Geisha Fan Quilt
The Geisha Fan Quilt started with vintage Yukata Cotton scraps and a new Dresden ruler/template. Because vintage Yukata cotton only comes in 16-inch widths, it is precious, and I save all the scraps! In the detail picture directly below all the fabric pieces in the fan are Yukata cotton. The prints were pieced together and then trimmed with the ruler. Originally, I was not going to do a fan but a sunset for another quilt I was working on. Once I paused and saw the fan, a whole new quilt was designed! I place the arc on red and black batik and used thin midnight blue satin ribbon for the spines of the fan. A modern cotton with a Geisha motif bordered the center square.
The finished quilt is a 70 by 60-inch beautiful bed covering. This unique piece has a centerpiece of a Japanese Geisha fan with a red and black batik base. Midnight blue ribbon was incorporated to simulate the fan structure. Two additional fans are at the center of the top and bottom panels using a different Dresden template. Th scrap use continues through out as the one thing that energizes my creativity is to randomly select pieces and sew together. There is magic in that process, there comes a point where just the right size is needed and appears in the review of options.
The Geisha Fan Quilt is reversible! The center panel of the back is a fan motif cotton flanked by floral cotton on the sides as shown below. Th placement of the blocks was to represent the city proper where a Geisha may have walked down the streets.
Copper metallic thread was used throughout to add a bit of sheen! I also used the last of the lettered vintage kimono in indigo and white. Used in 4 other Yukata cotton quilts as shown below.
My go-to place for Yukata cotton is Okan Arts. Okan Arts sources vintage textiles from across the Japanese islands — luscious yukata cottons and remarkable kimono wools. Their West Coast business imports vintage textiles from Japan, runs quilting workshops, leads tours to Japan, and offers quilts by Patricia in its online gallery.
The perfect weight for quilting, yukata cottons add an extraordinary essence to any project. Yukata cotton are manufactured for kimono construction. The fabric patterns, from classic indigo & white geometrics to vividly bold florals and abstracts, inspire and enchant. Floral motifs are popular on yukata cottons for women. Brighter patterns are worn by young girls; duller ones by married women. Artisans add watercolor effects to the petals and leaves of flowers on yukata cottons with their masterful mixing of dye colors.
The Geisha Fan Quilt is available at the Pink Tulip Quilting Etsy site.
Pink Tulip Quilting 