We just got an e-mail from a customer in Canada who asked if she could buy a Hoffman Color Fan from us. That kind of surprised me, because I thought these were more or less a tool for shops to use, in deciding which batiks to order.

And then I got to thinking that as maybe they're not just for shops... and that there may be lots of quilters who have color fans of their own. They really are a very nice reference... or a plainly marvelous toy.

How about it? Do you have a color fan?

Me!!!
It was a ridiculous purchase but when they first became available I just couldn't resist.

I use the 1895's all the time, and it's very helpful. It's not a necessity by any means, but it's nice to have it.

Many shops sell them. I got mine here:
https://www.batiksplus.com/SuperStor...ProductID=5042

Years ago I bought the Jinny Beyer fabric palette fan thingie as well (I'm a sucker for this stuff). While I really never buy her fabrics, it's helpful in choosing color combinations/ranges without being in a quilt shop with 170 different colors.

Yikes! $54 plus shipping! I'd love to have the fan, but I can't afford to spend that kind of money right now.

Just wondering, how often do the actual fabrics change? I'd like it just for the color coordination aspect, but it would be nice to be able to actually order what is on the fan. Wonder if there are updates available, or if you have to periodically order a new fan.

Like I said, it was a ridiculous purchase, although I don't recall paying $54. But then I tend to suppress detail like that. ;-)

If you were to order now, you would get a complete, updated fan.

With the JB palette, which was a fabric per fan, I recall(?) buying updates for it (it's just a screw holding it all together).

With the Balis, you can see on that link in my previous post that the updates are available for a nominal fee - nominal once you get over the cost of the initial fan.

New fabrics are added to the collection at least a couple times a year (probably tied to Quilt Market)- I don't know how often they plan to issue updates. I guess when there are enough fabrics to warrant production of the fans.

The fabrics aren't usable. Unless you cut the whole fan apart for some sort of art piece.
Buying a Charm Pack would probably be cheaper, I think. ;-)

I wish I had one. It would help in getting the right one. So many of the 1895's are really... really close in color/density.
It would also be helpful if they could come up with a way to mark the fabric. I know that it is a batik so the selvage markings with traditional fabric is not possible , but it sure is tough to try to order the same one again , even in the 1895's. I have goofed on more than one occasion on ordering what I thought was the same fabric, but was one off on the chart.
Since I do more than a bit of sewing on batik , I would make the investment.

Hummmmm, I guess I'm getting the jist of what the color fan is but I've never heard of it, so I guess I don't need it!

The 1895's don't change. The fabric number/name that is on the fan is the one you can order. Some of them are retired but Batiksplus.com tries to keep them all in stock. They have the best selection of batiks of any shop I've seen.

There are updates available periodically but you only have to buy the updated pieces and add them to your fan.

I've eyed the Hoffman fan many, many times but haven't made the leap yet. Each time I think, "Oh, I won't end up using it that much", and then gosh darn it if I'm not trying to match up colors a few weeks later. I'll take that $54 plunge soon I think. :)

I have a color fan, but it's a Pantone my son gave me years ago. I use it much more than I thought I would. It's great for creating new color combinations before starting to pull fabric.

Gee. I wish I had one of those!! So I looked up the Pantone color guide (fan) and ... it's $165.