Reshaping Gourd Pieces

Posted for the Gourd Quilt project, this was a work in progress for a new booklet to come out later this year. The purpose of this page is to help those who may not have flat pieces of tiles for the quilt project. please read and view the directions below. This is not a perfect science, following the directions, you may still have some errors or cracked pieces, but you should be able to come up with some nice pieces.

IMPORTANT:

The cylinder you cut from a snake or other gourd, MUST have straight edges, ie, a nearly perfect cylinder. If when you cut this and lay it flat, it is bubble shaped, and you try to press the bubble down, you will split the piece of gourd. You can shape it, but you can't stretch it.

	Start with a fairly thin shelled snake gourd. Slice it into sections, just like slicing a loaf of bread, but make your sections at least 4 inches in length
	Dump the bulk and loose stuff out of the inside of the tube you've made, but do not attempt or worry about cleaning out all the dry stuff on the inside at this pint. (we don't want to cause dust problems here. :)
	Place your tube in a large pan. Fill with water while in the sink, then use a heavy ceramic plate, and place it on top. This should discplace some of the water. The idea is to get the Gourd section fully submerged in water, you don't want if floating freely
	now, place the pan on the stove, and turn the fire to the lowest flame. You don't want to boild the water out, and you don't want to create a lot of fumes. Leave on heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

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