Alex wrote:
<If you are thinking of making a fan check that you have fan sticks of a
suitable size first. It is easy to adjust the size of the pattern, but it is
not easy to find sticks to fit a fan leaf.>
Having made a few fans, I totally disagree with that. You need the pattern
first and then find sticks to fit.
If a leaf is too small around the outer edge and you enlarge it so that the
outer curve fits, the inner one won't, and vice versa. The same happens in
reverse if you try to make the leaf smaller. It's not the same as enlarging
or reducing, for example, an edging or a mat. I'm sure someone cleverer than
me can show the maths involved. Unless you're confident of redrawing the
pricking to fit, I'd leave it alone.
Fan sticks aren't difficult to get nowadays - suppliers seem to have
realised that most lacemakers want to make at least one fan. The obvious
source is the faux tortoiseshell or cream coloured Spanish souvenir fans,
but there are VERY few patterns to fit these. Stripping an old wrecked fan
is another possibility, but you'd probably have difficulty finding a leaf to
fit.
SMP sell some complete kits and some sticks alone:
http://www.smplace.co.uk/sfr_cat.htm
Kleinhout sells sticks that will fit any size of fan, unless you're really
ambitious and you want to make a giant one. They are 60 cm long and either
you or they cut them to the length required. You can choose the number of
stick you want in your skeleton from 8 to 20, and whether you want straight
or wavy sticks. You can paint them.
http://www.kleinhout.com/GB/fans/
Stuart Johnson makes three sizes of fan sticks and sells the patterns to go
with them - can't find his details.
I've got one set with spider and sparkles made by Matthew Hester.
I'm sure there are others that I've forgotten that others will remember.
Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK
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