Quilting for baby is one of the most common reasons we pick up quilting as a hobby, and yesterday’s quilting project, Tummy Time Mat is certainly one of those baby essentials that are enhanced by art of quilting.

I have a bright and inspiring sewing project for you today designed by Linda Turner Griepentrog, called Dresden Delight. She originally made it for a cushion cover, but if you love the Dresden plate design you can make several of these blocks to make a quilt.

For piecing the Dresden pieces use Coats® Cotton Covered Piecing and Quilting Thread, and construct the cushion cover using Coats Dual Duty XP® Heavy Thread.

Coats® Cotton Covered Piecing and Quilting Thread has the feel and look of cotton with the strength of polyester.

Coats Dual Duty XP® Heavy offers consistent tension and excellent stitch formation. This heavyweight thread is smooth, very strong, colorfast and weather resistant. Excellent for interior and exterior upholstery fabrics.

Featuring coats Dual Duty XP, Linda says the classic Dresden Plate design is the perfect embellishment for this bright and cheery pillow. The scrappy look and button accents make it ideal for stash utilization, as both components can be totally an eclectic mix.

skill level Experienced Beginner

finished measurements 14″ square

materials

• Coats® Cotton Covered Piecing and Quilting thread, to match background and fabric
• Coats Dual Duty XP® Heavy
• coordinate with fabric color
• assorted scraps or (5) 1⁄8 yd cuts of fabric for wedges
• ¼ yd or scrap fabric for Dresden center
• 19 assorted buttons in coordinating colors
• ½ yd ecru print background fabric
• ½ yd cotton batting
• 6” square lightweight fusible interfacing
• 14” square pillow form
• 2 yds ready-made piping
• plastic template material
• zipper foot

preparation

Trace the wedge and circle patterns onto template material and cut out.

cutting

From the assorted scraps or 1⁄8 yd cuts, cut:

(20) wedges

From the ecru background fabric, cut:

(2) squares, 14½”

From the batting, cut:

(1) square, 15”

Note: Seam allowances are ¼”.

Preparing the Dresden Plate

1. Fold each wedge right sides together and sew across the large flat end. Finger-press the seams open.
2. Turn the point right side out and center the seam exactly. Press the point flat.
3. Matching the upper edges, sew the wedge long edges together in pairs, then in groups of five. Press all seams open.
4. Sew the wedge groups together to form a circle.
5. Fold one ecru square in half and in half again and lightly press the folds to mark the center and quarter points. Repeat for the Dresden circle.
6. Matching quarter points, center the Dresden circle over the background square and pin in place.
7. Using coordinating thread, sew the outer Dresden points to the background square.
8. To prepare the center, place the Dresden center circle right sides down on the fusible side of the interfacing square. Sew around the circle edges and trim the interfacing to match the circle. Carefully cut away the center of the interfacing layer only, leaving ½” of fusible interfacing intact around the circle edges.
9. Turn the interfacing to the wrong side of the circle and finger-press the edges.
10. Center the circle over the Dresden circle and press in place, tucking the interfacing under at the edges. Edgestitch around the circle.

Quilting the Pillow Top

1. Layer the pillow front over the batting square. Using matching thread, sew three circles around the Dresden plate, about ⅛” apart. Bring the thread ends to the underside and tie off.
2. Position the assorted buttons between the wedge points and hand-stitch using Heavy Thread to attach.
3. Trim the batting to match the pillow front size.

Join me tomorrow for another quilted project by the creative team at Coats & Clark using the versatile Coats Dual Duty XP All Purpose Thread.