I have made these before .
What I did was to pin it down to the back groud then I hand bast it then I hand appliqued it down .
It came out just fine .
betty

I used a lot of safety pins around the edges and I did baste the center. Don't pull your stitches too tight and the background will not pucker, but they must be snug.
I would advise pressing too.
Rosa

I did pretty much what betty did, and then used a small machine buttonhole stitch to attach the plate securely as these were to be made into pillows.

Teresa (who is definitely NOT an applique diva)

{{!gwi}}

nice pillows Teresa !!

I am working on some right now, but I wouldn't claim to be a diva, I just like to hand appliqué :). What I do is use the long flat head flower pins and pin them vertically along side the seams and I don't get poked as much. Be sure and stitch the center first before the outside of the plate.

Rebecca

I know I sound like a broken record but I use Roxanne's Glue Baste-It. It's great stuff, Jen.

Kay

You could put the background fabric on a hoop which would keep it taut while you are working on it.

I'm a machine appliquer, so I use a lot of fusible web & stabilizer.

I just simply press the background, press the pieces down on it, then pin the pieces down (haven't made a Dresden Plate, but the technique should be similar), then thread-baste, and press again, then applique! Never had a problem.

I agree with Kay. Roxanne's Glue Baste it is wonderful stuff!

Janice

On large pieces like that I baste around the outside edge ontop of my cutting mat. That way I can keep smoothing it flat and the needle doesn't scratch anything. I'm too cheat to buy glue baste;)
Bon
:)

Bonica, I wish I knew how to be cheap. Quilting is about to break me. lol

You needn't buy expensive glues for basting.....any water soluble glue stick will work just fine. I just got 2 in a package....to be used by 'children'.... and they were $1.25 for 2....surely, Bon, even you can 'spring' for that!!!lol
I just finished applying some already made quilt pieces....octagonal pieced ones....to another quilt.....and it was no big deal. Just place it carefully where you want it...pin in the middle and a few scattered pins around the edge, and that was it....no need to waste time basting the whole thing, gluing it, etc...just a few pins will do it.

Jennifer,,,,I pinned mine on each blade and quilted from the center out.It works best if you quilt across from one side to another on the blades instead of going in a circle,,,if that makes sense....here are mine....
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}