Technique Tuesday: Fruit Salad

Despite the blog post's title, this week's Technique Tuesday is not going to teach you how to make an actual fruit salad.

Instead, Debby Kratovil is back, showing how to give Dresden Plates a summer spin! Enjoy her tutorial, let your mouth water at those tasty-looking fruit fabrics from Greta Lynn's Fruit Salad collection for Kanvas, and get sewing! Plus, Debby's hosting a giveaway on her blog. Head over to check it out!

Here's Debby:

Warning! Put your cup of coffee down before you scroll any further! Sometimes my ideas get a bit zany and I only blame it on the fabric, of course.

I received a lovely bundle of Fruit Salad fabrics from Kanvas and the watermelon images jumped out at me. What do you think?

Fruit Salad Collection by Greta Lynn for KANVAS and Benartex Fabrics

What? You don't see watermelon? You see strawberries and blueberries and cherries? Hold on. I'm getting to the watermelon, because I WANTED watermelon and I tried to make this a watermelon quilt. Strawberry watermelon, maybe?

I like playing with my Vortex ruler (actually an 18 degree Dresden Plate ruler). I thought of the green watermelon rind, the white inner rind and the red fruit part and grabbed 3 fabrics. Actually, four. Let me show you how I auditioned the fabrics to decide what size strips to cut.

First, the green, cherry print and strawberries on black:

Auditioning fabrics and getting an idea of the size strips to cut

Next, the green, cherry print and realistic watermelon color (minus the black seeds):

Auditioning the fabrics with my 12-1/2" ruler

The strawberries got a hold on me. I should have listened to the voices in my head!

Strips for strata

 I cut an 8-1/2" wide strip of the strawberry print, a 1-1/2" strip of the cherry print, and a 3-1/2" strip for the green rind. I actually needed 3 sets of these in order to get the needed 20 wedges. As you can see in the photo below, as you flip-flop the ruler, you are cutting a second set of wedges. You have to cut for two blocks to get one full block of 20 wedges.

Ruler flip-flops along the stitched wedge set of strips (with a height of 12-1/2")

This wedge is the same one we used for the Christmas in July tree skirt I featured here a few weeks ago. The template is still there. This link will take you to the Sew in Love with Fabric blog posting with the tutorial for the tree skirt: Christmas in July with Homespun Holiday

Now let's see my wedges:

Each strip set will yield 7 wedges (that's why we need 3 strip sets)

Now let's turn them into Dresden Plate units!

1. Fold wedge in half along the vertical. Sew 1/4" along the widest edge.
2. Clip the inner corner at the fold. This makes for a sharp point when turned.
3. Turn seam right side out and press little pocket so the seam runs along the center of the wedge.
4. No need to use needle-turn applique. Neat, huh?

Dresden Plate Sewing

Make 5 wedges for each quarter circle. Press these seams open (you'll see this later)

Five wedges make a quarter circle. Press seams open.

What's up with that triangle at the bottom? I don't want a center circle for my dresden plate. I cut a 4-1/2" square, placed it along the straight sides of the 5-wedge unit, marked the diagonal and sewed ON the line; trimmed 1/4" away. Discard cutaways. Press triangle out as seen in photo above.

Sew on diagonal line; trim away

What do two halves look like? For the whole block you will need two 4-1/2" squares of both green and red.

Two watermelon halves joined.

Make sure each of your four quarter circles are perpendicular on the straight sides. If not, you will have a little mountain in the center of the unit when all four come together. Trust me. I know this from experience, I'm just saying . . .

I cut a piece of the background fabric. I wish I had 30-1/2" of the watermelon print, but I only had 28", so I went with that. Pinned and pressed and pinned again. Selected matching green thread and a simple zigzag stitch and now it's time to trim away the background fabric.

Trim away the background fabric from behind the Dresden Plate block

OK. Last warning! Put down that coffee cup! Nothing liquid in your mouth! Here is my wild and crazy Watermelon Quilt with a 28" center block (the Dresdens are about 25" from tip to tip across the center). First from the back:

Notice all the pressed seams. Removing the background fabric reduces the bulk

And from the front:

Wild and Crazy Watermelon Delight Table Cloth

My husband has been asking me for a table cloth for our circular table on the deck. This will be it! Sure to shock our summertime guests! I will quilt it and show it soon finished.

Now for the giveaway. I have two bundles of LONG QUARTER cuts from this collection. Each contains 5 long quarters (9" x wof). I don't like fat quarters when I'm working with a quilt that needs borders and long strips.

Cherries and Berries, Purple Colorway

Berries and Watermelon, Red Colorway

Visit my blog and let me know if you've ever made a quilt and used it for a table cloth. And tell me which of the two bundles you like. I will select two winners. Deadline for comments is Friday August 21 at midnight. International winners will need to help with postage if you are chosen to win ($10, US). Or you can have any of my Craftsy patterns.

Thanks Debby!
Click here to see the entire Fruit Salad collection.