DARE TO DRESDEN
What fun it has been to play with Dresdens again. I have always loved this block but it has been a long time since I stitched one. Thank you to Christine and Madame Samm for all the work they do to allow us to create.
This is a Dresden I made in the 1970's. It is showing its age but is still warm and well used. These blocks are all hand embroidered and while the fabric has aged well the embroidery thread securing the Dresdens had literally rotted away and must be replaced. This quilt is special because I was teaching school at the time and a group of senior students were making baby blankets. I brought in the top to demonstrate how a quilt goes together and one student wanted to quilt it. I relented and she took it home. We pinned, basted and marked. I expected she would stitch around one of the plates but she kept working and returned it finished. When I spoke to her mother she said that she stitched on it hours every evening and on weekends until her fingers hurt. This led to many quilts when she graduated.
New methods of stitching and strip piecing mean these blocks become very quick to assemble.
A dear friend passed away many years ago. Her husband gave me some quilt blocks she was working on and they sat on a shelf for almost 20 years. When I looked at them last week I found hand-stitched dresden plates, some attached to backing and other part sections. It was interesting to work on these because while the dresdens were cotton they were sewn to polycotton blocks. I had to match 20 year old prints to get enough fabric to complete the top. There was enough fabric for some sashing and a small piece of matching blue to create centers and corner blocks. Did I say these were hand stitched ? And the stitches are so tiny.
I think I might hand quilt this winter. It sat on a shelf too long to be put away again. And what wonderful memories of Joyce I have had all week. A found treasure indeed.
Dresdens may become baskets, butterflies or flowers. I wanted something cheerful to make me think of spring as we strive to keep warm on these cold days.
Frances
