Dresden Stars, the Circles

The table runner for my friend has been pieced and we took it to be quilted at Calico Point. They said it would be approximately 6 weeks before it was quilted. I wanted to get it into their quilting line-up as fast as possible because this is supposed to be a birthday gift in April. Sorry, I neglected to take a picture, you'll see the complete finish after it's quilted and the binding has been added. Nathalie was very pleased with it.

Since the table runner is out of the way, I returned my attention to the Dresden Stars. Technically the pattern name is Dresden Star but I call it stars since there is more than one star in the quilt.

In my last post about Dresden Stars, I had started appliqueing the plates to the background fabric using a brown variegated thread. I'm using the same thread to applique the circles.

I've mentioned before that the fabrics for this quilt are from a kit I purchased many years ago, probably at least 17 years? The pattern is copyrighted 2006. Civil War fabrics don't really appeal to me anymore but the kit is here so I'm making this quilt.

I grimaced when I pulled the brown for the circles, more brown! I dug in my box of civil war fabrics I have on hand and found a large piece of fabric that was gifted to me when Deanna moved. I thought this was much more prettier.

I prepped two circles then sent a picture to Kathi and asked her which one she thought looked the best. We both agreed on the brown. I really like that blue/gray flowered fabric but that is what I saw when I looked at the block, not the Dresdens.

But now I look at the picture and think that fabric doesn't overpower after all. Oh well, it's too late, the brown has been appliqued

I made a change to the pattern and trimmed these blocks to 12.5" which is larger than Edyta specified but I want my quilt larger.

Kathi asked me how I'm making the circles so perfect. I'm using this product. I've used it before but I don't remember which quilt. 

Edyta has a paper template included with the pattern. I checked and the circle is the same size as the largest circle in Karen Buckley's large size perfect circles. 

I traced the circles onto the sheets then cut them out. When I ironed them onto the back of the brown fabric, I made sure I left a good edge of fabric. Then I took a needle and thread and basted the edge of the fabric, pulled it tight and knotted it. When I pressed the top of the circles, I had perfect circles! 

The left circle is the gathered edge of the circle. The center circle is a gathered circle before pressing. The right circle is after pressing.

Edyta had said to use freezer paper but this worked much better and it doesn't need to be removed. It's supposed to wash out but I didn't try a sample. My friend Lynn uses this product all the time with her applique.

Finally, here is a picture of a finished block. All 18 of the blocks are finished but I only took a picture of this one. And yes, the variegated thread does show some but I didn't have the stress of dealing with invisible thread!

And the backside because someone always wants to see how it looks.

I used a zigzag stitch to applique the center and the dresden plate. I finger pressed the background fabric to make the diagonal lines. Finger pressing irons out easily. I left long threads when I started and stopped, then pulled them to the back side and knotted them several times.

The next step is the sashing and the setting triangles.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts