Bound To Try (Sutherlin, OR)

 I summed up the courage to start my first Hawaiian quilt block.  I have been wanting to make one since reading Jennifer Chiaverini's "The Aloha Quilt".  Reading how Bonnie was taught to make her first block really peaked my curiosity.  The applique techniques sounded so interesting and quite different from anything I have done in the past with applique.

I bought this fabric along with the book (below) last July during the Sister's quilt show.  Gorgeous fabric.  I probably should start with fabric that I don't mind messing up.  But if I'm going to do this, I might as well start with the 'star' fabric because I am not so sure I will want to do this technique very often.  Of course, there is a chance I might take quite a liking to it and do a lot more.  Hard to say...anyway.....

Washed, ironed, and folded....deep breath and I start cutting....

Done.  Not an easy task to cut through so many folded layers of fabric.  I used my spring-loaded precise shears this time.  The shears are meant for flannel rag quilts which I still have not made...yet.  Okay, time to unfold and see what kind of damage I have done.

Oh wow!  This looks great!  I love the way this came out.  Now, I'm getting excited so I need to iron out the folds, pin, and baste.

The basting alone is going to take awhile.  The instructions say I need to baste 1/4 inch around all the edges.  The basting will also be my guide while I am turning under the edge for appliqueing.  I'm going to need my old sewing gauge (ruler) because my eyeing a 1/4 inch will end up very uneven.  I can see those turtles turning into blobs!

I have also been working on binding for all four quilts.  I haven't quilted the last top, but I should have it done within the next couple of days.

So, do you use the bias binding or do you just cut on the straight?  I like using the bias binding.

I was told the stretching of the bias will help make the binding last longer through wear and tear.  That comes in handy when it comes to little ones and their quilts.

So, the binding is folded in half and ready to sew to the quilts.  The turtles are ready for basting with lots of pins holding it in place.  It should make for an interesting evening trying to keep cats off the block while I am basting it!
Happy Quilting!

THE ALOHA QUILT by Jennifer Chiaverini

I just finished listening to Jennifer Chiaverini’s audio-book “The Aloha Quilt”.  If you love to quilt and you love to read then this is the perfect book for you. This story follows one of the Elm Creek quilters – Bonnie to Hawaii. During her stay, she learns the about Queen Lili’uokalani, the history behind Hawaii and the U.S. and about Hawaiian quilts. The history of Hawaii was quite an eye-opener for me.

I can’t wait for the next one “The Union Quilters” to come out in February. Did I mention that I can’t wait!

Of course, if you really want to start reading Jennifer’s books, you should start at the beginning with the very first one “The Quilter’s Apprentice”.

IF You Plan to READ “The Aloha Quilt” – DO NOT CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK: it is a spoiler. Here’s a link to Mr XStitch’s blog with some quilts and rarely heard about history.

I finished this appliqué while listening to "The Aloha Quilt"