I chose to use three fabrics for the blades of the fan. They will repeat in a regular pattern to form a complete circle as seen here. This arrangement requires cutting 16 sections from each of the three fabric prints for a total of 48.
Then you must cut 16 of the background pieces using the Drunkards Path Arch Fan Background Die. This requires about a 1/4 yard of material.
Once your cutting is done, each of your 16 squares get assembled in the same way so you can set up a production line. Begin by sewing the first fan blade to the second with a 1/4″ seam and press.
Find the center of the fan blades by folding them in half and making a crease with your finger nail at the center along the outer edge. Do the same with the background piece along the inner edge. Then match up the center creases, right sides together and secure with a pin.
Once you have done this, you are ready to stitch the curve. No more pins are necessary. Just line up the outer edges and begin stitching till you reach the pin, remove and continue to the end, again making sure that your outer edges are aligned.
Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric.
Now you are ready to layout your blocks. You assemble the pillow front by sewing each row together and then stitching the rows together.
You will end up with this…I pillow cover with five holes! We will create circle appliques to cover them.
Cut five 1 1/2″ circles out of Freezer Paper which can be found in the grocery store near the wax paper and plastic wrap. You will notice that one side is shiny and waxy. With the waxy side down, place the freezer paper circle on the wrong side of a square of your applique material. Run a warm iron over the freezer paper circle and it will adhere to the fabric. Then trim about a 1/4″ seam allowance around the freezer paper circle and clip. Then fold in the edges and iron them. You can then remove the freezer paper and you have an applique all ready to go.
I chose to quilt my pillow cover with concentric circles and then applique the circles by hand.
My pillow is finished with an invisible zipper.
Supplies:
http://www.sizzix.com/product/657164/sizzix-bigz-l-die-fan-blade-30
http://www.sizzix.com/product/657168/sizzix-bigz-l-die-drunkard-s-path-arch-fan-background
http://www.sizzix.com/product/656662/sizzix-bigz-die-circles-1-1-2
Freezer Paper (grocery store)
Thread
1/4 yard of background fabric, Fat Quarter of 3 prints for fan blades, scraps for circles, 1 Fat Quarter for the pillow backing– I used Jennifer Paganelli’s fabrics http://www.sisboom.com/ and the background print is from Vintage Butterflies by Studio E Fabrics http://www.studioefabrics.com/index.php?cPath=32_137_145
quilt batting
14″ invisible zipper from http://www.etsy.com/shop/zipit?ref=shop_sugg