Bluebonnet Applique

Here's the start of my next Hawaiian Applique block. I wanted to make one more (custom-designed) small block before I tackle the larger wall-hanging which is in my goals for 2010. The block pictured here is a custom design, which is roughly based on the Texas Bluebonnet. So, it will be a mix of Texas and Hawaii!

Hawaiian applique quilts traditionally have an 8-part repeat and feature nature-related patterns (hence picking the bluebonnet as inspiration). Traditionally, Hawaiian applique is done entirely by hand. I will do the applique by hand (turning under the fabric with my needle to hide the raw edges then using tiny stitches to secure it) but will do the quilting itself by machine (or, technically, my mom will do the quilting for me!).

I have taken a few classes on applique (in general, to learn needle-turn stitches) and have been trained in Hawaiian Applique both in Hawaii and here in Texas (in Hawaii at a quilt shop in Maui; in Texas as part of International Quilt Market, with instructor Maggie Davies). Davies' book Perfect Points outlines Hawaiian quilting quite effectively.

Making a Hawaiian Applique quilt is incredibly complicated! Finishing a bed-sized Hawaiian quilt would be an amazing life-long accomplishment (the only thing I can think of which would be harder is probably a detailed baltimore album quilt). I've made several small blocks in the Hawaiian style, but I want to have more practice before I try a larger project.

Here's roughly what goes in to such a quilt: (with times for the Bluebonnet block / what I estimate for a wall-hanging)

1. Get a pattern. Published patterns are available, but I prefer doing my own thing - which requires custom-designing, testing it on freezer paper, fixing it, etc. (1 hour / 6 hours)
2. Prep fabric (folding in quarters, then on the diagonal). (10 minutes / 30 minutes)
3. Transfer design to fabric. (30 minutes / 4 hours)
4. Cut top fabric. (15 minutes / 2 hours)
5. Pin to base fabric. (15 minutes / 2 hours)
6. Baste with thread. (30 minutes / 4 hours)
7. Hand applique & all that goes along with that! (15 hours+ / 100 hours+)
8. Quilt (thankfully, I can have my mom do that for me!)
9. Enjoy forever! :)

I anticipate my wall-hanging will be about 30" to 40" square (anything larger is hard, since fabric only comes in 40-44" widths, and also is unruly to work with). I am combing through quilt designs at the Bishop Museum (from Honolulu) for inspiration for that piece.

UPDATE:
Here's the pattern for the bluebonnet quilt (shown above). This section below is repeated 4 times in the block above. As you might notice, I have only roughly cut out the fabric so far; I will have to cut more precisely later.