How to Quilt a Super Sixteen Dresden Plate Block
For this design I marked the feather wreath and the petal shapes that overlap the Dresden Plate petals. I always mark feather wreaths because they are very hard to quilt freehand. Without marks, angling the first and last feather in the circle is almost impossible. See what I mean in this new quilting tutorial video:
Click here to find the quilt pattern for this Super Sixteen Dresden Plate quilt block which also comes with the full size printable quilting design so you can mark your block and easily quilt on the marked lines!
What did you think of the feather wreath design? I love this shape because it’s so simple and elegant, but it can be tricky to machine quilt. Take your time quilting around each feather shape and please don’t hesitate to mark it.
No matter what anyone says, marking a quilt is not cheating – it’s the only way to quilt a symmetrical shape and certainly the only way to quilt a feather wreath that doesn’t have an obvious beginning and end point. Just be sure to use a marking pen or pencil that you’ve tested so you’re sure it will come out after you’re done quilting.
I use a Ceramic Marking Pencil for marking medium to dark fabrics and I like the Fine Line Water Soluble Pen for marking light fabrics. I’ve used both for years and the marks are reliable, they stay in long enough to quilt the quilt, then erase or wash out completely when the quilting is done.
It’s such a delight to see your pictures and beautiful quilt blocks in the Block Party Facebook Group! Sue C has already quilted her Super Sixteen Dresden Plate and changed up the design a bit to create heart shapes over the Dresden Plate petals. I love it!
Here’s a really cool variation of our Triple Tulip quilt block created by Cindy H. I love the thread painting she added to the flowers and the small feathers in the border!
And a super exciting quilt was posted by Denise B. She entered last year’s Sunshine Surprise quilt in a local quilt show and won first place!
It’s so wonderful to see all your photos and how much everyone grows throughout the year with machine quilting. Whenever I question whether teaching online is working, all I have to do is check in on the Block Party Facebook Group and see the beautiful photos to know we’re on the right path. I’ve seen so many quilters go from terrified of taking a single stitch to knocking it out of the ball park with award winning quilts!
So what did you think of our Super Sixteen Dresden Plate block? Do you like more petals on a Dresden Plate or less? How did you quilt this fun block? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Let’s go quilt,
Leah Day
