this little guy just needs some binding, should be finished soon!

This Weeks Stats:

New Projects: 1

In Progress: 8

Completed Projects: 0

Swoon

HST pillows

Sparkle Punch mini

Ripple Afghan

February Bee Blocks

4x5 Bee Blocks

Farmers Wife QAL

Retro Flowers baby quilt

Be sure to head over to Freshly Pieced and join in the linky WIP party!!

  

WIP Wednesday {11.16.2011}

Oh Wednesday, why must you sneak up on me so?  Time for another WIP Wednesday update, here's whats new!

Completed Projects

Petal Pillow

In Progress

Tangled Windows Quilt

I've had the idea for the back of my Tangled Windows quilt, and have really enjoyed the freedom of just randomly sewing together my left over scraps from the quilt front, pressing them, and cutting them up again!  It's really quite freeing.  Anyways, I have just a tad more scraps to sew together into a few more blocks, and I'm thinking of piecing them into some Kona Coal to make up the quilt back.  Hopefully I will be wrapping this quilt up in the next few days.

This Weeks Stats

New Projects: 1

Completed Projects: 1

In Progress: 7

Tangled Windows

4x5 bee blocks

FWQAL

Birdie Stitches

ABC Crewelwork Sampler

Blocks that need to be turned into a quilt top:

Spiderweb blocks

3x6 quilt bee blocks

Be sure to stop over at Freshly Pieced and add your WIP!

pinterest: pillow edition

I absolutely love Pinterest.  I love pinning, I love looking at other peoples pins, and repinning said pins.  However I have this horrible knack of pinning 90 bajillion projects and tutorials, and then looking at my boards saying, "I really need to make something one of these days."  

Up until today, I had 108 pins, and hadn't made one darn thing.  That is until today!  I have had this cluckclucksew petal pillow tutorial pinned on my "I heart pillows" board for about six months, and finally decided that today was the day that this pillow should come to life.  

I have been wanting to make some winter/holiday pillows for our living area where we put our Christmas tree, and when I saw this winter white felt I knew it was just the ticket for making this petal pillow, and a great start to my soon to be holiday pillow collection.  I found the light grey Riley Blake print in my stash, and added some fusible lightweight interfacing to the back for some added weight.  This pillow was so incredibly quick and easy to assemble.  I used my Accuquilt GO! baby and circle die to cut about 35-40 3" circles and about 20-25 2" circles, which made for super quick cutting.  This pillow took about an hour and a half to put together from start to finish, almost instant gratification.

While I was at Joann's picking up felt for this pillow, I picked up some other fabrics for a few other dog eared pinterest pillows I have been dying to make, so don't be surprised if this blog is inundated with all things pillows over the next few days!  I've got a fever, and the only prescription is...more pillows!

{on an aside, these terribly awfully lit pictures, are telling me I need to make a homemade light box like Jeni, Megan and Anne Marie, like stat}

pillow swapping-international style

Remember this sneaky peek?  Well my secret project is now safe and sound in its new home, and its safe to share.  It was killing me having quilty projects that I couldn't show {I may or may not be one of the worlds worse secret keepers...} I suppose that the anticipation is half the fun of swapping, and the wait for my swap package to arrive from over seas certainly wasn't a disappointment!

I was stitching away on these pillows for Ann!  I met Ann through this blog, she was a newish quilter and had emailed me for some tips and suggestions (I was uber flattered) and we quickly became email pals.  Ann lives in Italy right now with her hubby and her adorable two puppies, and we decided to swap quilty projects and settled on pillow covers.  

Ann requested pillow covers in bright warm colors, and these pillows came to light.  I used my Accuquilt Go! Baby and circle die and appliqued these two pillows in a scallop pattern and circle pattern.  I grew quite attached to these, and really want to make a scalloped pillow for myself now.  

I used invisible zippers, which are quickly becoming my favorite way to seal up a pretty pillow, and used this Parisville print for the pillow back.  I really liked the print, and it was the inspiration for the scalloped pillow design.  I also like that if Ann isn't feeling in a piece-y kind of mood, she can flip the pillows around for a fun pretty print.  

Hopefully Ann digs them as much as I do!

In return I received these amazingly beautiful Terrain AND linen quilted pillows!  I was so incredibly excited, Terrain...AND linen??  I couldn't be so lucky.  

They are already snuggled on my couch and look quite content to be there.  I think these pillows are a sign that I most definitely need to keep my Tangled Windows quilt once its finished, now that I have matching pillows!!

Thanks again Ann, its been so fun swapping!