Sunday, July 27, 2008

Do I Quilt Anything But Fans?

I finished hand quilting Mini Hotflash - woohoo!

I was trying to decide how to quilt Joyeux Noel (which, by the way, I left borderless) and was of course considering fans. My husband asked, Do you ever quilt anything BUT fans? I'm not quite sure how serious he was. I pointed out a quilt on the wall, Home Sweet Home, with all sorts of elaborate non-fan quilting and he thought it was one Bonnie had machine quilted for me. harrumph.

I did actually consider something else for this project. Maybe quilt in the ditch and then add snowflakes... I quilted one whole letter before deciding that was just going to be way too labor intensive without enough to show for it. So yes, I'm back to my beloved freehand fans. Do I ever quilt anything else. hee hee hee.


Yes, I used chalk to mark wavy lines on Hotflash because otherwise my lines end up too straight. No, I don't use any kind of marking for the freehand fans. They are easy, really.

14 comments:

Sharon said...

I love your fans. I think they really make a pieced quilt "sing". I love the contrast between the straight-line piecing and the round-ness of the fans. There's a reason they're a classic quilting pattern! Don't let your sweetie give you a hard time! And your stitches are so nice and even - just beautiful!

Joyce said...

If it ain't broke don't fix it. The fans are perfect.

jovaliquilts said...

I love the close-ups. Noel reminds me of the old-fashioned hard Christmas candies with red, green, and white trees and a striped border. Used to get them in my stocking every year.

Browndirtcottage said...

I like the fans with this one....it gives the illusion of mountains and hills with the trees!

Donna said...

I keep imagining your fans turning into "V" shapes echoing those tree tops :-) -- but hey, if hubby wants "not fans" maybe he should learn to quilt!! :-)

Diane said...

You can't improve on perfection!

Fran said...

Your fan are 'FAN'tastic...;cD
Love them and trying to make fans of my own on a small hand quilt.

Smiles:c)...Fran

woolywoman said...

Well, I don't see why you'd need to quilt anything else. (smile) at least your husband noticed!

Lynda said...

No marking! They look so even! Do you start the fans at the top or bottom (ie. the largest curve or the smallest)?

Leena said...

I have found your freehand fan tutorial at Quiltville a long time ago, but only now got to try them out. And... I love it! It is so liberating, and it really does me good as I would make a good quilt police if there were any. I mark the lines before quilting. It would be too liberating to quilt them without it. I love how my teeny-tiny preemie quilt looks with the fans all over it (once I get it all done, that is). Thanks for the tutorial!

Laura said...

I love the fans! So keep doing them. Yours are so perfect, I can't seem to get that perfection.

Colleen formerly of South Africa said...

I love the colors of your quilt and the quilting is perfect for it.

artfilstitch said...

Love the colors and the quilting is beautiful. The fans are perfect....cool! Enjoy reading your post.

Susan said...

I figure why mess with something that's working?