CHARM ABOUT YOU

My original plan was slightly different but this was one of those projects that naturally evolved and turned out even better than I hoped. The double sided wreath comes together quickly and I took a bit of extra time to stitch some hand embroidery as the added texture gives a fun touch. It's not at all necessary but you notice the extra detail up close.

The fabrics I chose are ones I've kept for something special, the green print is Christmas Wish by Lizzie Mackay for Dashwood Studio and the white print is Washi, Tinsel by Rashida Coleman-Hale. Originally I was going to make the wreath using the many blue Christmas prints I have but somehow it wasn't working and they didn't look good together. When I hit on this white and green combo, with pops of red it made me think of mints and was a winner!

You can use any dresden template or ruler with this pattern to create the dresden plates, I used the Creative Grids 18° Dresden Plate Ruler. Having an acrylic template makes it so simple and much quicker, as you can easily layer and cut the fabric with a rotary cutter. I stitched the plates using 50wt Aurifil - my go to for piecing - it definitely helps with accuracy and reduces the bulk in the seam when turning those points. Dresdens look like they are complicated or tricky but they are surprisingly easy and there are so many options for creating blocks with them. My favourite sewing is often traditional blocks made with modern fabric as it creates a different look.