Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Dare to Dresden





Who knew that the Dresden (aka as the Friendship Ring, Ester, Dahlia or the Sunflower block) could create so much eye candy this week? I am truly awed at all the creativity I have seen.  

I was first introduced to the Dresden Plate Quilt Pattern by Eleanor Burns when she was teaching and testing the blocks that were going into her book, Egg Money Quilts. We used a template to make the blades and she demo'd how to make a circle with non-woven interfacing. To this day, I still haven't mastered a decent circle with the interfacing method.

While looking for the block above from Eleanor's class, I found these lovely, beautifully hand sewn blocks. I had forgotten that I had them! My neighbor gave them to me a couple of years ago. There are twenty blocks! She thinks that one of her aunt's may have made the blocks, but wasn't sure.



Believe it or not, I did a quick press before I took the picture. I should have used starch! I'm afraid that I may have to remove the Dresdens from the background fabric. It is thin, flimsy, yellowed and stained. Hubby may like the "antique" look, but I think it will be a nightmare to put the top together.



Summer before last, I co-taught with my friend, Lisa, at our Fabric Floozies group. The members of the group take turns throughout the year teaching various techniques or projects.  You can view Lisa's blog here. Lisa’s  area of expertise (among others) are Quilted Jackets and they are exquisite! Lisa designed all her own projects for the class, while I found projects for the ladies to do off the internet. At the time, a lot of the members had no clue about all the wonderful projects and blogs online. One of my summer projects included the Dresden. I was inspired to make a wall hanging after I saw the online demo from the Missouri Quilt Company. At the monthly North County Quilters Association Guild's White Elephant Table, I found a Easy Dresden Ruler by Darlene Zimmerman. I got it for fifty cents! Not only a bargain, but it made short work preparing the blades below. Can you see the kitty cat?





Mug Rugs were quite the rage that summer. I demo'd another pattern using scraps
 and just for fun, I came up with the one below. 


 


The Dresden is definitely the perfect block in my book.
I prefer hand sewing over machine sewing and as you can see above,
once I got the blades put together, I could hand sew to my heart's delight.
The butterflies came from one of Val Laird's BOM projects. 


Looking for all the Dresden's from this blog hop?
Go over to Madame Samm's Pinterest page here
You will be so inspired! 
Thanks to Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt for her
time and effort to bring us together to
showcase our projects and talent.

And last, but not least,
 my heartfelt thanks to 
our Cheerleader
Christine

All your hard work and time is appreciated!!



And to you, dear reader, thank you for visiting! 

Although it has been a challenge to set up this blog, I am having a blast. It is really giving my mushy old brain a workout.  The San Diego Shop Hop is slated for the beginning of March. I already have my list ready for what I want to purchase. I have a particular fabric design in mind that I am  going to look for and hope to find (or I'll have to resort to Plan B). It will be part of a QAL I am planning later this spring. It will incorporate applique (freezer paper method) and embroidery. Be sure to sign up for the mailing list so you won't miss out on the announcement as to when we will start.

I found this in the same container as the Vintage Dresden blocks, so I am going to have a giveaway. I bought two and have never used this package. It contains 15 Screen-Printed 3-1/2" Quotes. It is recommended that you use a pressing sheet when ironing the quotes.

Please leave a comment and include where you are from 
(City & State and add your Country if you are outside of the United States). 
It will be fun to see where everyone is from. 
For a second chance, sign up for the mailing list and leave another comment to let me know. 
I will announce the winner here on this blog on February 8th.





97 comments:

  1. Wonderful Dresdens! How lucky to have those gifted ones - will you make them into a quilt? Thanks so much for sharing!

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  2. And there it is! My favorite colors right at the top! So lovely! I am very inspired by your dresdens! Thank you for sharing!
    Such a great giveaway too! I am from Sugar Land Texas...Home of Imperial Sugar ...where there is NO EQUAL.
    hehehehe!

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  3. Great dresdens there looks like you have had lots of fun! Thanks for sharing and I am from England.

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  4. Nice projects! Visiting from Luxembourg!

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  5. Lovely projects, I can see that you really enjoy the Dresden. I am visiting from England.

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  6. I enjoyed seeing all your projects - especially the vintage blocks belonging to your neighbor. I love all things vintage! I'm from Hot Springs, Arkansas. blessings, marlene

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  7. Cute dresdens.....love the mug rugs and the purple dresden! I'm from Fort Wayne, IN. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Can we say eye candy. I love love purple and that dresden rang my bell. The bright flowers and mug rugs are fabulous!

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  9. I love your purple Dresden. I'm from Bloomfield, NJ.

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  10. Dresden blocks do have endless possibilities! Currently living in NC but as my students used to say, I'm from 'somewhereselse'.

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  11. Thanks for sharing.....I love the flower especially. I am from New Brunswick, Canada...right beside the world famous Hopewell Rocks Park. They are the world's largest flower pots.

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  12. All of your Dresdens are fun - so many different ways to see them. I'm from a small town in Idaho near the ski resort of Sun Valley. We deal with lots of snow and long winters, so it's the perfect time to quilt!

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  13. What wonderful Dresdens. I am writing from Denton a fun little city in Texas. I hope to be able to make some Dresdens in the future but there are just so many quilty things that I want to make it is hard to fit them all in. Perhaps I will just have to live to be 100.

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    1. We can all only hope to live long enough to use up our stash and all the projects on our long list of things to make!

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  14. Lovely Dresdens!
    Hello from Greensburg, PA - Westmoreland County - land of my ancestors.
    please turn off word verification...

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    1. I finally figured out how to turn the Word Verification off. So sorry! Blogger is easy to navigate, but am still learning where everything is located.

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  15. What pretty projects! I'm here from Pleasanton, Texas! (A little farm community that is currently overrun with oil companies and support businesses!)

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  16. Love what you have shared today.,..

    I am originally from Northwest Alabama but now live in a small town just shy of the Virginia state line in North Carolina. :)

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  17. Nice showing of Dresden Plates...thanks for sharing! Of course, I'm quite partial to the purple one. :O)

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  18. Thank you for sharing your wonderful projects:)
    I'm freezing my buns off here on the Canadian prairies, (-43C)this morning! Brrrrrrr!!!

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  19. Beautiful Dresdens and loved your story. Thanks for sharing with us from Judy C in NC

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  20. Thank you so much for sharing your Dresdens in the HOP! Love those butterflies and that RickRack gives me an idea for my nieces. Hugs and Happy hoppin!!

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  21. Your Dresdens are just lovely! I signed up to follow you so I won't miss your upcoming QAL. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks!

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  22. Beautiful Dresdens! Love them!
    I signed up via email following!

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  23. Love your dresedens. The pruple one is my favorite followed closely by the flowwer... I curretnly live in Walterboro, South Carolina, USA. It will be fun to see where everyone is located.
    conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  24. Pretty dresdens. I like the butterfly in the center of your dresden on the mug rug. Thanks for sharing.

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  25. Those are pretty. My daughter loved the butterfly mug-rug. And totally found the kitten in the one dresden, that is hilarious! I don't know that I ever would have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it.

    I'm in Michigan an hour north of Detroit. Very cold! Makes for good quilts, though. We need them to get through the winters! :)

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  26. What great dresdens!
    Thank you for sharing!
    I'm in England!

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  27. Beautiful Dresdens. I had to search and search for the kitty. Of course, I was looking for a black or gray kitty, like one of mine. Thanks very much for sharing your wonderful projects and creativity with us.

    I live in Broken Arrow, OK.

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  28. Love the dresdens- the colors are great!

    Live in Florissant, Missouri- just north of St Louis.

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  29. Lovely Dresdens. I live in the Land of Enchantment.

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  30. Great colors for the dresden, love it. I am from Washington, D.C. the US Capital.

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  31. I love the shades in that purple dresden. I am from West CHester, Pa. home of QVC!

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  32. Your purple Dresden is stunning. All beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Robin

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  33. Very nice Dresdens. The purple is just gorgeous. I'm from So. CA - near Santa Barbara.

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  34. The purples remind me of a peacock. I'm from... Deep in the HEART of TEXAS"! "The beloved LONE STAR STATE" !

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  35. Great projects!

    I agree with you on the antique dresdens. I would replace the back ground fabric, too.

    I am from Marion, Iowa!

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  36. All of your Dresdens are beautiful, but I really love the mug rug with the butterflies. Great job and thank you so much for sharing and for the giveaway. I am from Demorest, Georgia.

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  37. Love your flower hanging and the mug rug Dresdens! Thank you for sharing. I am from Paradise Calif. Love your giveaway! jbechosend at sbcglobal dot net

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  38. Oh I LOVE all your dresdens. I am here in Winfield, Kansas.

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  39. I live in Salt Rock, WV and love the dresdens!

    I am a new follower!

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  40. I love your dresden with the hand embroidered butterflies. I also adore those blocks with all the sayings. I found one for nurses while on a Shop Hop in San Juan Bautista last year and made a purse for my daughter's friend. From NoCAL, thanks for sharing.

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  41. I love your Dresden with the sweet butterflies. Thanks for sharing
    I am from Malmö, Sweden

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  42. Hi - love your Dresden, very pretty. I am from St. Paul, MN.

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  43. I love the mug rug. I have to make some Pay It Forward gifts. This gives me some great ideas. From Austin, TX

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  44. Those blocks from your neighbor are just so cheery and bright!! What a shame you'll have to remove the bg fabric.

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  45. Such pretty Dresdens. I prefer hand sewing too! I am from Bristow, Oklahoma. Thanks for the giveaway. vickise at gmail dot com

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  46. I am a new follower. vickise at gmail dot com

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  47. love your flowers... from Honolulu, HI

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  48. I love the purple fabrics in the dresdan, makes a stunning block and the butterfly piece would be a fun mat to make for friends. I love making things for friends and love quotes, that would be wonderful to add to my pieces.

    I live in North Kingstown, RI.

    Debbie

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  49. I'm from Saginaw, Michigan, and I love your Dresdens! :)

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  50. Love your Dresdens. I am in Chapel Hill NC.

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  51. Great Dresdens. You did an excellent job. I'm a new follower and from Atlanta GA

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  52. Eu sou apaixonada e viciada em placas,sou do BRASIL,e seguidora sempre.Parabéns pelo trabalho lindo.

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  53. Thank you so much for sharing with us. I write to you from Portland, Oregon.

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  54. I love your Dresdens, especially the purple one. Also, the flower is very pretty. Thank you for sharing!

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  55. Dresdens are certainly a wonder and I enjoyed hearing your story. The purple one is beautiful. I am from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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  56. Thank you for sharing your Dresdens - they are a treasure!! I am from Austin, Texas and I dared to Dresden earlier this week. Great job!

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  57. Great projects. Thanks for sharing. From SC.

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  58. I love the purple dresden and those butterflies on the mug rug. And I see that kitty cat peeking out of your flower. I live in Lakeside CA and I am looking forward to the shop hop too. Hi neighbor!

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    1. So I have to ask...which is your favorite quilt shop?

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  59. Great dresdens - thanks for sharing! NJ

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  60. Such a sweet flower you made! I live in Tiburon, Calif.

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  61. I signed up for your emails! Thanks

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  62. Love all the dresdens especially the flower one. I made my first dresden when I took a class to learn to quilt and we did a sampler quilt and that was one of the blocks. I live in Stratford Ontario Canada and I too have enjoyed this blog hop.

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  63. From Spain.Love all the dresden but the one with butterflies is my fav.Thanks for sharing!!

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  64. I particularly loved your flower dresden. Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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  65. I love your flower dresden too. So pretty. The blocks from your neighbor are so pretty. I hope you can save them onto another piece of fabric.
    xx

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  66. Heidi, I just love your flower Dresden. It's bright and colorful and makes me happy. Hope you don't mind if I 'borrow' your idea and use similar fabrics to make one for myself. And yes, I did find the kitty!

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    1. Hope to see a picture of it! It was a lot of fun to make.

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  67. Love the flower and the little butterfly's on the mug rug. I'm from Uncasville, CT

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  68. I've joined your email list as well...looking forward to hearing from you!

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  69. Your dresdens are lovely! What a fun flower and a darling mugrug as well. I just started a quilt that has dresdens and embroidery called Susan's Dresdens. Thank you for sharing all your projects with us, awesome job!

    Thank you for a neat giveaway and a chance to win.

    usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Oops, forgot to mention I'm in Northern California, near Sacramento.

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  70. I'm a new follower via email.

    Thanks again for a chance to win.

    usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

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  71. Love the purples on your Dresden but especially the older found treasures. I am from Nova Scotia, canada.

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  72. I love your blocks. That purple is just gorgeous! Great idea for the flower also!
    Logansport, LA right on the TX border

    www.prayersformymom.blogspot.com

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  73. Love all of your Dresden's...Purple is beautiful!! But love the Flower!!! :)

    I live in Mansfield, Ohio.....was warm past few days...low 60"s even. Today was windy & rainy....then tonight temps dropped & we lost 15 degrees in about 10 minutes!!! Has gon down more...is 31 now...and snowin'!!! Brrrrrr!

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  74. Your dresden's are beautiful! The mug rug is my favorite with the stitched butterflies! Gorgeous! Thanks for participating in the blog hop and inspiring us! I'm from Alexander, Arkansas.

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  75. I just signed up for your mail list...& thanks for chance to win your Drawing too!! :)

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  76. Beautiful Dresdens! Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway. I'm from Leesburg, Georgia.

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  77. Love the mug rug! Greetings from the Pacific Northwest!
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  78. e-mail subscriber
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  79. Thanks so much! I am from Canyon Lake, CA Thanks for your part in the hop!

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  80. Thanks for sharing your parade of Dresdens...luv the vintage one, they are a real treasure. Luv the flower and the mug rug too. I currently live in Canton Michigan. Happy stitching, Pauline

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  81. Hi!! Very pretty dresdens!!! Love the flower!!! I live in La Grange KY!!!! Just out of Louisville!!!

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  82. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.

    Now living in Houston, TX

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  83. I love dresdens used for flowers.. Abilene, Tx.

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  84. Love the mug rug and the flower on a stem. How lucky to be the recipient of old blocks.
    Smithville , Ontario, Canada

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