Sunday, January 27, 2013

Dare To Dresden And a Giveaway



I love Dresden Plate quilt blocks.  I've made different variations of them over the years, but when I saw the Dare to Dresden Blog Hop with Madame Samm and Christine as our cheerleader I knew immediately which Dresden I wanted to try.

Click photo for close up

I think it was about a year ago that I saw this type of Dresden done.  I started out with 2-inch strips for the middle block which ended up being a 15-inch block, and then I downsized the strips to 1-1/2 inches for the surrounding Dresdens (12-inch blocks).

Click photo for close up

 I'm very happy with the way they turned out.  I was just going to stipple quilt it, but after I got the top pieced I decided I want to do some cross hatching.  I had won the fat quarter pack that I used for the blocks and don't have enough for the backing, so I will need to order that.  For some reason I just can't have a quilt that doesn't have a pretty backing too.

Click photo for close up
I used this Olfa circle cutter to cut my middle circles and it works like a dream.  I thought one of you might enjoy trying this great tool too so I have one to give away.  Just leave me a comment letting me know what project you would like to cut circles from fabric for.  As always, you can have a second chance to win just by leaving another comment letting me know you are a follower or have just become one.  I do ask that you are very careful when using this tool as it is VERY sharp.  I will draw for the winner on February 1.



Here are the rest of the blog hop participants for today...


January 28th, 2013
Meadowbrook (you are here)
Rosemary B @ “that Other Blog”

Happy Stitching!!  --Kristen

184 comments:

Scrapatches said...

Your Dresden blocks are beautiful! I really like the colors and fabrics. The layout sets off the block very nicely.

I love to sew circles. I do not have one of these cutters and I am sure I would find many uses for it should I be so lucky as to win.

Thanks for sharing! ... :) Pat

Scrapatches said...

I am a new follower. That is one of the many benefits of these hops. Finding new quilty friends.

Looking forward to seeing the pretty backing you make and the quilting ... have a happy quilty day ... :) Pat

Alyce @ Blossom Heart Quilts said...

I've just bought a Dresden ruler! Can't wait to try it out when I get back from my holidays next month :)

Alyce @ Blossom Heart Quilts said...

I'm already a follower :)

Judy B said...

Beautiful Dresden! I don't have the circle cutters yet, but would like to ad appliqued circle to aquilt I am working on. Thank you for sharing and the great giveaway. jbechosend at sbcglobal dot net

Judy B said...

I am a follower via GFC! jbechosend at sbcglobal dot net

Pam @Threading My Way said...

WOW!!! Your large Dresden looks complicated, but SO very effective!!! Love the colours you've used.

Amy said...

Love the colors you used for your blocks! They are gorgeous.

Sunshine Girl said...

Oooh I love your quilt the colours are so lovely. If I won the circle cutter I would definately make a quilt covered in different sized circles and then, because I wouldnt be able to stop there, a quilt showing the nine planets on too! Thanks for sharing.

Cherie said...

Gorgeous!! I love it. A circle cutter, oh man, I am still working in straight lines, but it would be fun to do a bunch of circles on a quilt. The things my head is dreaming up! Thanks for sharing!

Cherie said...

I am already a follower :)

Theresa said...

oh Kristen your Dresdens are wonderful - I love how they look when made like this.

Nati said...

Your dresdens are lovely and thanks for the chance to win, I would love to use the tool to cut some circles to applique.

Kim West said...

Beautiful dresdens. I would have to say I would use it for cutting the center of the dresdens as well. Thanks for the giveaway.

Die Butjenterin Abschnitt said...

Your Dresden Plate are besutiful.
Thanks sew much for sharing

Martina said...

They are so pretty! Just love them!

Britt-Inger said...

Your Dresden blocks are sew beautiful. I love the way they turned out.
Thanks for sharing

Martina said...

I am already a follower!

SandyMay said...

Your color choices are so cool, and the strip design is great. I want to make a quilt with many different sized circles on it, but don't trust my drawing ability. This tool could be a life saver.

Suze said...

I love your Dresden block. Do you know a name of a pattern for the block? Is there directions for the block with the cutter? I have been wanting one of the cutters? There is a pattern for a quilt with circles and I need a cutter for it.

Suze said...

Thank you for taking time to participate and inspire us. I became a follower. I love your star blocks in your next blog too. They are beautiful. You do beautiful work.

Gill said...

Wow! I love your dresdens! Thank you for sharing!
Cutting circles is so tricky - I've never seen one of these cutters but I'd love to try it!

Gill said...

I'm a happy follower!

Janarama said...

Love your Dresdens ... very unique. I would use the circle cutter for applique work.

Janarama said...

I'm a follower via GFC.

Anonymous said...

Kristen-Wow! Your Dresden is awesome. Is there a tutorial for that? I would love to learn how to do that! From CA, thanks for the opportunity to win a fantastic tool.

Chiska said...

I like circles, but don't ever seem to use them. I'd like to try your dresden--it looks wonderful

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! said...

Good Morning Kristen, My word, your Dresden blocks are beautiful. Are they difficult to make as I have only ever made the traditional type.
I would love to be the winner of your Olfa circle cutter because......I probably should't say this, but I use different sized plates when I am cutting circles and if you look at my blog you will notice, I love, curves and waves and circles rather than squares and oblongs, so this piece of equipment would be invaluable to me.
It seems I am a no reply blogger which I cannot seem to fix. My email is daphne65422@googlemail.com.
Have a lovely day.
Best Wishes
Daphne

Sew Surprising said...

Love your take on the Dresden, I have been eyeing off a circle appliqued quilt but the idea of finding plates/lids to fit douse my motivation :(

charlotte said...

Such lovely fancy Dresdens. Thanks so much for showing them to us today.

Patty C. said...

I would love to have it for a quilt I noticed in a magazine - The entire front was covered in multi-colored circles - Just beautiful & I also would like to make a Dresden quilt - Those middles would be so much easier with this tool ;)

Enjoyed your post :)

Patty C. said...

I am a follower ;)

Debby said...

Lovely blocks! I have enjoyed piecing those Dresden Plate wedges, too - so much more interesting. I have the Circle Cutter and now I need to go look for it again! thanks for sharing your lovely work.
PS - please remove your Word Verification - it will keep people from posting!

Betsy said...

Gorgeous work. Thank you for sharing such wonderful eye candy today. I would use it for my appliqued circles.

Sowing Stitches said...

Don't worry about the back....no one is going to be able to take their eyes off the front! That is a dresden!!! so happy and cheerful!!!!!!!!

Deb C said...

Your Dresdens came out so nicely! Thank you for sharing and for the chance to win. I have always had trouble piecing circles for anything. Perhaps this tool would help as I suspect my cutting is not perfect!

Rosa said...

Wow,these dresden look a little tricky to do .They are awesome!

Nana B said...

I would finish the mariner's compass I am trying to make for my brother & his new bride.

Thearica said...

Kristen, your dresden is gorgous! I like that design very much!

I would use the circle cutter to create a quilt for my granddaughter. She loves blowing bubbles with the wand and dish soap so I thought I would make her a bubbles quilt. :)

JoyceLM said...

I have a Dresden ruler, but it's never been used. So maybe if I win a circle cutter I can put them both to work. Loving the Dresden blog hop. Thanks.

JoyceLM said...

I'm already a follower - thanks.

Lisa England said...

I've seen quilts with pieced backgrounds and circles appliqued all over. I would love to use the circle cutter to make one like that.

Jeanie said...

Beautiful dresdens! I really like that style of dresden. I'd use the cutter for flower centers and also centers of blocks, as you've done. Thanks so much!

Gemma@prettybobbins said...

I'm a new follower :)

Gemma@prettybobbins said...

Wow, I love those pieced dresdens! Well done :)

mtnquiltr said...

What a great Dresden! My circles are always wonky. I'd use a cutter for appliqued flower centers.

mtnquiltr said...

I'm a follower!

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

Nice dresden. Visit me on Thursday and you will see that one of my dresden's is done this way too. I have that circle cutter, but I didn't use it for cutting the center of my dresden.

Mommarock said...

I think it would be fun to cut different size bright circles and place them on white.. just fun large dots!

Mommarock said...

I am a follower

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Lovely dresden and thank you for sharing. Exempt me from the draw as I have two of these.

Unknown said...

Love your Dresdens and fabric! Love the strip-piecing... Thanks for the inspiration!

HeatherK @ A Reformed Heath'n said...

Lovely dresdens. I have a new appreciation for strip piecing since doing that myself last week. As far as circles go ... there is a quilt called Skittles on the Piece-n-Quilt blog that is super cute. It looks like someone is spilling a bag of skittles down the front of the quilt ...

gpc said...

I love your Dresden -- I had never seen the stripey ones until this hop, and I'm crazy about them! I've been wanting to make a modern quilt with applique dots, so the cutter would be PERFECT! Thanks for the chance.

Linda said...

How pretty! You did such a good job on both of your Dresdens! I really like the woven look the piecing gives it.

Linda said...

I'm a follower!

Christine L said...

What a Gorgeous Block... Love how you pieced the blades! I think of Kalidescopes! *sp opps*... Thank you for a wonderful addition to the hop.
Hugs & Happy Hopping

Ellie Q said...

Love your Dresden! I have been admiring some on Pinterest that look like that.

carla said...

Hi!!! Beautiful dresdens!!!! Thank You

vicki said...

I haven't tried to do circles yet, I would have to do a little searching for some inspiration....lol. Nice blocks. I am a follower. Thanks for the giveaway. vickise at gmail dot com

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Love your Dresden!!! It was time consuming, eh...lol. Great giveaway
I would use this tool to cut down circles that are a bit too big.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

I am a follower

Sparky said...

how cool is that my dear..you did fabulous job of your dresdens...and of course I am a follower

Teresa said...

Having just fiddled about with bits of cardboard making circles for my dresden I would use it to make the middles.

Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures said...

What a fun spin on the dresden. Like it.

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

Your Dresden is super sharp and unique....love it!

Carol Swift said...

Wow! That is a beautiful Dresden! I can't wait to see what you do to finish it. I've never used that cutter--I'll have to check it out.

pinsandneedles said...

Love the colors of your dresden block! I love circles in modern quilts! Thanks!

Rosemary B❤️ said...

Rosemary B here:
Kristen, your dresden plate is gorgeous. I love the color combination and the strips. This looks really beautiful!
Thank you so much for sharing today

Calicojoan said...

Fun quiltie. Love the colors

Teresa said...


Such a fun plate. Thanks for sharing

Joyce Carter said...

Love your Dresdens. I have seen this block as a scrappy block and loved it. Since I make a lot of Dresden Blocks, I would use this tool to make the centers. Then they would be perfect. I would also use it to cut out different sizes to use as applique. Thank you so much for sharing and for the giveaway.

Joyce Carter said...

I am a follower.

Vivian said...

I LOVE your dresdens, cutest ones so far I've seen. I would use that olfa circle cutter to make felt circles for a flower pillow I'm going to make. I had one and I used it so much it broke!

Vicki H said...

Your dresdens are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

Vicki H said...

I have been a happy follower for some time now.

✄ Erin @ Sew at Home Mummy ✄ said...

Ooh! I'd use it for set-in circles - I've always wanted to try that!
Your Dresdens are beautiful - I love what you did, and I love the Seaside Cottage line, too!

tubilinha tiacarminha said...

Sou seguidora,obrigada.
tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com

tubilinha tiacarminha said...

Vi em algum lugar uma cocha que era só círculos um sobre posto ao outro,linda.Acho que facilitaria a minha vida ter um destes.Obrigada.
tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com

Sherry said...

I have not seen a dresden like yours before. It looks wonderful, I love the fabrics. I would use the tool to cut the cirles for the dresden I have waiting to be completed in my sewing room.

Sherry said...

I am a follower of your blog.

Tammy said...

Gorgeous fabrics that you used in your project. Just love those colors combined. Your project turned out very nice. I would love to win.. I want to do a dresden plate quilt and a circle quilt.
conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sandra said...

After seeing all of these gorgeous Dresden I would like to try my hand at one too.

Sandra said...

Am a follower via GFC

DeAnna said...

Very Nice!..Both sides are awesome. Your color choices are fantastic!. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the giveaway!

Tammy said...

I am a new follower via GFC.
Glad to have found your blog. You have some wonderful projects you have done on here.
conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

DeAnna said...

I'm a follower too! Looking forward to reading your future posts.

Lisa said...

I really love your dresden I think I might try one like it! Great giveawau! Since I usually just use a jar I might do a more complex dresden plates together!

Needled Mom said...

Lovely Dresden! Great job too.

Deb@asimplelifequilts said...

Beautiful Dresdens~! Love those colors.

Deb@asimplelifequilts said...

I'm a follower ;-)

Julie said...

Whoa! That is way too cool! That tool could be useful for a lot of things...no more dragging cups and bowls out of the cupboard to trace.

Sallie said...

Very nice! Thanks for sharing! I would like to make a modern quilt with lots of different size circles appliqued onto a solid back.

Sallie said...

I'm a follower.

Lana said...

You did a GREAT JOB! I loved your Dresden blocks!

suemac said...

Those are very tiny pieces that you used. It turned out great. I like making pouches with circles of fabric. The cutter would be great for that.

Gmama Jane said...

Oh Kristen, I would have chosen your Dresden as one of the Top 2. I am going to make that!!
Blessings
Gmama Jane
P>S Reminder for Blog Hops: Turn your word ID off so more can comment easily. I didn't know mine was on until a friend told me!!

Gmama Jane said...

Reminder Blog Hop rule: Turn Word ID off dear! This is my 3rd attempt and if you had not had such lovely dresdens I would have hopped on by.
Blessings
Gmama Jane

JudyCinNC said...

Just very lovely in deed. I would use the circle cutter to cut circles that I would applique onto a pieced background quilt. Thanks from Judy C

JudyCinNC said...

A devoted follower of your blog. Judy C

Deb said...

I love your Dresden. I would use the circle cutter for the centers of the scrappy Dresden I am slowly slowly putting together.

fenna said...

Right now with fabric it'd be mostly appliques, but my sons would love for me to be able to cut circles out of paper for them (of course I'd use a separate blade ;) )

fenna said...

I follow you :)

Patty said...

Love your Dresden. I like it a lot. And thanks for the give away. I would make---I am not sure what to call it. A throw with circles sewed together, like a mock Cathederal Window.

sew.darn.quilt said...

Your dresdens are amazing!
One of my fears to conquer this year is curves, this little device sure would come in handy :)
Thank you for the chance

sew.darn.quilt said...

I'm a happy follower :)

Theresa said...

Fabulous dresden and I love the fabric too. More than that I got to have one of those circle cutters!! Thanks for sharing and the chance to win!

Darlington Delights said...

Beautiful dresdens....I love it. Thanks for the giveaway

Darlington Delights said...

I'm a new follower.

Amy, a redeemed sheep said...

I want to try that type of dresden, too. You did a great job!

Simone said...

WoW - Very Nice! It does look a bit complicated to me since I am a beginner. But I like the way it seems to have motion. That is interesting to me and hope to one day be able to achieve such a feat. I would use the cutter to make my first ever center circle for my first ever Dresden! Thanks for sharing your design!

Jane's Quilting said...

Your Dresden is beautiful, Thank you for sharing. I make circles all the time for I love to do applique. Thank you for the chance to win.

hueisei said...

Beautiful projects! I love to make a circle quilt using the tool

hueisei said...

I am a follower

Diann said...

Wow, your Dresden is beautiful, and it looks like it was a lot of work.
I'd use circles to make a baby quilt with assorted sized circles appliqued all over it. I did a block like that not so long ago, and would like to do an expanded version.

oknonnie said...

Wow ! I am impressed, especially with the fact the smaller ones are from such tiny width strips! I am a new follower. The circle cutter looks a bit intimidating, but a good thing to have! Love to win, thanks for the chance.

Linda said...

Thanks for the chance to win...I would use the cutter for wool circles used on penny rugs.

Amy C said...

Love your Dresdens! I'm thinking about working on a table runner with flower applique on it. The tool would be great!
Campbellamyd at Gmail dot com

Amy C said...

e'm a follower.
Campbellamyd at Gmail dot come

Linda said...

I am a follower!

B Greene said...

Love your Dresden!!! It is not Grandma's version :-) I have the Dresden ruler, but haven't tried it yet. I guess I am waiting on a Circle Cutter :-) Thanks for the chance to win!

Anonymous said...

Love your blocks. I have always wanted to make a sunflower quilt...a circle cutter would surely help!

Wendy said...

Your dresden plate quilt is gorgeous, the dresden blocks look really complicated!! Very pretty Kristen.

the girlfriend gap said...

Beautiful Dresdens. Thanks for sharing inthehop. So much creativity expressed! I have been wanting to try some different ways to makedresdens with strips too. Just haven't got there yet. I havebeenwanting a circle cutter to cut denim to make a cathedral window type quilt. Would beso wonderful to win! Thank you for a chance.

StitchinByTheLake said...

Your dresden quilt is simply wonderful! Don't count me in the giveaway as I have a cutter. blessings, marlene

pippirose said...

Your Dresdens are beautiful.
I would love to enter your giveaway. Circles aren't the easiest to cut, and with that tool, it would be a breeze. It would come in handy for an applique project I have in mind.
:o)
Rose
pippirose59 at gmail dot com

pippirose said...

I'm a new follower via GFC.
Rose
pippirose59 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

ALREADY FOLLOW VIA GFC!
THANKS FOR SHARING!

msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

HI! YOUR DRESDEN BLOCKS ARE SO NEAT!
I'D LIKE TO SOME CIRCLE CUTTING FOR BALLOONS FOR MY NEXT CRIB QUILT!
THANKS FOR SHARING!

msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

Emily C said...

Love your patchwork dresden. Very nice. Can't imagine trying to sew those tiny blocks.

Debbie said...

I haven't yet done any quilting with circles but I would love to give it a try. thanks

Lisa said...

I would like to do a bubbles baby quilt! This tool would make life so much easier!
lisamcgriff (at) hotmail (dot)com

Farm Quilter said...

Great Dresdens! They look so complicated!!! Love that tool! I would make a modern quilt with varying sizes of bubbles, starting small at the bottom and large at the top! Thank you for the opportunity to win it!!!

Linda C said...

Interesting pattern---wow! The pieced segments sure add a lot, don't they?

I would use a circle cutter for cutting out yo yo's for a project I saw in a quilt mag and admired---should I be lucky enough to win your giveaway.

Karyn said...

I'm a new follower... love your dresden!

Karyn said...

I'd use that tool to cut circles to make a floor cloth with (It's been on my to-do list... have gathered most supplies except a canvas and *drumroll* a circle cutter). You can bet my fingers are crossed! Of course, when the floor cloth is done, there are dresdens and yo yos to try....

Vickie said...

I bet that is a great tool. I would love to try it!

The Slow Quilter said...


Love your block and fabric. I have one of those cutters, but hardly use it. I quess I will be pulling out the gaget box.

barbara woods said...

love your block thanks for the giveaway

OhioLori said...

Love your Dresden's...how creative you are!!! I'd like to cut circles for making Yo-Yo's...and I saw a quilt made with circles appliqued over the front...looked cool..& fun.

OhioLori said...

Oh...and yes...I am already a Follower..thru GFC! lol

Thanks for chance to win your Drawing! :)

Agnes B. Bullock said...

This is simply glorious! Love the colors!

evelyn said...

How beautiful is your quilt! It looks quite complicated. Fantastic job.

Michele T said...

Love your quilt, beautiful colours!!!

Cheri said...

I am working on a dresden now and just finished cutting out my circle for the middle... with scissors. Can't tell you how many times I have had to recut the circle because "it wasn't perfect." It would be sweet to win this circle cutter. Thanks for the giveaway. And I love your dresden!

lefuntz said...

What a beautiful dresden. Love the points.

sandra said...

How very creative and I love the colors that you chose. Thanks for sharing

Jamie P said...

I am a daily follower!!! LOVE the site!!

Jamie P said...

I would love to win the new gadget--not sure right now what I would do with it but I have a super talented friend who would guide me!!

lefuntz said...

I am a follower. I just finished a pouch for my earbuds made from circles but it came out a little wonky so I'm going to make another a little bigger. I looked at that circle cutter today and I'm waiting for my next Joanns coupon.

LJ said...

Wonderful dresdens. Love seeing the two different sizes of the same design. Thanks but I do have the circle cutter so if my name comes up, please give to another. :)

Stacey Napier said...

Great Dresden today - I love your color choices - it looks so intricate~a great new take on the traditional block.

Nancy said...

I think it would be interesting to try a drunkard's path.

Nancy said...

I'm already a follower.

Shell said...

What a cool use of the same design with different results. Thanks for sharing.

Caroline said...

I make toothfairy pillows and circles are a regular part of the characters I put on the pillows. So I'd use that tool for all of my pillows. :)

Mary Ann said...

Love your dresdens! So intricate. Right now I use circles on stuffed animals for my daughter but I am excited to branch out.

Pamela said...

Awesome...in a word...awesome. Thanks for sharing your lovely Dresdens!

giddy99 said...

Your Dresdens are STUNNING! I would like to stitch different sized circles like bubbles on a baby quilt

Candace said...

I have been wanting to make a Dresden Plate quilt for awhile now. Seeing yours are an inspiration. They are beautiful!

Quilt n Queen said...

Kristin, your Dresden quilt is beautiful, great job! Thanks for sharing and the chance to win the fabric cutter. I would luv to win as I'm planning to make another Dresden quilt. Happy stitching, Pauline

Cecilia said...

Your Dresden plates are beautiful and I love the colors. I would use the circle cutter to make perfect circles for appliqué. For some reason my circles are always lopsided. :-). Thanks for the giveaway.

Cecilia said...

I'm a new follower.

Quilt n Queen said...

I am a follower via GFC. Thanks for the chance!!

Scrapbook-ChickADoodle said...

Love your dresdens. I would use the circle cutter for center of dresdens and cute appliqued circles on quilts. Thanks for sharing.

Scrapbook-ChickADoodle said...

I am a follower. Thanks for the opportunity to win.

N. Maria said...

Very good tutorial and I would use the Olfa circle cutter to cut circles to turn into Hexagons! I did this with a couple and it took a while to cut them out so this tool would do the job!

N. Maria said...

I am a new follower, too.!

quiltma said...

I am a follower.
I do not have the olfa circle cutter, I would love to win it.

Wendy said...

wow, that is a very complicated dresden, it looks great!

I'd love to make an appliqu'ed bubble quilt.

Angie said...

Love your Dresdens. :d

Angie said...

And I'm a follower too :)

Gina Loomis said...

I love that technique, for making a Dresden! I've been wondering how the circle cutter works. I'm glad to know it works well!

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Love your Dresden and now I am just itching to do one. They are like potato chips you can't have just one!

Vicki B said...

Love the dresden block. Thanks for a chance to win the olfa circle cutter. Its looks like a great tool
tvbart@charter.net

Lou said...

Don't know what I would use it for just yet:) I am SO sure I will find a use for it soon:) haha!!!
Love the idea of using it for the dresden centers:)
Thanks!

Kris said...

Kristen - Your Dresden is gorgeous and looks so complicated!! I love the fabrics you used!! I was introduced to the Olfa cutter at Quilt Guild and would love to use the cutter for making yoyos!! Thanks for the giveaway!!

Kris said...

I am a new follower!! Love your blog!!!

usagypsy said...

I do a lot of applique so a circle cutter would come in handy! I didn't even know there was such a thing! Love your Dresden blocks.

Bente-I like to QuiltBlog said...

beautiful dresdens, thanks for sharing and the chance to win.
Could be funny make quilt with circles.

Mara said...

I have been dieing to do a quilt with circles, this would help out so much.

nicolesender said...

What a great way to sew a Dresden block. I have a difficult time cut decent circles and would love to have the circle cutter.
nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

nicolesender said...

gfc follower: nicolesender
nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

Katherine said...

Fabulous dresdens! You chose my favourite colours to make yours. ;o)