12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 12

Does your Dresden Home need some decorating?

I chose these embellishments to complete our Dreden Home.

First, a wreath for the Dresden plate center.

Next, a house number.

And finally, a door knob or sorts, of course!

I knew right away that the “13” would be the perfect house number for me!

The package comes with tiny brads to use to attach the plaquettes.

Attaching it was easy by first poking holes in the fabric then using the enclosed tiny brads.

They’re a bit hard to see, but this is the back of the quilt with them applied.

And Emma loved them all but was very intrigued with the door knob. lol

I actually painted it so it would contrast with the door fabric. It also attaches with the little pre-attached brad.

Lastly I glued the wreath over the center of the Dresden plate center, yes glued! I was skeptical too but this stuff is awesome! I’ve used it several times now & am thinking of other ways to add junk “cool stuff” to my quilts now!

I contemplated gluing the wreath on the door… I would have needed to paint it too though so

we decided it looked good here on the Dresden plate. 

It was fun playing with the bits & bobs that morning.

I just noticed it was still dark outside.

Emma & I are good early morning workers thankfully!

We’re pretty happy with our results.

Now I need to decide where to hang it & get the appropriate sleeve or hanger for it.

You can now find these embelishing items on my website by clicking here.

I hope you will be encouraged to finish

& hang your Dresden Home for 2024 very soon.

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

My give-away today is this set of embellishments to the first to complete their Dresden Home quilt (if you want them that is).

I can’t wait to see how everyone else will decorate their Dresden Homes.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 11

It’s time to quilt your Dresden Home!

The quilting shows really well in the photo above.

I love how Tamara quilted this quilt, but I especially love how she quilted the roof. The only thing I wish she’d done differently is I wish she’s used contrasting thread at least on the roof because you can’t really see how awesome it is except in this photo.

The swirls on the house show really well in the photo below. So do Emma’s pretty nails, lol.

And the cross hatch quilting on the HOME block & also the 2024 block looks pretty awesome too I think.

For those of you than don’t know me, the actual “quilting” of the quilt is my least favorite part.

Tamara, my machine quilter, is so good to fit me into her schedule when possible because she knows I have deadlines &&& my quilting is pretty dead too! Now that I see how she filled the spaces, I might be able to do a decent job of filling them & I hope that you will be inspired too.

I hope you will be encouraged to finish

& hang your Dresden Home for 2024 very soon.

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 10

It’s fun contemplating such a small quilt, not overwhelming with so many decisions.

I guess my thought that your thought of rotary blades to be a redundant give-away wasn’t necessarily so, thankfully!

It’s funny to see so many comments reminding me that we’re kind of all reluctant to change blades because it’s not so apparent when to do it, unless we run over a pin or something else that was hiding on our cutting mat.

That’s an obvious reminder & one that ususally makes me say bad words… lol

Our winner of the 45mm 2 pack of rotary blades is Kayla Gunter.

No need to email me your snail mail address. I hope to see you & Brooks later this month!

On this 10th Day of Christmas, we’ll be finishing the top.

But don’t quit after today.

I purposely factored in time for quilting, binding & labeling your quilt so it would be COMPLETE in these 12 Days of Christmas.

Just Keep Sewing, OK?

Perhaps even add some embelishing?

Emma & I have some cute ideas,

at least we think so anyway

& hope you will be encouraged to finish

& hang your Dresden Home for 2024 very soon.

We’re also having another nice give-away!

See below.

Click below to download the Day 10 assembly instructions.

dresdenhomeday10assemblyDownload

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Be the first to post your finished top on Sewing With Susan & win this second fat 1/4 bundle, 16 pieces (4 yds. total), of Trinkets by Kathy Hall for Andover Fabrics.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 9

Are you having as much fun with your
Dresden Home as Emma & I are? 

On this 9th Day of Christmas, we’ll be making the 2024 block.

Emma is only interested in the 2s!

Can you guess why???

Click below to download the instructions & templates.

dresdenhomeday92024Download

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 8

Have you recovered from your New Year’s celebrations?

I hope 2024 is a great year for all of us!

At the very least, we’ll all have a cute little quilt to show for it if you’re quilting along with us!

KWILTZ4FUN is the winner of their choice of Suzn Quilts pattern.

KWILTZ4FUN, please let me know your pattern choice

(is it one of my Tiny Dresden series patterns like you mentioned in your comment?)

& email your snail mail info so I can send you the Suzn Quilts pattern – SuznQuilts@aol.com.

On this 8th Day of Christmas, we’ll be making the transom above the door with a half Dresden plate.

Click below to download the Dresden half plate transom instuctions.

dresdenhomeday82024Download

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 7

Happy New Year 2024!

Don’t forget to show us your 12 Days progress & thanks for those that commented on yesterday’s post for the chance to win the rotary cutter blade 2 pack.

Rita is (again!) the winner of the 2 pack of 45mm rotary cutter blades.

I already have your snail mail info so no need to send it again. lol

Time for some more fun!

Since many of you probably stayed up late to welcome in 2024, I decided an easy sew day was in order. Today you just need to make the final Tiny Tree block, but use the “2024” cream fabric for the background.

In case you lost that download… follow the instructions from Day 1 or Day2!

No need to stress, this should be fun!

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Comment here the title of your favorite Suzn Quilts Pattern.

I’ll be drawing for a prize! 

The prize today is your choice of any Suzn Quilts pattern!

Comment here before I post Day 8 homework tomorrow & you will be entered in a drawing to win any Suzn Quilts pattern you choose.

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 6

I hope you enjoyed making a Dresden plate!

I love to make them, in case you haven’t noticed.

Thanks to those of you showing your 12 Days progress & also for those that commented on yesterday’s post for the Trinkets fat 1/4 bundle.

Kathryn Merrick is the winner of the Trinkets bundle.

Kathryn, please email your snail mail info so I can send you the bundle – SuznQuilts@aol.com.

On this 6th Day of Christmas, we’re going to make the letters to go with your Dresden “O”.

I used quick fusible web appliqué, but you can choose your favorite form of appliqué.

Click below to download the appliqué instructions for “HOME”.

dresdenhomeday6homeDownload

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Comment here what is your favorite form of appliqué. Mine is freezer paper machine appliqué in general, but for small things like these letters, fusible is easier.

I’ll be drawing for a prize! 

The prize today is a 2 pack of 45 mm rotary cutter blades!

Comment here before I post Day 7 homework tomorrow & you will be entered in a drawing to win these blades for your 45 mm rotary cutter.

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 5

Are YOU working as hard on your Dresden Home as Emma has been to show it to you?

Thanks to those of you showing your 12 Days progress & also for those that commented on yesterday’s post for the 1/2 yd. bundle of blacks & creams.

Rita Herzberger is the winner of that bundle!

Rita, I hope you’re enjoying your trip!

Please email your snail mail info so I can send you the bundle – SuznQuilts@aol.com.

On this 5th Day of Christmas, we’re going to make my favorite, a Tiny Dresden!

This is another pic where Tamara’s quilting really shows up.

As I mentioned in the fabric list,

you could make this TD with 1 red fabric,

but that’s no fun!

3 is fun!

Tip for making FLAT Dresdens – make sure you’re sewing a scant 1/4″ seam THE ENTIRE length of the seam. When your seam allowance isn’t consistent, you’ll either have a “bowl” (because the center of your plate’s seams are too big) or a “mountain” (because the center of your plate’s seams are too small). If your plate isn’t flat, turn it over & examine the seams.

Another tip – spray & iron your fabrics with Mary Ellen’s Best Press. These are all bias edges & they’re being put through your machine over & over so it’s easy to distort them.

Have fun!

Click below to download the instructions to make a Tiny Dresden plate.

dresdenhomeday5tdinstDownload

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Comment here whether you like adding as many fabrics as you can to a quilt, like I do, or if you prefer a minimal pallet.

I’ll be drawing for a prize! 

The prize today is more fabric!

16 fat 1/4s of Trinkets by Kathy Hall for Andover Fabrics.

That’s 4 yards of fabric!

Comment here before I post Day 6 homework tomorrow & you will be entered in a drawing to win this fabric for your next quilt.

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 4

This is the perfect time of year for just a little bit of sewing each day, don’t you agree?

Are YOU sewing with us?

I see a lot of you downloading the instructions, so show us your 12 Days progress! 

Emma & I are both excited about this quilt!

Every day I’m checking things off that list from the past two months & a bit of sewing is the perfect distraction from those tasks!

For me this year it’s writing these blog post instructions, not sewing since I sewed my Dresden Home quilt a few weeks ago so you could have a chance to choose fabrics ahead of time.

How’s that going? Brenda… lol

On this 4th Day of Christmas, we’re going to raise the roof & complete the house.

I like the way Tamara’s quilting really shows up on this pic.

Click below to download the instructions for the roof, chimney & house assembly.

dresdenhomeday4roofDownload

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Sometimes I like sewing within a certain fabric collection;

I’m forced to use fewer fabrics = fewer decisions!

Other times I find that to be too limiting…

For this Dreden Home quilt for instance there was no green for the trees so I had to go outside the Tradewinds Collection by Renee Nanneman for them.

As a rule of thumb, the more fabrics I can add to a quilt, the happier I am!!! Take the Dresden “O” for instance. I’ve used 3, yes 3 reds!!!

Why, you ask???

Why not???

Typically I’m in need for more background fabrics for my quilts. I like to use more than one ususally, like I did for this quilt. That’s the most common reason to add fabrics to a collection.

Comment here whether you like choosing fabrics for a quilt or if you find that to be a daunting task!

I’ll be drawing for a prize! 

The prize today is some of my treasured cream & black fabrics.

There is 1/2 yd. each, 3 yds. total!

Comment here before I post Day 5 homework tomorrow & you will be entered in a drawing to win this yardage for your next quilt.

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 3

I hope you have the 2 Tiny Tree blocks made becuase there’s some housework to do today.

On this 3rd Day of Christmas, we’re going to sew together the main body of the house with the 2 trees you’ve already made.

Be sure to use the cream HOUSE fabric for these pieces.

dresdenhomeday3buildhouseDownload

Show us your finished blocks on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

– Be sure to post your progress –

for a chance to win prizes!

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan