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The Dresden plate is a beautiful and classic quilt block, known for its fan-like segments. Creating your own template gives you control over the size and shape of the petals, making your quilt truly unique.

Let’s take a look at the easy steps to make your own Dresden plate template.

You don’t need any special skills or fancy tools—just some basic materials you likely already have in your quilting stash. We’ll explain everything in clear, simple terms, so you won’t feel overwhelmed.

First, we’ll go over the materials you’ll need: a ruler, cardboard ...

Creative Passions Retreat Center in Chesaning, Michigan offers crafters solace from the everyday and adequate space to work on their craft. They cater to crop and quilt retreaters. I traveled to Chesaning for a solo retreat in early December, but spent the days with a group of four quilters from Toledo, Ohio. Another group of […]

Sewing in community is an important part of quilting history. Family and friends gathered together at quilting parties to finish a quilt. Today, quilt guilds, quilt shows, retreats, and other organized events create opportunities for community. I prefer getting together with my sisters, so today we gathered at my local church and stitched on quilts […]

My Scrappy Irish Chain Quilt has an addition to the plan.

I saw a completed top in the Coriander Quilts Facebook Group 

in lovely 30's fabrics that combined

 the Irish Chain Blocks with Dresden Plates 

and had to borrow the idea. 

A Dresden Plate bed quilt has long been on  my quilty list.

The combination of these two blocks was iressistable. 

 Mr. Scrapatch has also been busy on a home improvement project in the living/dining room ...

Just a little while ago, I wrote about how exciting it is to find an exactly matching fabric when patching vintage and antique quilts.  I told the stories of 6 times that has happened for me in nearly 40 years of repairing quilts.  

And lo and behold, number 7 just happened!  

The quilt in question is a 1930s Dresden Plate with what today is known as an ice cream cone border.  

Not only is the fabric exact, but it is a piece taken out of an old quilt and very nearly the same shape as well.  

And there is also ...

The spring has been good to us. We got some very lovely quilts in that I know you are going to love. I wish I could show them all to you, but that would make for a very long post. We got in a number of modern quilts as well as a Dresden plate and a simple, but not simple, block quilt. You’ll understand what I mean in a minute. I think you’ll also see why April renters bring May admirers. Because I know I am an admirer!

Chemical Formula for Beauty

This blue beauty is from Anna ...

Yesterday I took a great stack of quilts to my Country Women's Association meeting to talk about antique quilts. It was great, I love talking about my collection and I got excellent feedback.  I showed a number of friendship quilts and explained how I track down the women who made each quilt block.  

Some quiltmakers were very thoughtful, adding a full name, a location or even a date.  Other blocks remain a mystery.

Hope of Hartford

This block is "Mine". It belongs to the Sugar Creek Township quilt top, made between 1942 and 1945 in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.  Mine ...

The year my friend Margaret hosted her first Thanksgiving dinner, everything seemed to go wrong. 

The cat left paw prints on the freshly-baked pie, the oven stopped working mid-turkey, and the little cousins ruined a white couch with a box of sidewalk chalk. (But the mashed potatoes were excellent, and so was the company!) 

Thanksgiving dinner is no small feat, but Jenny’s new Thanksgiving quilt is easy as pumpkin pie—minus the paw prints!

This pretty harvest quilt combines applique Dresden turkey blocks with a variation of the Irish Chain called Irish Change. It’s simple, quick, and “sew ...

The Periwinkle Template is a magical thing. (In fact, it has its very own playlist of projects!)

We’ve used it for spiderwebs, mug rugs, and butterflies. We’ve used it for modern quilts and old-fashioned classics.

But this week, I think we may have found its true calling.

Periwinkle Plates is a breathtaking applique pattern made with a layer cake, a charm pack, and our beloved template. It’s put together like a simplified Dresden Plate—with only 6 blades instead of 20! 

Jenny used Christmas fabric in her quilt, but – as always – your quilt will look beautiful in ...

If you have always wanted to try a Dresden Plate block (or if you’ve made a bunch because you love them) then this quilt is for you! And if you’ve tried making Dresdens but they never turned out quite right then this is DOUBLY for you because the quilt uses half-dresdens which are more forgiving […]

I have even wintered over a couple of container gardens that I put on display by my front door during the summer. They are full of Boston Ferns and Wandering Jew. I'm amazed the ...

I have even wintered over a couple of container gardens that I put on display by my front door during the summer. They are full of Boston Ferns and Wandering Jew. I'm amazed the ...

You’ve gathered your supplies, you’ve studied your basic skills, and you’ve even put together your first quilt block, but what comes next? Using templates and notions to create one-of-a-kind quilting designs is even more simple than you may have imagined. In fact, if you’re using a ruler to line up your cuts, then you’re already experience in the process! The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a template as “something that establishes or serves as a pattern”, so that handy ruler you’ve been using is the first step ...

My show is going strong! Here's the third batch. 

Pandemic Porch Quilt Show, Day #14: Cowboy Quilt

This quilt was made circa 1998, when my adorable little boy wanted to be a cowboy.

At the time, I was not only enchanted with my growing baby humans, but also my growing baby fabric stash, especially this brown border print:

As a new quilter, I did some reckless things. In this case, I cut the outer edges, on the sides and bottom, into hanging diamonds. What's worse, I chose a relatively thick red denim bandana print to bind them. (On ...

If you follow me on Facebook  you already know about the daily 1930s block.  Block #250 Little Boy's Britches was shared today - hurray! - and there are more to come.

Day 246 - Dresden Plate Quilt - This dainty block, the Dresden Plate, is pieced of twenty different prints and appliqued on a plain block fourteen inches square. A pillow top in this design may be made any size desired, or it may be used for chair pads. A silk design may be applied upon woolen blocks if one cares to use these fabrics. The many uses of this block is one ...

Happy fourth of July. May God bless America.

Last Saturday, we lost power during a short thunderstorm. When we lose power, we also lose water and flush toilets. I didn't get a chance to post the last of my pink projects for the rainbow scrap challenge. And, I didn't get a chance to visit other blogs for my weekly inspiration. I really missed that.
I make the wonky stars from 2 inch scraps and leftover triangle pieces.

The rainbow scrap challenge for June is pink. I have a dresden plate in pink that I have included this month, along with the projects I try to do each month in the rainbow color.
I made one block for shine using 2 1/2 inch strips.

We have had a wonderful week of summer weather, sunshine, and not too hot. The garden has been happy, and so has hubby who really likes to be outside. He is still off work for ...

I thought the best next step for the dresden quilt would be to cut this bag of dresdens I bought at a quilt show. If I was going to use them at all, I would want to start adding the fabrics at the first to make the variety look more consistent. There were both blue and pink in the bag, but I was only interested in the pink.

Last week, I had a decision to make about adding a another project to my rainbow scrap challenge plans, an old ufo with pink dresdens.
I was worried I wouldn't keep all the plates in the air.
I was grateful for bloggie support and decided to do both, but, with a better mind set.

I spent only one evening sorting the scrap bucket and cutting what I would normally need. Then, I put it all away for another time. It looks neat and tidy.... for a minute.

My oldest ufo is from 1987. My only daughter was born after 2 boys ( and there would be 2 more boys) And I was ready to celebrate pink.  I saw a picture in a magazine ( I wonder where it is hiding), and, I cut pieces with a cardboard template. It was so pretty and feminine looking. But, a third baby leaves you one hand too few. And, it has barely seen the light of day.  I can't find when, but I found a dresden template awhile ago. I cut several, enough to fill a gallon zip lock bag.