I had been wanting an excuse to make a Hawaiian quilt ever since I read about them in a library in Marin when I was 15. When we received a very open-ended project in one of my painting classes last semester, I decided to make one.
I don't think I knew what I was getting myself in to.
I did very little preparation for the design, I mainly improvised which was scary because I used some very old silk (1940s I think) and an expensive bedsheet to make the top.
Construction of a Hawaiian quilt is fairly straightforward. Basically, it's like cutting a "snowflake" out of fabric by folding it in half twice and then appliquéing it onto a larger piece of fabric, in this case a bedsheet.
Here is a link to a great tutorial on how to make your own.
I spent about 50 or 60 hours making this quilt and I think it will be a long time before I try anything remotely intricate again. Although I am a fully fledged quilt-addict, so it probably won't be too long.
I quilted with my machine (free motion) and by hand with crochet cotton. I really like breaking the rules with that sort of stuff and just going with whatever feels right.
It's so gorgeous to have in the house; on the bed, dogs and babies snuggled up in it. I guess that's why I make quilts, so that I can provide warmth and comfort to the people (and animals) that I love.
I hope that's not too sappy.
