MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up

Sunny Dresden Block of the Month #3 | Quilt Sew-Along (2024)

Quick Links: What you'll need Project steps

Learn how to sew the traditional Dresden Plate quilt block with Debbie Shore's beginner tutorial.

This month’s quilt block brings a touch of sunshine into our quilt-along. It’s based on a traditional quilt block design and the rays form the basis for the final quilting on the top half of the quilt. This machine-pieced block is made using the Dresden Plate wedge template, but by adding ‘sky’ fabric across the corners and alternating colourways between the wedges, it gives a modern look to the traditional design and creates the sun’s rays in our quilt. To complete the block, an octagonal sun is machine appliquéd to the centre. The appliquéd birds that you see on the finished quilt will be added to the sky after the quilt has been assembled to allow you to see the bigger picture as to where to position them. They can overlap this block if you wish them to.

Note: stitch with an accurate ¼in (5mm) seam allowance throughout.

Untrimmed block size: 10in (25.5cm) square

NB: In the introduction to this quilt, it was suggested that you cut two FAB10 strips for this block. When the quilt is assembled at the end of the year, the 4½ x 10in (11.5 x 25.5cm) FAB10 strip will be attached to the left side of the Sunny Dresden block, and the 14½ x 10in (37 x 25.5cm) FAB10 strip will be attached to the right side of the block, but you don't need to add these yet. These strips were listed as belonging with the Sunny Dresden block to help identify where they go later, when all the blocks are joined together.

MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up

You will need:

Equipment

• Sewing machine
• Rotary cutter
• Quilting ruler
• Quilting mat
• Fusible web adhesive sheet (e.g. Bondaweb)
• Optional: square ruler
• Templates: Dresden Wedge, Octagon Centre and Cutting Template

Materials

Fabrics (see my  Introduction to the 2024 Block of the Month). From these, you will need to cut:

• One 23 x 1½in (58.5 x 4cm) strip in FAB4
• One 3¾in (9.5cm) square in FAB4 
• One 23 x 2in (58.5 x 5cm) strip in FAB6
• One 23 x 1½in (58.5 x 4cm) strip in FAB6
• One 18 x 4in (46 x 10cm) strip in FAB10 
• Two 4in (10cm) squares in FAB10 – each cut diagonally into two pieces

* If using my kit, the fabric will be 22in (55.5cm) wide. Cut your strips to that measurement, then cut the following short strips as well and join these three short strips in the same order as in step 1. Use the short joined strips to cut one of your wedge shapes.

• One 2½ x 1½in (6.5 x 4cm) strip in FAB4
• One 2½ x 2in (6.5 x 5cm) strip in FAB6
• One 2½ x 1½in (6.5 x 4cm) strip in FAB6

MEMBERS ONLY: To gain full access to the Half Yard Club projects please login or sign up