Hello Monkey Makers! Do you love making Dresdens? I discovered a real love for them as I was working my way through Dynamic Dresdens, a fabulous book by Susan K. Cleveland that pairs perfectly with her Quilters Select 18 degree Dynamic Dresden ruler and Quilters Select 30 degree Dynamic Dresden ruler.

If making Dresdens has felt intimidating to you, definitely check out Dynamic Dresdens. It's packed with tips for making the most accurate Dresdens, there are lots of customizable quilt projects using both the 18 degree and 30 degree Dresden rulers, and there are so many techniques and effects to explore to elevate your Dresden game. 

Today, I want to get into how I use the Quilters Select Dynamic Dresden rulers to achieve razor sharp Dresdens and share my cutting, sewing, and pressing tricks for perfect Dresdens every time.

For this tutorial, I'm demonstrating how to fussy cut using the Quilters Select 18 degree Dynamic Dresden ruler and Karen Montgomery's gorgeous self-striping Counterpoint fabrics. This is the sample I created using the Quilters Select 30 degree Dynamic Dresden ruler:

Spotlight Tool: Quilters Select 18 degree Dynamic Dresden ruler

Other Tools: Quilters Select Wave Applique Scissors, Flatter Spray,  Prairie Pointer, Precision Turning Tool, Seam Align Glue

What we are covering: Determining Fussy Cuts, Chain Sewing Dresdens, Pressing Dresdens, Fixing Uneven Dresdens

Using the Quilters Select 18 Degree Ruler to Determine Fussy Cuts

If you like to see things in action, click the video above to follow along with the same step-by-step instructions outlined below.

Step 1. First, I want to use the lines on the Quilters Select 18 degree Dynamic Dresden ruler to determine where my fussy cut lines will fall. I love these rulers because they have that grippy backing that makes them stick to the fabric for extra precision.

You have both a center line, and lines along the ruler, to help determine the exact dimensions of your fussy cut. And you can see through the ruler and know which elements of the fabric will be captured with your fussy cut before you start cutting.

I wanted to capture a section that will give me an easily repeatable design within Karen's gorgeous Counterpoint fabric. I didn't want any of the blue at the top, and I can see exactly where the point of my Dresden will end by aligning the point on the ruler with the point on the fabric beneath that blue line:

Step 2: I want to cut the same flower multiple times for my Dresdens. I place the ruler in the spot I want, using the center dotted line to align the Dresden so I know where the center will be. I then take a Sharpie and mark the ruler (on the non-grippy side!) to create a reference for myself: 

Step 3: I'm marking the middle of my flower, just to give myself a reference so as I move forward placing the ruler over the fabric, I know I can place the ruler over the element I've traced to give myself the exact same cut:

Pro Tip: Don't worry about that Sharpie mark! Hand sanitizer will wipe it off later.

Pro Tip 2: If you don't want to feature the same flower and just want to move down along the fabric, choose one of the horizontal lines along the base of the ruler and use it as your reference point.

Using the Quilters Select 18 Degree Ruler to Make Your Fussy Cut

If you like to see things in action, click the video above to follow along with the same step-by-step instructions outlined below.

Step 1: Now I'm ready to cut my first Dresden. The Quilters Select ruler grips the fabric, so I can easily rotate and cut each side without messing up my alignment:

Step 2: Now I need to remove the end of the fabric, right at that 2" mark:

Normally I would have started with a strip that was the width I wanted it to be, but as I'm doing fussy cutting, I haven't done that. However, it's easily done by lining up my ruler on that edge and cutting it away:

I end up with this:

I continue cutting this way, cutting in both directions, lining up my 2" line to maintain consistency:

One of the things I really dig about this technique is how easy they are to chain sew!

How to Chain Sew Dresdens

If you like to see things in action, click the video above to follow along with the same step-by-step instructions outlined below.

My machine is already set up for a 1/4" seam allowance. 

Pro Tip and Step 1: Fold your fabric in half right sides together, and don't sew from the fold—sew from the raw edge. 

When you fold right sides together and sew from the raw edge, you don't have to press or measure anything—you can just drop your needle and your fabric will naturally fold on the end with an exact middle.

Now you can chain piece your Dresdens. 

Step 2: Sew the top edges. Remember: sew from the raw edge, not the fold.

When I'm making a bunch of these, I like to just chain sew all of them. If you want to make the bottom edge Dresdened as well, just fold it over and do the exact same thing from the bottom:

Pressing Dresdens

If you like to see things in action, click the video above to follow along with the same step-by-step instructions outlined below.

Pro Tip and Step 1: Trim your fabric pieces before pressing to remove some of the bulk. Don't cut it at a sharp point, but rather a softer 30 degree angle:

When you trim the ends, you will go about halfway into the fold. You don't want to cut all the way into the corner because you will poke through it.

Step 2: With my pieces trimmed, now I want to press my piece shut so the seams lay flat. I use my Prairie Pointer, which is metal and can be used under my iron. This gives me a crisp open fold:

Pro Tip: Thread a ribbon through that hole in the bottom of the Prairie Pointer. It can get really hot under the iron, and the ribbon can allow you to easily remove the Prairie Pointer and avoid burns!

Step 3: Remove the Prairie Pointer and place it in the bottom half to press it as well:

Step 4: Turn the fabric piece so that it's right side out. I use the Precision Turning Tool to push out any creased bits and make things really sharp and pointy:

Step 5: With my piece turned right side out, I repeat the steps above, using the Prairie Pointer to press my fabric pieces again:

Step 6: To make things extra crisp and sharp, I use Flatter Spray that I've placed in a mister bottle to spray my piece evenly and press again. This helps make it really flat and crispy!

Making Dresdens Line Up Perfectly

If you like to see things in action, click the video above to follow along with the same step-by-step instructions outlined below.

I've made these with Karen's striped Counterpoint fabric and my stripes should line up really evenly, but let's talk about how to fix things when they aren't lining up evenly.

Step 1: Use tiny drops of Seam Align Glue anywhere on the edge of your Dresden that you want to match up:

The Seam Align Glue won't dry until you iron it, and it does wash away.

Step 2: Holding your top fabric in one hand, match the lines as you move down the length of your Dresden, pressing the top fabric to the bottom fabric:

Step 3: Iron the fabrics to fix them together. Now we're ready to sew.

Pro tip: For Dresdens, you want to back stitch at the beginning and ends. Just go forward and back a couple of stitches. Let your needle go completely off the fabric when you back stitch to make a loop that locks the top. This ensures your thread tails are not directly on the ends, too.

Step 4: After back stitching the top, sew down the edge to the bottom and back stitch the bottom as well:

Step 5: Now I can press both the wrong side of the fabric as well as the right side of the fabric and tada! The stripes line up:

Step 6: Continue sewing your Dresdens together in this manner, in groups of two, to make a circle.

We hope this Dresden tutorial has given you confidence to quilt with Dresdens! Drop any questions you have about Dresdens in the comments below, and join us in The Monkey House to share your projects and talk with fellow monkeys!