Hello Quilting Friends! I'm super excited today to share my latest finish. This one has been a UFO for quite some time, 7 years. It was made for a tutorial here on my blog after so many of you loved the original block which I will link to later in this post. For now lets talk about this cutie.
The fabrics used in this Dresden block are scraps from various manufacturers. Some are quilt shop quality and some are not. The UFO consisted of the Dresden only, it still needed a background fabric. I pulled several different fabrics from my stash but as usual I chose a light colored background. You all know me, I love white backgrounds.
The Dresden applique was attached to the backing fabric by invisible machine applique. You can find a tutorial for this method here. Then I cut away the background fabric so the print would not show through on the front of my block.
Since I already have a LARGE quilt on the quilt frame I decided to quilt this one on my domestic machine. It would be much quicker than taking the quilt off the frame. Keeping the quilting simple was a must. Using my ruler and a water soluble marker I added a simple 1 inch crosshatching design to the background fabric.
The crosshatching compliments the curves of the Dresden and also gives it very traditional quilting look.
I'm not a fan of Dritz Basting spray but it's what I have on hand and I don't like to pin baste. Normally I use it for a non slip coating on rulers and templates or crafty type projects. I've had issues with this stuff not washing out of a project and then turning yellow and showing through. I was told by other quilters the trick is to wash it within a couple of weeks of using. So we'll see how that works out. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the basting spray doesn't ruin this much loved project.
Pedal to the metal and within 40 minutes the quilting was complete.
As you can see I kept it fairly simple with stitch in the ditch and outlining the applique.
The simple envelope closure was quick and easy as well. This closure is my go to for pillows no matter how I finish the edge of them. More often than not I use binding as my edge finish just because it's easy and adds color. Years ago I used to finish all my pillows with piping. It's a nice finish also but a little more finicky and time consuming.
And the best thing about binding a pillow is it makes it multipurpose. Just remove the pillow form and TADA! you have a small wall hanging!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post the was Dresden was made for a tutorial here on my blog many years ago. You can find the tutorial with the printable applique templates here. You will also find links to the original quilt made with this block I call Cherry Blossom Marmalade.
How many of you noticed that this block was the inspiration for my business logo?
Great use of your UFO block! Your pillow is beautiful. I noticed right away that this block inspired your business logo. :)
ReplyDeleteSew adorable and the quilting is perfect for this design. I never would have thought it could be either a pillow or wall hanging. Great idea!
ReplyDeletethat pillow is just beautiful! I love it for the red, white and blue, and I love it for the cherries, my favorite fruit! I may have to drop my current project and make the pillow for the 4th! Thanks! Hugs, H
ReplyDeleteI love this pillow, Lea Anne, and the fact you can use it for either a pillow or a wall hanging! You could even use it as a small table topper as well! Beautiful! Thanks for the link to the tutorial also!
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutely adorable!!!
ReplyDeleteLeann, that pillow is lovely! I love the Fourth of July feel. You have a wonderful eye for putting fabrics/colors together!
ReplyDeletesupper cute
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