working the hands...

Today I spent hand quilting.  It's been such a long time since the classes I've taken, that I thought I'd forget!  A friend told me it was just like riding a bicycle...hmm, perhaps....

I've been wanting to quilt a quilt using the Baptist Fan pattern - I've always loved it as an overall pattern, and on this quilt I think it's just right.

After consulting Quilting With Style by Gwen Marston & Joe cunningham, from my library, I made my own fan maker from some cardboard, grabbed a pencil, and I was good to go!

Here you can see the bit of cardboard I cut, with holes 1 " apart.  The holes are just big enough for my pencil to fit through so I can draw the lines.  I use two pencils, one lead, the other green so I can see better in the darker bits of fabric.

My stitching isn't perfect yet, and I'm not really focusing on making small ones, just making them as even as possible.  The batting is 100% unbleached cotton, Tuscany Collection.  I chose it for the wrinkly/shrink effect after washing, but I must admit, it's not very regular in it's texture.  It seems as if it needles quite easily at one point, then gets tough at another.....

Just as I was bringing my quilt to the table to draw my third fan, I received this in the mail:
Accidentally on Purpose by Eli Leon an inspirational book filled with the kinds of quilts that inspire me with their color and form.  If you love liberated quilts and their history like I do, I think you'll enjoy this book!

..and now back to my fans....