You’ll Love These Easy Dresden Plate Quilt Blocks

Dresden Plate Quilt Block PatternI wrote this easy Dresden Plate quilt block pattern for Joy, one of the hostesses in our Quilting Forum — she’s hostessing a swap for the scrappy quilt blocks.

Don’t worry about turning under the points of those blades as you work — not going to happen. This easy Dresden Plate method zaps that task away and makes it easy as pie to sew the blocks.

Follow Joy’s guidelines if you’d like to be in the swap, or use a totally different set of fabrics if you plan to work on your own. And you know what… this is so easy that you might just find yourself making multiple Dresden Plate quilts. I’d love to see one made with bright fabrics against black or navy blue. Or in the watercolor style, with florals that melt into each other. Or maybe even with batik fabrics.

Quilt blocks finish at 12″ x 12″.

Easy Dresden Plate Quilt Block Pattern

Quilt Block & Photo by Joy

Easy Scrap Quilt Pattern, Make an X’s and O’s Quilt

X's and O's QuiltMaking an X’s and O’s quilt — or you could call it hugs and kisses —  is one of the fastest and easiest ways to make a big dent in your leftover stash of fabric. The quilt blocks are quick pieced, and go together in a flash. Setting up a chain piecing assembly line speeds things up even more.

The original pattern is called Paths to Piece… not nearly as fun as X’s and O’s, and you can vary the original somewhat too. I’ll explain in the pattern, but it all depends on the triangles sewn to corners of the four larger squares that make up a quilt block. Don’t worry, those triangles are quick pieced — just like we create triangle tips for the corners of Snowball quilt blocks. X's and O's Quilt

Choose one type of corner triangle and the X’s and O’s that emerge in your quilt will be chunky, like the example to the right. Choose a different size and they’ll be a bit more delicate, like the example in the upper left. Which do you prefer? And would you like to make a quilt that flip-flops the lights and darks? That’s very doable, too, as is a different layout for the quilt block itself. My pattern explains many of the options, and includes the info you need for three quilt sizes. Beyond that, you’ll see that customizing an X’s and O’s quilt is a super easy task.

X’s and O’s Scrap Quilt Pattern

Super Bowl Sunday Scrap Quilt Marathon

Nine Patch Furrows QuiltsThe pattern is ready to go now, but our Quilting Forum members are getting together for a Scrap Quilt Sew Along on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2nd.

The quilt block is easy, and you’ll find there are plenty of options. Choose any block size that suits your scraps and play with the layout — there are loads of possibilities. Thanks for Misha for the variations shown here — they’re a fantastic preview of design choices.

Make as many quilt blocks as you like. Dig through your stash for unused half square triangle units and squares — I’ll bet you can work them into this pattern. And hey, you can even watch the Super Bowl while you sew these blocks. I might even have it on in the background, depending on which teams are playing

Sew Along Scrap Pattern
Quilting Forum Discussion