Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 6 - Twin Peacocks with Dresdens - Block 1 August 15 2019
It's August, and we will be finishing our sixth block, Twin Peacocks with Dresdens. This will mark our halfway mark for the Decadence blocks. The center of today's block is a Dresden Plate quilt block. This block is named after a town, Dresden, Germany, where fancily decorated fine porcelain plates were made.
This weekend I couldn't get motivated to stitch the many projects waiting for me. I realized it was because there was no challenge to them; basting hexagons, sewing pieced hexagons together, appliquéing completed blocks/circles to backgrounds (It's no wonder I have so many UFO's!). So, I started back to the fussy cutting of my Lucy Boston blocks with 1/2" Honeycombs and I was back in my element. The challenge and miracles of designing fussy cutting are so exciting.
Now, let's get started.
FABRICS USED IN THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:
- Black with Green Border Print
- Twin Peacocks on Black
- Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers
- Black with Large Floral
- Turquoise with Birds
- Background Fabric
FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:
1) The wedges of the Dresden are our starting point. This is a 22.5 degree wedge. You will be cutting sixteen pieces from the Black with Green Border Print fabric. The first picture below shows placement of one Dresden piece.
Notice how the thin end of the template rests on the top of a black line of the fabric. However, NOT ALL CUTS WILL REST ON THE SAME BLACK LINE. The second picture below shows how the pieces will stagger on the fabric in order for the leaf/flower sections to lie at approximately the same height. However, THE THIN END OF THE PIECE WILL ALWAYS REST ON THE TOP OF A BLACK LINE.
I can't emphasize enough the need to grab only a few threads of fabric when sewing the seams together. If you pick up too many threads, the Dresden will shrink and will not lay perfectly flat on your background.
Fussy CUT SIXTEEN Dresden pieces from the Black with Green Border Print fabric as shown below.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Now, sew your sixteen basted/glued pieces together in a complete round. I like to press my seams open on Dresden Plates for a smooth finish.
DO NOT cut your center Circles until Step 5 below.
2) Surrounding the Dresden, between points, are sixteen 1" Hexagons, made from the Peacock Twins on Black fabric. To let fussy cutting allow interest to these, I have paired my Hexagons into one peacock with half of its tree facing right and one peacock with half of its tree facing left. I have folded back the top of the tree just above the top x within a circle and I have placed the trunk of the tree at the edge of each Hexagon. (The two pieces would form a tree if they were placed against each other.)
CUT EIGHT with the Peacock facing right and CUT EIGHT with the Peacock facing left.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Sew the Hexagons between the Dresden points, alternating between a left facing peacock and a right facing peacock.
3) Two one-inch equilateral Triangles will be sewn to the top of each Hexagon. These thirty-two Triangles are cut from the Turquoise with Birds fabric. The fussy cuts are placed where there are bare twiggy branches; the branches facing any direction.
CUT THIRTY-TWO TRIANGLES. When you are gluing/basting such small pieces, be careful to keep each edge perfectly straight.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Sew these thirty-two Triangles, two on top of each Hexagon.
4) Next, center the piece on your background fabric and appliqué it in place. The center hole of the Dresden should be basted close to its edge with small basting stitches.
5) Finally we will be sewing the center Circles to the piece. You will notice on your pattern that the center of the Dresden is covered with three circles graduating smaller in size (4", 3", 2"). I have chosen to eliminate the smallest 2" Circle.
CUT ONE FOUR INCH CIRCLE from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric. I have avoided placing any of the dark clusters on the edge as shown in the first picture below.
CUT ONE THREE-INCH CIRCLE from the Black with Large Floral fabric. The placement of my cut is shown in the second picture below.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Carefully fold back and glue the seam allowance of each Circle to the interface. OR, if you are basting your pieces, you can sew small basting stitches near the outside of the seam; then gently pull your thread until the fabric fits around the Circle, adjusting the gathers. Press your Circles, carefully keeping your edges smooth.
Now individually center each Circle on your Dresden and appliqué in place.
Please keep posting your pictures on Facebook and/or Instagram using #DecadenceSAL. Remember, there are great prizes to win each month. Some of the blocks posted are being made with other fabrics, and their choices are spectacular. I am always inspired with ideas when seeing the handwork of other stitchers. We will meet again in September; Fall, my favorite time of year. I'm already getting my pumpkin quilts out.