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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Free form Baptist Fan

I never realized there were so many ways to quilt a Baptist Fan pattern.  I've used them for years in hand quilting but have never machine quilted this design. 

I have always used a stencil and a blue pen.
So I will be trying this free form method I found on Bonnie Hunter's blog.  She did hers by hand, but I'll be doing FMQing. 

I hope this works!  Thanks for all the suggestions. We'll know soon how this will go.
Karen



9 comments:

Ruth said...

I can't wait to see how this works! I did fan quilting one time and made my own template, then when I finished one fan I would draw the lines for the next one and it was a big pain. I don't like trying to stay on the lines either. I love the BF and would love to do it with FMQ someday, so I need to see how you do it. Good luck!

LCP said...

I have followed Bonnie's method for 5 quilts now.....I baste well and work my way into the center. Because I am a handquilter, I especially like cutting off the excess and binding after making my first trip around the quilt. There is a lot less bulk and the batting doesn't get worn. The very best part of all when I finish quilting the center, I don't have to bind the quilt. I need to wash and label !!!

audrey said...

What a great choice! I've been wanting to try this method myself only in hand quilting. Still trying to find the right quilt for it.:)

Vivian said...

My very first attempt at machine quilting Baptist fans was done by following these same instructions from Bonnie. I wondered whether her hand-quilting instructions would translate well to machine quilting, and it did. I was nervous about starting around the outside and working to the center, but there was no problem at all. No lumps and no bumps. It's definitely a process that works.
Have fun with it, Karen.

Vivian said...

I forgot to mention something I found to be important. I used a strip of blue painter's tape to guide me -- a horizontal line at the height I wanted the row of fans to be. My first curve in each fan was the outside one, guided by that blue tape. I kept moving the tape as I progressed along.

Janan Doster said...

Please post a photo when you start this method of FM quilting. I am not familiar with Bonnie's methods.
Thank you.

Janet said...

What a perfect match for the quilt. I love baptist fans and I love doing them too. Can't wait to see more.

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

Good luck; the curved quilting lines will be perfect on this graphic, linear, quilt!

CecileD said...

I don't know this method and I'm curious to discover it !
Love your quilt....