A New Begining!

Where do I start?  I've not kept up with my blog and I sure do miss it. I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't create, a young farm girl that learned to entertain herself and found early a love for sewing. My Mother had a treadle sewing machine ( she didn't sew though) tiny me would stand to petal it because I was so small! But, machine sewing didn't come first my hand sewing was a real love, I made doll clothes, lots of doll clothes!  In 8th grade (1967)  I started sewing my own clothes with no one to teach me I somehow fell in love with fabrics and creating clothes. In 1972 I made my own wedding gown, I was only 89 lbs so it was hard finding a dresss so making my gown was my answer. From there it was years of sewing my children's clothes, husbands shirts and everything else. Finally, in the late 80's I made my first quilt from a book, Irish Chain by quilt in a Day. After that my love for sewing quilts was even more fun as their were getting to be more books out on quilting making it easier. So here I am today sewing and planning quilts almost everyday, loving quilting even more each day. I'm so thankful for my love to sew it has gave me many hours of peaceful enjoyment! Here's a picture of my last finished top, Millie's Dresses by Lori Holt. 

Finished

I know you are suppose to always have a picture when you blog but I've showed my Dresden plates over and over. lol Today I finished sewing together all my dresden plates. Next, I'll baste them on the 12" squares, little by little I'm getting them another step. I really like handwork so this will be restful to me.

20 wedges, 2 dresden plates

Ready to sew the wedges together.

Finished the Dresden Plate! 8 more dresdens to go

200 wedges

I have 200 wedges, enough to make 10 more Dresden Plates. Chain-sewing them made it so much easier. Now, on to the next step. Clipping the corners, turning them right side and pressing each dresden :)

Dresden ready for stitching

The colors are so soft and the wedge fabrics just all flow together Love it!!! Roses roses!!!!! The fabric is Beach House by Robin Pandolph, I've had it for a while, the Dresden Plate was the perfect use for it!

The pink flowered backround is my ironing pad, I put a new top on it, so easy to press beside my machine!

Dresden is ready to hand stitch on the 12" block

More pics of my Dresden piecing

These little circles are the center of the Dresden, I use cardboard a gather them around it, press & take the cardboard out. I had enough strip fabric from the Beach House twice the charm to make the centers from this.

The wedges are stitched across the top then pressed, then each wedge is sewn together to make the dresden.

Chain piecing the wedges

Dresden Plate

I can't tell you how fun this is piecing these little wedges, chain piecing goes really fast as the are only 4" wedges, the finished Dresden is 10" the block will be 14".

Sewing with my Featherweight is so much fun, each stitch is perfect!

There is 240 wedges & 12 circles. Using the template to cut them out is a breeze.