How to make a Dresden Plate Block with the 18 Degree Dresden Ruler 

Thanks! I'm so glad it was helpful! 🥰

I agree.

Thanks so much! 🥰

Not doing it can create dresden volcanoes, rather than dresden plates. 😆

I'm glad it was helpful! Because of the bias edges it is so easy for a Dresden to get a little out-of-square, which results in a wonky circle when you're done. Trimming helps get a nice flat Dresden which appliques doen beautifully, with no ripples.

Best. Comment. Ever. ❤️❤️❤️

@@CarolinaMoore Thank you🫶 You’re such a wonderful, sharing person. I love your products (a relatively newish quilter). Looking forward to ALL of your videos, etc.🫶

@@sandracedar368 ❤️❤️❤️

I'm glad you found it helpful!! 🥰

My pleasure!! ❤️

Me too! I want to do more!!

My pleasure! 🥰

You're welcome!! I have a project in mind for this block ... let's see if I actually make it! 😆

I could drill a hole, and while I do plenty of DIY ... drilling a hole in my rulers isn't something I'm comfortable with. I'd want the hole to be exactly centered so that the ruler hangs straight. And it is so easy for the drill bit to slip on acrylic. Also, acrylic leaves little "barbs" when cut, so I'd have to file those down, and sanding scuffs up the acrylic. So, I'd have a scratched-up spot at the hole. Personally, I'm fine with a binder clip. It keeps the two pieces together, and lets me hang them up. Maybe someone a little more handy in the workshop would be up for drilling their rulers, though. 🥰

I actually have not sewed it down... I still have it hanging on my design wall. I'll work on a video for that, and try to get it up in the next couple weeks! Thanks for the great idea!

It depends on a lot of things... how big are your background squares? How wide is your sashing? And how long do you want the drop to be on the quilt? 20 plates just determines how many plates there are (and therefore the angle of the plates). But you can do a single 20-plate dresden that is big enough to cover a queen-sized quilt top. Or, you could make tiny dresdens on 6" background squares, and need a lot for a Queen quilt. 🥰

This video was done on the Baby Lock Jubilant. It is fantastic for piecing/patchwork. I have done a little free-motion quilting on it, but only smaller projects because there isn't a lot of throat space. I had a Baby Lock Aria (which has now been upgraded to a Baby Lock Ballad) which is fabulous for Free Motion Quilting. Lots of Throat space! But... I'm still eyeing a longarm... 😍

Years ago I had a quilting friend who reminded me that fabric is organic. It wants to return to its natural state, and has a mind of its own. Fighting it results in frustration. If we do what we can to work with it, we'll have better results. 🥰

Since the edges are cut on the bias, interfacing would help minimize bias stretch. But it also creates bulk. I find starching well works for me. But if interfacing works best for you - do it! ❤️

I Google, and according to the listing on the Missouri Star website, it is 16.5".

It is called the Spot on Dot and you can find it at quiltshops around the world, but I also sell it in my shop if you'd like to buy directly from me: carolinamoorepatterns.com/collections/notions/products/spot-on-dot-magnifying-lens-set

The number of blades depends on the number of degrees the angle of the ruler is, not the number of inches long. You take the number of degrees, divide it by 360, and you get the number of blades. So, if you have a 18° ruler, then 360÷18=20 ... you need 20 blades. For the width of the table runner, it would depend on the design. If you want it as a dresden circle, then you'd want an 18" long fan blade, because 18x2=36, and the blade is rhe radius of the circle, so two across is the diameter.

@@CarolinaMoore Thank you, My Ruler is 22.5 Wedge and 13" total. Do I use the whole ruler? Most online videos use a 5" WOF and only a partial part of the ruler. 360 divided by 22 =17 so I will have odd number of blades? If we could IM I would share my email address with you. Thank you for your help and videos. D'Ann

22.5 is the number of degrees the finished angle of the wedge is. You don't remove the .5 like you do with seam allowance. So, 360÷22.5=16 blades. Folks use only part of the template because they don't want to make a large dresden. You do. You'd want to use more, if not all, of the template. If you're still stumped, my suggestion is to use some scrap fabric (or go to the quilt shop and buy sale fabric) to test it out. There is no substitute for actual playing with the fabric. 🥰

The seam allowance is there. The halves have the seam allowance.

Lots of thoughts! Regarding the number of petals in your dresden: if you used the 18 degree dresden ruler, it has to have 20 petals. A circle is 360 degrees. 360 ÷ 18 = 20. You have to have 20 petals. So, the pattern is incorrect either in the ruler they tell you to use, or in the construction. The ruler is designed to have a perfect 1/4" seam allowance. So many things can interfere with this - not cutting perfectly, not sewing perfectly, and even the thickness of your thread, thickness of your fabric, and how well you press can impact how much fabric is absorbed into the seam allowance! That's why I show how to square up the quarter sections. We're human, our seams are unlikely to be exactly perfect. So, do your best on those seams and then square up your quarter sections, and that will help it fit. Hope that helps! 🥰

Debbie I made same mistake. Thankfully Caroline explained I needed to add 4 more blades. I wonder if there is a chart that tells you how many blade you need depending on size of ruler. Mine is 9-1/2. She lost me at 18 degrees! Lol.

Let me see if I can explain the degrees... First, the 9 1/2" is the length of the petal. Short petals or long petals will not impact the number you need. The angle of the sides going in towards the center is what impacts how many you need. Imagine a circle. A pizza is a great circle to imagine. Cut the pizza in half. Since a circle is 360 degrees, each half has 180 degrees. Now make another cut to cut it into 4 equal slices. Where these 4 slices come together in the middle, those angles are each 90 degrees. If you cut all the slices in half again, each wedge is now 45 degrees. Cut each wedge in half again, and now they are 22 1/2 degrees. The point on your slices of pizza can be measured with a protractor to see how many degrees the angle is. It is geometry. With the dresden petals, there are no points. If you sewed all the points, you'd have too much bulk in the center. So, the template removes the points. But, if you imagine the points are still there, that is the angle you would measure. However, you don't need to. Your ruler will tell you how many degrees your dresden is. Divide 360 (the number of degrees in a circle) by this number written on the ruler, and you'll know the number of dresden petals you need.

@@CarolinaMoore thank you Carolina.

@@debbienoreski6086 my pleasure! ❤️