The Hawaii Quilt

We went to Maui for our honeymoon.  It was great.  We stayed in Kapalua which is the northwest corner and the weather there isn't good.  It's ridiculously windy on the beach and it rains almost every day, comparing this to Lahaina which is slightly to the south (5 miles) and has unrelenting heat day in and out, or to Wailea which is south and more east and has beautiful weather.  Next time we'll stay in Waliea, just a travel tip. 

It was also almost 5 years ago. 

While we were there, I purchased a box full of scraps of Hawaiian fabric.  I was newly married and had a new sewing machine and thought I'll make a funky wedding rings quilt what a great keepsake from our totally fun honeymoon.  Yeah... those are hard quilts, there are tons of curves, lots of hand sewing... Then I realized that most of my little scraps wouldn't even fit the pieces I needed to cut to make a wedding rings quilt.  It was all very overwhelming and I just shoved all the fabric back into the box and forgot about it.    A year later we were settling into our new house and in the unpacking I came across my Hawaii fabric.  I decided it was time.  I sorted it by color and determined I could cut 3" squares.  So i did.  I was inspired by some "watercolor quilts" I had seen somewhere and figured with enough small squares I could figure something out. 

320 squares later, and viewing of "Spies Like Us" and "All the President's Men" from Netflix I had the beginnings of a quilt.  I wish I had a photograph of them all spread out on the floor, it was crazy, but you'll just have to take my word for it.  Then calamity.  I couldn't get my sewing machine to work.  The tension was ALL wrong and I was so upset, I should be able to just sew some squares together!!  (Turns out it was user error...  but whatever at the time I was yelling at the machine).  Everything went into a box, and was basically forgotten.  Christmas 2009 I was surprised with a new and improved sewing machine, that I love, and more importantly know how to operate.    I quickly got to work sewing up the squares.

8 of these were created

4 of these for the corners

4 of these in the middle like a square

 

8 of these on either side to make a pseudo border

To be assembled roughly like so

After the squares were finished I laid them out on the floor, and it just was too busy, something wasn't right.  Again it all went into a bag and into hibernation.  Then, last week I was reading my favorite quilting blogs, and saw.. sashing!  What if I added an attractive border around each block!  I think that might break it up and add the richness I need!

The fabric has been purchased, and just needs to be applied.

Like I said, it has been almost 5 years since I started this project.  I am in no hurry to complete it now, I just want it to be perfect.  It will be my first patchwork quilt.  Stay tuned :)