Dare to Dresden

Jan 31

Written By Ellie Q

Welcome! Happy Thursday! Today is the last day of the Dare to Dresden blog hop over at Sew We Quilt. It's been so much fun seeing everyone's project over the past week while busily trying to finish my own. (Which I did, at noon on Wednesday!)

Thanks so much to the always enthusiastic and cheerful Christine from Quilt Monster in My Closet for being the hop cheerleader, and to Madame Samm for hosting all these great blog hops.

I purchased this bundle of batik fat quarters at Quilt Festival at least six years ago.

The glow of the original project I had in mind had faded. So when the Dresden hop was announced, I knew these fabrics had found their purpose!

Keep reading the novel below to learn more about how this came together.

To skip all that (I won't be offended...I know I'm long-winded!) and find the links for today's other participating blogs and to find out to enter my giveaway, scroll to the bottom.

I didn't start with that exact idea. I knew I wanted to make a more modern Dresden. I start piecing strip sets, and cut blades from those as well as from plain fabric. Here was one of my first attempts.
Just wasn't feelin' it.

I tried a *few* other variations. Still nothin' I loved.

Ultimately, I came up with what you see here. Some of it was dumb luck. Like the fact that the orange sections butt up against each other in both areas. I just cut widths to make a strip set without doing math. What are the chances?! It's a happy accident that I like.

Monday night I pieced three of the quarter-circles. Then I unpieced the fourth quarter-circle that I'd pieced (badly) earlier. It's amazing what a difference a miniscule amount of error makes in a Dresden!

I pinned the completed Dresden to a square of Kona Tangerine (yum!), added backing, and quilted 1/4" on either side of the blade allowances. In the photo below, you can see the stitch lines through the center. I knew it wouldn't matter since I'd be covering it up with a center circle.

But I really liked how the light blue thread looked on the orange. So I ultimately used that look to echo quilt the background. (Love the texture this creates!) I stitched on a bias binding to cover the outside raw edges of the Dresden, and made a circle using the interfacing technique for the inner circle.

If I'd finished this quilt three days earlier or two days later, you'd see pristine white snow in the background. But it's been 50 degrees the last two days and all you see are brown leaves and mud. Good thing my quilt is so bright that the background scenery faces away!

Now here's my question: Would you bind it in orange or in navy?
I couldn't decide so I haven't done it yet.

And here's my giveaway:
Leave me a comment telling me your vote: orange binding or navy?

If you're not a follower, I'd love for you to consider becoming one (and let me know in your comment!). I will randomly choose one random comment and send that person this cute little quilt I made a few weeks ago (my first Dresden attempt...read more here!) and the six fat quarters below.