UPDATE Jan 15, 2022 Also see the Cleopatra’s Fan Top 10.
The sewing sequence is not always obvious for a block like Cleopatra’s Fan.
There are detailed instructions for sewing and pressing in the new Cleopatra’s Fan Quilt Design Book, (138 pages, PDF) free for a limited time.
When you realize it is sewn in rows, it all makes sense.
Cleo isn’t difficult to sew by machine because the curves are so gentle.
That center seam is important if you will be machine piecing the whole block.
On the other hand, since Inklingo quilters do so much fussy cutting (Passacaglia, Ballet, Patchwork of the Crosses POTC, hexagons, etc.), I could not help but ponder . . . .
Wouldn’t that look GREAT with a fussy cut flower?
Could I give up that center seam?
So I tried it!
Aha! Another Inklingo “bonus shape” was born.
I sewed the Y-shaped center seam by hand. The rest of the block is easy by machine.
Print the bonus shape on fabric or on paper for templates!
Cathi Godwin at Quilt Obsession shared a photo of her first Inklingo Cleopatra’s Fan block. She used the bonus shape, so her block has 19 pieces instead of 20. It is trickier to sew by machine without the center seam, so Cathi sewed by hand and the results are worth it! See Cathi’s Cleo from the back too!
In addition to printing on fabric, you can use Inklingo to print on paper for a window template and a paper template. (Inklingo includes layouts of shapes with AND without seam allowances.)
Fussy cutting with freezer paper templates is even easier than using acrylic and you can have as many templates as you like.
Fussy cutting is just one way to make Cleo extra-special—if it wasn’t already!
In addition to the illustrated sewing instructions (hand and machine), there are TWO DOZEN worksheets in the Cleopatra’s Fan Quilt Design Book and more ideas for choosing fabric.
The design book is free for a limited time ($20 value).
Go ahead. Tell your friends, so they don’t miss it!
If you are new to Inklingo, please have a look at the Main Beginner’s Page too.
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If printing on fabric is new to you, you might want to see this video Introduction to Inklingo. It explains the three key ideas that make it possible to print templates on fabric.
Please share my videos on your blogs and Facebook and please tell your friends about Inklingo!
THE LINKS!
This article is just a quick overview. There is much more on the website.
- Main Cleopatra’s Fan Quilt Page
- Cleopatra’s Fan Quilt Design Book FREE!
- Download Cleopatra’s Fan EQ Project File (requires Electric Quilt software)
- TWO Methods of Fussy Cutting with Inklingo
Happy Mother’s Day! Thank you for visiting!
Linda & Monkey
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New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Main Beginner’s Page There are triangles, diamonds, and squares in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.
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Hi Weedy,
I think you could get very interesting effects with striped fabric. There is an example illustrated on page 105 of the Cleopatra’s Fan Design Book. You could draw stripes on the worksheets to see if it gives you the effect you want.
In a 9 inch block, the bonus shape fits on a scrap of fabric approx 3.75 x 6.5 inches. The widest part (finished) is a little less than 3 inches across.
Hi Linda (and Monkey),
A couple questions about Cleopatra’s Fan. I have a collection of fabrics I was thinking of using for POTC but I think they might be better in CF. Would the outer border pieces look good in a stripe? Are the shapes oriented such that a stripe would look good? And the bonus shape. How large a motif would fit to advantage in the 9″ pattern? I haven’t measured the fabric I have but some of the blossom shapes are probably up to 2″ across. They could be “focused” so that they are centered with the excess into the seam allowances.
Hope the two of you are getting your beauty sleep tonight.
Weedy
Thank you, Maryam, Sue & Betsy. It made sense to at least try eliminating that seam and it worked. We all love fussy cutting, don’t we!
Merci beaucoup, Patricia! Je suis heureux que vous l’aimez!
Love the additional “fussy cut ” shape you’ve added to the shape collection. Such a beautiful block. Am ordering the 6″ collection today!!
Thanks, Linda, for all the extra effort you always put in to make our lives so much easier!! Hope you enjoyed a lovely Mother’s Day yesterday!
Brilliant!
Love how you eliminated that center seam! It looks much better!
C’est magnifique, j’aime beaucoup.
I’m so glad you included that bonus shape, as I love the look of the bud of the flower without seams. As usual, you give us so, so much extra added value in a collection! Your attention to details like that is one of the many, many things that makes Inklingo so fabulous!
Thank you for the beautiful fans for Mothers Day, Linda! My goodness, these are all so gorgeous! Cathi is truly obssessed with quilting as I see samples of her Inklingo blocks almost as soon as a collection is published. Thank you Cathi! And thank you Linda!