One hundred and seventy-two (172) 1½” squares evenly split between the fabrics you have used in the blocks. I cut 15 of each of the corner colour groups and 14 of each of the each colour groups for the outer borders of the quilt. Template for the Dresden blade printed with no scaling. Nice button for the centre (optional)
Steps: 1. Using the Dresden template file, create a template using your favoured method. I really don't like using templates because I struggle with accuracy. The best method I've found for improving my accuracy is to use Freezer paper: trace the template onto Freezer paper and cut out accurately, iron the freezer paper onto the fabric you are using and then trim round it using your rotary cutter. The template already includes the seam allowance. You need 12 “slices” - one in each colour you've used for your outer blocks. If you are careful you can use the same freezer paper template 12 times. If not you may need to create a second template. 2. Creating the Dresden blades: once you have the wedge of fabric take the wider end and fold in half long ways right sides together. Stitch a ¼” seam along the edge you have created.
Turn the seam through, making sure that you get a nice sharp point and press the seam allowances open to reduce bulk. I find it helps to finger press first, and then attack it with the iron. Make sure that when pressing you ensure that the point of the blade is central to the whole piece. The finished piece will look like this on the front...
3. Repeat step 2 for all of the remaining 11 Dresden blades. 4. Lay out the 12 blades in the correct order and piece together, first in pairs, then into two halves and then join together. I pressed my seams open to reduce bulk. Don't worry about the centre of the Dresden matching up as this will be covered by a button (or you could appliqué a circle of fabric over the centre if you don't want to use a button). 5. Lay the completed Dresden on the background fabric. It should be central, and you will need a point top and bottom and side to side rather than a dip... see the photo! I also lined up the colours in the centre square with the position of the colours in the outer blocks, so blue points at blue and yellow points at yellow for example.
blanket stitch on my machine in a pale grey thread which seemed to blend quite well, though I did think about hand appliqué to hide the stitches. 8. Trim the background fabric down to 16 ½” x 16 ½”. Keep these trimmings as you may need them to lengthen your final borders! 9. Lay out the 68 squares around the edge of the block reflecting the colour placement of the Dresden (and where the outer blocks will sit). Piece these squares together, being careful to make sure you are using a scant ¼” seam allowance! 10. Piece two side borders and add these to the Dresden block. Piece two longer pieces with the corner squares and add them to the top and the bottom. Press. Once I had laid out the pieces I took a photo, so I could replicate the layout once I'd started moving pieces about. I also chain pieced into pairs and then replaced in the correct position to keep me right. I also finger pressed only so I wasn't up and down to the iron. 11. Add the borders from background fabric measuring 18 ½” to the sides and press and then add the borders measuring 20 ½” to the top and bottom and press. This completes your centre block.
12. Now you can add the blocks you have spent all year creating! Be careful to match up points between the blocks and there are places where a join in these blocks needs to match with a join in the pieced border you've just finished (even though there is a solid border in between). Refer to the photo at the start of these instructions for placement. 13. Because of the layers of interfacing on these blocks, I pressed my seams open.
1. There are three borders outside of the blocks: the first one is from the background fabric. If you have a generous WOF then you should be fine with a single length for the border cut at 1 ½”. Add these strips the sides first and then to the top and bottom. 2. The second border is another rainbow pieced border. This is where you need the 172 1½” squares. As you did with the inner border, lay out the squares (and take a photo!) then piece, carefully placing back after each seam so as to keep the fabric in the correct order. Piece two side borders and add to quilt and then two longer borders including the corner pieces and add to the top and bottom. 3. The final border is another from the background fabric. Mathematically you will actually need five strips from the background fabric as you are now adding a border to a length greater than the width of the fabric, but I used my trimmings from the previous border and from the central block to add on a couple of inches to each of the four strips, thus saving myself some fabric. Measure your quilt across the centre top to bottom and create two border strips the same length. Add to the sides and press. 4. Measure the quilt side to side through the centre and create another two strips the same length and add to the top and bottom. Press. 5. And now the famous words: quilt as desired and bind! Easy!
