Today's Quilter - UK (2019-07)

86 Join us at http://www.todaysquilter.com

BEHIND THE QUILT

SHINE LIKE THE SUN
“This block is a great example of everyday life being immortalized in a patchwork
block. This electric fan design was first seen in the depression era, around 1938,

in a Kansas City Star newspaper quilt column by Ruby McKim. Sometimes
known as Letha’s Electric Fan, or just the Electric Fan, there is no denying that
the oset Dresden Plate style blocks resemble the whirring of a fan. By replacing

the circle with a square, you get a quirkier looking block, but a fan nonetheless.
I’ve made the vintage style version completely scrappy, but in the others, the use

of the scraps is a little more controlled.
The turquoise version has the same four fabrics in each fan, graded from light
through to dark – it’s nice to have a bit of fun with the fabrics, and I couldn’t resist

putting the fan motif fabric in the centre – whereas the 1930s style block (above)
has just two fabrics alternating. I’ve played about with the inner quarter circles
too, and it’s fun to see how dierent fabrics give a slightly dierent feel to the

block. If you don’t want to appliqué the circle in the centre then you can always
piece in a square, creating a slightly more rigid looking fan.” – Carolyn Forster

You w i l l nee d

QBackground fabric – 9in x 22in

QScrap fabrics – Sixteen (16) 3in

squares

QCentre fabric – One (1) 4in square

QTe m p l a t e s (s e e Te m p l a t e s s e c t i o n)

Block size

Q12in finished (16in with frames)

Notes

QFabric quantities are based on the

antique block on page 85. For fabric

for the frames, see issue 42 or

http://www.todaysquilter.com

QThis block of the month is hand-

pieced. For detailed instructions of

this technique, see issue 42 or the

tutorial on http://www.todaysquilter.com

Cutting out

1

From the background fabric cut

four (4) pieces using Template A

and four (4) using Template C.

2

From scrap fabrics cut sixteen (16)

pieces using Template B.

3

From centre fabric, cut one (1)

piece using either Template D

or Template D2.

Making the block

4

Arrange and stitch B shapes

together into four groups of four

(4), one for each segment of the fan

(Fig 1).

5

Stitch each of these units to a C

piece. To help fit the curves, fold C

Fig 1

BLOCK OF THE MONTH

letha’s electric

fa n

You can use a square or circle for the
centre of your blocks. Why not make a whole quilt
of Letha’s Electric Fan, alternating the block centre?