Dresden Plate Lakeside Throw

A cozy lakeside throw brings together waffle weave cotton, pieced bands, hand applique, and scattered fabric yo-yos. This post walks through prepping the fabric and piecing the top and bottom bands. It also covers sewing Dresden Plate fans from a free template, hand appliqueing them in place, and finishing with yo-yos and quilting.

materials

fabric

• 1 yd [1m] waffle weave cotton for the body of the throw
• 4 print blocks, 12½″ [31.8cm] square, for the top band background
• 4 strips, 5″ x 12½″ [12.7 x 31.8cm], for the top band sashing
• assorted 12½″ print blocks, some cut into halves or quarters, for the pieced bottom band
• assorted cotton scraps for the Dresden Plate fans, yo-yos, and center circles
• muslin or backing fabric for both bands
• lightweight fusible interfacing
• cotton quilt batting
• 2″ [5.1cm] wide binding strips

thread

• fine silk thread for hand applique
• cotton quilting thread
• contrasting thread for basting

notions

• circle templates
• template plastic and a permanent marker
• ¼″ quilting seam guide
• spray baste
• non-stick applique mat
• fabric marking pencil
• hot pressing ruler and finger pressing tool
• fabric pressing spray
• embroidery hoop
• small hand-sewing needle
• binding clips
• gentle laundry soap for prewashing the waffle weave

Prep the waffle weave

Wash and dry the waffle weave cotton before cutting anything, since it shrinks and puffs up quite a bit. Zigzag stitch the raw cut edges first to keep them from fraying in the wash. Once dry, fold and press a narrow hem along both selvage sides. Fold the hem under a second time, press again, then stitch close to the folded edge for a clean finish.

Piece the top and bottom bands

Measure the washed and hemmed width of the waffle weave before cutting the bands. A bit of shrinkage can shift the final size. Cut several 12½” print blocks for the top band background. Add a few narrow strips to sash each end. For the bottom band, cut and piece assorted print blocks, some cut into halves or quarters. Keep piecing until the strip matches the width of the top band. Press all seams toward the darker fabric so they don’t shadow through on the front.

Sew Dresden Plate fans

Dresden Plate fans decorate the top band blocks. Download the free fan template here and trace it onto template plastic with a permanent marker, then cut out twelve fan blades per plate. Fold each blade in half, right sides together, and sew the top seam with a scant quarter-inch seam allowance. Chain piecing all the blades together speeds things up considerably. Clip the corners to reduce bulk. Turn each blade right side out, then finger press the center seam open. Give it a hot press to finish. Sew the blades together into a circle, pressing each seam open as it’s sewn. A small gathered fabric circle, backed with a layer of batting, finishes the plate’s center.

Measure the washed and hemmed width of the waffle weave before cutting the bands. A bit of shrinkage can shift the final size. Cut several 12½” print blocks for the top band background. Add a few narrow strips to sash each end. For the bottom band, cut and piece assorted print blocks, some cut into halves or quarters. Keep piecing until the strip matches the width of the top band. Press all seams toward the darker fabric so they don’t shadow through on the front.

Applique the plates to the background

Spray baste each plate to its background block, then measure the placement so it sits evenly within the block. An embroidery hoop keeps the fabric taut and easy to control while hand stitching. Small, even stitches along the plate’s edge catch just enough fabric to hold everything invisibly in place. Fine silk thread works especially well for this step. The gathered center circle gets appliqued on last, right over the plate’s middle.

Add yo-yos and finish with quilting

Yo-yos add texture and charm to the pieced bottom band. Gather the edge of a fabric circle with quilting thread, then pull it tight. Flatten the center with a pressing tool and a hot iron. A batch of about 47 yo-yos ranges from small to large. They scatter nicely across the bottom band once both bands are attached to the waffle weave body.

With batting and a hemmed backing tucked and basted behind each band, quilting brings the whole throw together. A walking foot keeps every layer feeding evenly. Echo quilting circles the Dresden Plates on top, and stitching in the ditch defines each pieced block. Down on the bottom band, more stitching in the ditch outlines each block. Tacking each yo-yo in place adds one more layer of texture, and quilts the band at the same time. Binding strips finish both raw edges. Stitch the binding to the front first, then slip stitch it neatly to the back.

Original series by Nancy Devine on QUILTsocial.com. Photos by Nancy Devine