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Friday, March 1, 2013

Finish!! Hawaiian Etude

It is so nice to have this finish report! 


"Hawaiian Etude"
17x17 inches, 100% cotton fabrics and batting

"Hawaiian Etude" has been on my plate for a long time. A couple of years ago, a high school classmate found me on Facebook and we developed a mutual admiration for each other's handiworks. She is an amazing knitter and now an amazing photographer as well. One day I got this fun package in the mail. While on vacation with her family in Hawaii, she'd seen the beautiful and unique quilts they make. Knowing I'm a passionate quilter and love history, she had a book sent to me to share the experience. It's fun, showing both historic quilts of Queen Lili`uokalani's imprisonment period (she made some incredible quilts) as well as the typical style that is still made today.  















That style is very identifiable - it's typically done in two fabrics, often quite bright, and batiks are favorites. It's very geometric, almost like cutting out a gigantic 8-based snowflake, and features elements that relate to Hawaii and hospitality, such as Bread Fruit, Birds of Paradise, dolphins, palms, waves, turtles. . . You get the picture. They are hand appliqued and hand quilted in a distinctive echoing tradition. 

Well, after Kathy sent me the book, I really got the bug to try my hand at this genre of quilting. First I had to gain some hand-applique skills. That took a good while since I'm working on a masters in history and only get time for stitching most evenings for a half-hour or so. 




When I felt ready to tackle my Hawaiian foray, I found a mini pattern online, some batik fabric that made me think of Hawaii, and went to work. I used the back-basting needle-turn method rather than the typical cut-the-whole-thing-out-first method, and was very happy that I did it that way. 



The quilting took me F O R E V E R. I'd never done hand quilting before, so I was (and still am) quite slow at it. Plus, every time I had a binding to stitch down, or label or sleeve to attach, those got priority for my stitching time. After I finished the interior, I was browsing Hawaiian artists again and  realized I could have done something different in the flowers if I'd wanted. But I did really enjoy working this piece. I almost couldn't mail it off to Kathy, because I really love how you can see my skill progression in it. Nothing was marked. I just did the traditional Hawaiian echoing, spacing mine roughly the width of a wooden pencil. That seemed proportionate for this mini's size. On the larger quilts, the echoing is typically 1/2" to 3/4" apart.



I started the quilting in the outer border of the print where my beginner stitch size wouldn't be so noticeable (on the front, anyway). Then I quilted the applique, leaving the creamy background for the last. My stitches went from a 5-count to a 9-count per inch. I just adore how you can see that so clearly on the back. If Kathy weren't a knitter who could appreciate that fun tell so much, I couldn't have let it go. But I like knowing she could look closely with the same eye for detail and smile at the progression.

One more thing about this to share - I did not use a hoop or anything to support it while I quilted. I pin-basted it quite densely, and just held it however was most comfortable as I worked. I'd seen a couple ladies in my Florida guild quilting Hawaiian and Somoaon sofa-quilts with no hoops, so I figured I'd follow their leads. When I got finished and triumphantly laid it out, I panicked!!!  It was the waviest, bubbliest thing I'd ever seen, with very pronounced crease marks showing how I'd kept it folded in quarters each time I'd put it away.  I was so distraught, I forgot to snap a shot. It was about twice as bobble-ly as this one:




But you know what? A very easy blocking job solved every problem! I just put out a couple styrofoam sheets, spritzed each side fairly well, and then patted it down flat. (The batting is 100% cotton.) I didn't pin it, because when I checked the squareness it was already there. I flipped it over once to let both sides dry well perfectly flat.  Problem solved, quilt lying beautifully!




I attached the binding completely by hand. Never done that before! After all that hard hand work, from the applique to the intense echo quilting, I couldn't let a machine touch it. I'm glad I did it this way. 



A hanging sleeve and a label attached, and all is Happy!  The Hawaiian quote is one that conveys a traditional Hawaiian idea of giving freely without expecting returns. 




I love this piece. It was particularly difficult to part with, but I am happy knowing its owner can fully appreciate it and that it can bring fun memories back to her of their family's time together in Hawaii. Some day I'll make a Hawaiian quilt for myself.  :D


~*~*~*~*~

Linking up at

Applique Thursday






34 comments:

  1. Oh, this is absolutely stunning!

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  2. A beautiful finish and I love the Hawaiian saying...I have always longed to make an Hawaiian appliqué quilt...it's on my quilting bucket list! I lived there for three years before I was married...I started quilting at that time.

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  3. It is a stunning quilt and all done by hand. Love it and you should be very proud. I have a book with Hawaiian blocks I want to make one day. I'll say it again, Love it!!!!

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  4. Wow! So gorgeous... your hand stitching is amazing! You've made me want to make one - we go to Kauai every 3 years and one day future guest bedroom #2 will have a Hawaiian theme. I've got a tropical batik UFO already started!

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  5. Beautiful work. I would like to do a quilt in the Hawaiian style some day.

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  6. Beautiful Lyn! Such a lot of detail and hard work went into this little quilt. It is an amazing gift and will be treasured I am sure!!!

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  7. Very beautiful..In fact, it is stunning. Well done!

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  8. This is lovely. And hand quilting. I used to do my Hawaiian quilts that way, but now with my longarm....Oh well.

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  9. You have accomplished something amazing! Congratulations!!

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  10. Beautiful! I prefer the back baste applique too and love that you hand quilted this.

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  11. I really like the batik for the applique. Having made a huge Hawaiian sampler quilt for my son's wedding, I can appreciate all your work. It is a fun lesson to learn hand quilting.

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  12. What a wonderful re-gift. My sister (not a crafter of any king) bought me a pillow with a similar pattern when she was in Hawaii (your's is much prettier). However, just looking at that pillow makes me want to try to do it, too. Now, just what is "back basting?"

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  13. Yours is beautiful! I really like the quilting design you created. I got one of these done while we lived there.... very similar to yours. Here's a link

    http://threadtalesfromascrappyquilter.blogspot.com/2010/01/ulu-hawaiian-applique-wall-hanging.html

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  14. Very nice! I would love to eventually make a Hawaiian :)

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  15. GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS!!!!! WOW!!!! xoxo

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  16. Love it! I always look at those patterns but never do them...you just inspired me!

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  17. Congratulations - your Hawaiian quilt turned out stunning!

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  18. Absolutely gorgeous!!! So much love and time went into that piece of art and it shows. I know she will treasure it always!

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  19. the quilting really is beautiful :)

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  20. It is beautiful, and I loved reading the story of it from beginning to end. Very nice hand quilting. How fun to be able to see your progression in stitches.

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  21. Your Hawaiian mini turned out beautifully! That appliqué looks tricky. Very nice hand quilting, too

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  22. Love your hand quilted Hawaiian mini... beautiful!!

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  23. Hurrah for hawaiian! We need a quilt meet there!

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  24. Just glorious! Your quilting stitches are so nice. What a wonderful finish. I'm sad you don't get to keep it!

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  25. I saw this at the Guild meeting, but I wanted to comment - this is stunning! I'm in awe of your handiwork.

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  26. Beautifully done Lynette! You really did a wonderful job, complete with hand quilting. Makes me want to take a trip to Hawaii!

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  27. Very lovely indeed. I admire your quilting very much.

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