This is the first block in the Grateful Hearts Sampler. It is called Grandmother's Fan. Below is a write up of the steps that I used in creating this block. Please note that the instructions given in the pattern are somewhat different. Feel free to use the pattern instructions or any other method that is most comfortable for you. First you will need to decide what colors to use in the "blades" of your fan. I chose green, fuschia, and turquoise for the blades, and bright yellow for the quarter circle at the base of the fan. Once you have determined what colors to use, cut your fabric into rectangles 4 inches by 1o inches.
Arrange your fabric rectangles in the sequence in which you are going to piece them. Note that I cut 2 pieces of green, two pieces of fuschia, and one piece of turquoise. If you want each blade to be a different color, cut only one rectangle of each color.
Stack all your fabric rectangles one on top of the other, aligning the edges exactly. Baste through all 5 layers of fabric (one layer for each blade). I used a dark basting thread because it is easier to see.
Cut the paper templates apart and line them up on your stack of fabric that you just basted together. Notice that there is a grainline on the templates, so line them up appropriately. I used a glue stick on the back of the template to hold the paper onto the fabric.
Use your rotary cutter to cut the fabric along the template edges. The templates have curved edges on the top and bottom. I cut straigh across, and it doesn't make any difference in the finished piece.
Once you've cut all the templates out, you'll have four sets of your fan blades. Don't remove the paper template or the basting until you are ready to sew each fan. You will have some bias edges, and keeping the sets basted together helps keep them from getting wonky. Sew your fan together and press. Sew or baste a line of stitching 1/4 inch away from the large curved edge. Turn this edge under, and run a line of glue form a glue stick to hold it in place.
Now it's time to work on the quarter circle that will form the base of the fan. Take the template provided with your pattern, and trim off the seam allowance ONLY ON THE CURVED SIDE!!!!! Leave the seam allowance on the straight edges!!! Repeat, cut off the seam allowance only on the curved side, and leave the seam allowance on the straight edges.
Pull out about 3-1/2 inches of freezer paper from the box it comes in. The strip should measure at least 3 inches by the width of the box. Fold the paper in half and then in half, so that you have 4 thicknesses of freezer paper. Pin the trimmed quarter circle template onto the freezer paper, lining up the straight edge of the template with the straight edge of the freezer paper. Trace the curved edge onto the freezer paper and cut along the tracing line. You will have 4 freezer paper copies of the quarter circle template.
Iron the freezer paper, shiny side down, onto the fabric you want to use for the base of your fan. Be sure to leave a margin of fabric on the curved side of the template.
Cut the fabric around the quarter circle as shown. Leave about a 1/4 inch margin around the curved edge. This is the seam allowance.
Flip the freezer paper quarter circle and fabric over to the back side. DO NOT REMOVE THE FREEZER PAPER YET. Smear a light coating of glue from a glue stick onto the curved edge of the fabric. Now, using your fingers, press the curved edge of the fabric towards the center. Press along the edge of the freezer paper. In other words, finger press the seam allowance in toward the center; the glue will hold it down once you've you've finger pressed it.
This is what the back of the freezer paper template/fabric should look like. The cruved edge has been folded towards the center along the curved line of the freezer paper.
Take the fan that you sewed together before, add the quarter circle that you've glue-basted, and arrange on a 12-1/2 inch square.
Repeat for all 4 corners. Now you are ready to machine applique (the dreaded "A" word) the fan onto the background. Use a blanket stitch or try one of the fancy stitches on your machine to sew along the large curved edge. Then use the same or a different stitch along the the curved edge of the fan base. Voila! You've made the first block!
This is the first block in the Grateful Hearts Sampler. It is called Grandmother's Fan. Below is a write up of the steps that I used in creating this block. Please note that the instructions given in the pattern are somewhat different. Feel free to use the pattern instructions or any other method that is most comfortable for you. First you will need to decide what colors to use in the "blades" of your fan. I chose green, fuschia, and turquoise for the blades, and bright yellow for the quarter circle at the base of the fan. Once you have determined what colors to use, cut your fabric into rectangles 4 inches by 1o inches.
Arrange your fabric rectangles in the sequence in which you are going to piece them. Note that I cut 2 pieces of green, two pieces of fuschia, and one piece of turquoise. If you want each blade to be a different color, cut only one rectangle of each color.
Stack all your fabric rectangles one on top of the other, aligning the edges exactly. Baste through all 5 layers of fabric (one layer for each blade). I used a dark basting thread because it is easier to see.
Cut the paper templates apart and line them up on your stack of fabric that you just basted together. Notice that there is a grainline on the templates, so line them up appropriately. I used a glue stick on the back of the template to hold the paper onto the fabric.
Use your rotary cutter to cut the fabric along the template edges. The templates have curved edges on the top and bottom. I cut straigh across, and it doesn't make any difference in the finished piece.
Once you've cut all the templates out, you'll have four sets of your fan blades. Don't remove the paper template or the basting until you are ready to sew each fan. You will have some bias edges, and keeping the sets basted together helps keep them from getting wonky. Sew your fan together and press. Sew or baste a line of stitching 1/4 inch away from the large curved edge. Turn this edge under, and run a line of glue form a glue stick to hold it in place.
Now it's time to work on the quarter circle that will form the base of the fan. Take the template provided with your pattern, and trim off the seam allowance ONLY ON THE CURVED SIDE!!!!! Leave the seam allowance on the straight edges!!! Repeat, cut off the seam allowance only on the curved side, and leave the seam allowance on the straight edges.
Pull out about 3-1/2 inches of freezer paper from the box it comes in. The strip should measure at least 3 inches by the width of the box. Fold the paper in half and then in half, so that you have 4 thicknesses of freezer paper. Pin the trimmed quarter circle template onto the freezer paper, lining up the straight edge of the template with the straight edge of the freezer paper. Trace the curved edge onto the freezer paper and cut along the tracing line. You will have 4 freezer paper copies of the quarter circle template.
Iron the freezer paper, shiny side down, onto the fabric you want to use for the base of your fan. Be sure to leave a margin of fabric on the curved side of the template.
Cut the fabric around the quarter circle as shown. Leave about a 1/4 inch margin around the curved edge. This is the seam allowance.
Flip the freezer paper quarter circle and fabric over to the back side. DO NOT REMOVE THE FREEZER PAPER YET. Smear a light coating of glue from a glue stick onto the curved edge of the fabric. Now, using your fingers, press the curved edge of the fabric towards the center. Press along the edge of the freezer paper. In other words, finger press the seam allowance in toward the center; the glue will hold it down once you've you've finger pressed it.
This is what the back of the freezer paper template/fabric should look like. The cruved edge has been folded towards the center along the curved line of the freezer paper.
Take the fan that you sewed together before, add the quarter circle that you've glue-basted, and arrange on a 12-1/2 inch square.
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