Dresden Plate Library Bag...

This is the 4th post in the Library Bag Tutorial series. Today I'll show you how to add a Dresden Plate to the basic Library Bag.

Dresden Plates are not as scary as they look. My first Dresden was incorporated into a Retro Flower Power Pillow. This is my second.

Materials:

• 2 pieces 13" x 16" (33cm x 41cm) - main colour for the outside of the bag
• 2 pieces 13" x 16" (33cm x 41cm) - contrast colour for the lining
• 4 pieces 10.5" x 1.5" (26cm x 4cm) - main colour for the handles
• 2 pieces 10.5" x 1.5" (26cm x 4cm) - sew in medium weight interfacing for the handles
• 1 piece roughly 3" x .5" (7cm x 1cm) - tape for the name tag
• Dresden Plate - with a finished diameter of 8"
• 1 piece 13" x 16" (33cm x 41cm) - backing for the front of the bag. (This will be hidden.)

Instructions:

All seams are 3/8" (1cm), unless otherwise indicated. The seam allowance is not critical, as long as you are consistent throughout the project. The seam allowances for the Dresden plate, were .25" (.6cm).

Construct Dresden Plate

I used the Dresden Plate template from Quilter By Design, and also found the following sites helpful in the construction of the Dresden Plate:

• Badskirt
• Sew Mama Sew
• Ginger Quilts
• Stitchery Dickory Dock

The centre circle was made with a cardboard template as in the Ginger Quilts tutorial.

Attach Dresden Plate to front of Library Bag
I attached the blades of the plate and the circle, to the Library bag, by stitching a straight line very close to the edges. The tutorials above will show you other methods, as well.

Stitching around the Dresden Plate
Around the Dresden, I sewed 3 rows of stitching, eyeballing each one:

1. Machine stitching
2. Hand stitching - running stitch using 2 strands of cotton thread
3. Running stitch with a 2nd row of stitching going under each of the running stitches.

To sew the 3rd row of stitching:

• Securely not the end of the thread. 
• With a running stitch, sew around the star using 2 strands of thread. I didn't measure. I just eyeballed it.
• Make the stitches above the material, longer than the stitches underneath the material.
• Securely knot the thread when you get to the end, or when you need more thread.
• Cut 2 strands of black thread and knot securely.
• Take the 2nd thread underneath each running stitch.
• Knot securely to finish.

Add backing fabric

As there are a lot of threads on the wrong side, I basted backing fabric to the front of the bag, before I sewed the bag together.

To finish, follow the tutorial for the basic Library bag.

That's 8 Library bags so far. All of these Library bags will be packed up and distributed to disadvantaged children in Sydney. Before sending them off, I'll pop a book into each bag, courtesy of my Mum.

Over the next week or so, I'll be showing you variations and additions to the basic Library Bag tutorial;

• Using contrasting fabrics in a library bag
• Appliquéing book titles to a library bag 
• Incorporating a patchwork block into a library bag

To finish off the series, there will be a round up post with links to different styles of library bags. 

If you make a library bag using this tutorial, I'd love you to add it to the Threading My Way ~ Sewn by YOU Flickr group. Feel free to add any projects made with Threading My Way tutorials.

I'll be adding this Library Bag tutorial, to the 300+ bags already linked to the Bags and Totes link party, here at Threading My Way.

Today, I'm joining in the Dare to Dresden blog hop with my Dresden Plate Library Bag. Many thanks to:

• Mdm Samm from Sew We Quilt
• Christine from Quilt Monster in My Closet

If you'd like to see more Dresden Plates, each of the blogs below will have a Dare to Dresdon post scheduled for today.

A Reformed Heath'n	Blooming Where I am Planted
“that Other Blog”	Butjenter Quilter
Grammie Q’s	Bumbleberry Stitches
Sunshine Girl	Thimble Mouse & Spouse
Spiral	Stitch Duchess' Crazy & Sane Quilting World
Quilting Lodge	Life in the Scrapatch
Pretty Bobbins	In The Boon Docks
Sew Much and More	Pink Ribbon Quilts
Meadowbrook	The Tilted Quilt

For even more Dresden Plates, visit Quilt Monster in My Closet to see links to over 100 Dresden Plates.

... Pam


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