FRESHLY PICKED

Play with print and fussy cut florals for a fun Dresden design

Play with print and fussy cut florals for a fun Dresden plate design

YOU WILL NEED

■ Assortment of print scraps

■ Background fabric: 13in square

■ Border fabric: two (2) fat quarters

■ Backing fabric: ½yd

■ 20in wide fusible

interfacing: 1½yd

■ Embroidery thread

■ Sixteen (16) copies of

the Dresden template

■ One (1) copy of the

Embroidery template

FINISHED SIZE ■ 16in square

NOTES

■ Seam allowances are ¼in,

unless otherwise noted.

■ Press seams to one side,

unless otherwise instructed.

■ RST = right sides together.

■ Templates do not include

seam allowances.

■ For templates, see p86.

■ Fabrics supplied by Sew Hot (sewhot.co.uk), Alice Caroline (alicecaroline.co.uk) and Fat Quarter Shop (fatquartershop.com)

FABRICS USED

■ Floral print fabrics are from a Liberty

strip roll from Alice Caroline.

■ Background fabric is Essex Yarn Dyed

Linen in Oyster by Robert Kaufman.

■ Border fabrics are from the Sleeping Porch collection by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics.

■ Backing fabric is Shape Up in Topaz from the Paper Cuts collection by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Cotton+Steel.

CUTTING OUT

1

From the print fabric scraps cut:

■ Sixteen (16) pieces using the Dresden template, adding a ¼in seam allowance all the way around.

2

From each border fabric cut:

■ One (1) 13in x 2¼in strip.

■ One (1) 16½in x 2¼in strip.

THIS CUSHION HAS THE PERFECT BALANCE OF MACHINE SEWING AND CALMING HAND STITCHING

3

From the backing fabric cut: ■ Two (2) 16½in x 11in pieces.

4

From the fusible interfacing cut:

■ Two (2) 16½in x 10¼in pieces.

■ One (1) 16½in square.

PREPARING THE DRESDEN PETALS

5

Place one of the Dresden templates centrally on top of one of your print fabric pieces, with the fabric right side down. Pin in place and fold the ¼in seam allowance over the short edge. Fold over the next seam allowance and secure the folded corner with a few stitches (Fig A).

6

Fold over the corner of the curved edge and secure again with a few stitches (Fig B). Run a small basting stitch along the seam allowance until you reach the next corner. Gather carefully to curve the fabric around the paper (Fig C).

7

Continue working your way around the paper piece, securing the corners, until all the seam allowances are basted in place (Fig D). Press. Repeat steps 5–7 to complete all sixteen Dresden petals.

PIECING THE DRESDEN PLATE

8

Arrange your petals in a circle. Select two and sew together along the long edges, using a whip stitch to pick up the edge of the fabric without catching the paper. Continue using this method to sew the petals in groups of four, to make four quarters (Fig E).

9

Join the quarter segments in pairs, then sew these together to complete the circle (Fig F). Carefully remove the papers and press the Dresden plate from both sides.

SEWING THE CUSHION FRONT

10

Sew the shorter border strips either side of your background fabric 13in square. Press the seams to one side. Join the longer strips to the top and bottom and press again. Square up to 16½in.

11

Iron the fusible interfacing 16½in square to the back of the cushion front, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Centre the Dresden plate on top of the cushion front and secure with pins (Fig G). Appliqué in place around the outer edge, then stitch around the inside circle.

12

Transfer the embroidery design onto the centre of your circle, using a removable fabric pen. Embroider using two shades of embroidery thread. Susi used Aurifloss in yellow and turquoise (Fig H).

CONSTRUCTING THE CUSHION

13

Iron the fusible interfacing back pieces on the wrong side of each 16½in x 11in backing piece, leaving a ¾in strip along one long edge uncovered.

14

Fold this edge towards the interfacing and press. Fold and press again, then topstitch in place.

15

Place the cushion front right side up. Lay one of the backing pieces on top, RST, aligning the side and bottom edges. Position the second backing piece on top, so the hemmed edges overlap in the centre (Fig I). Pin or clip in place.

16

Sew all the way around the edges of the cushion. Clip the corners before turning right side out (Fig J).