Memories of Maui

Posted by: BCQuilter on: 7 February 2012

• In: quilting
• 9 Comments

That is the name of the “Hawaiian Quilt” I’ve been working on for over a year. I should clarify… I didn’t have it for the entire year, it spent about 4 months at the quilters.  You may remember the beginning of it from this post.

I delivered it to the woman who commissioned me to make it, last Tuesday, Januarey 31.  She was thrilled.

The first thing I told her was that she and I were to be married to the quilt because this quilt has been through “sickness and health, and richer and poorer” or maybe I should marry it.

I haven’t measured it, but I guesstimated about 400 inches of binding I stitched down by hand.  Almost 3/4 done, when the thread started shredding.  I was so frustrated with it, but wanted to get it done.  She was supposed to be on her way back to Hawaii in mid-January.   I had been using Piecemakers Betweens.  The only thing that was different, I started wearing a thimble on my middle finger, as the eye kept poking into my finger, and it was getting rather sore.  After changing thread and the needle.  I changed the needle once more to one with a little larger eye and about 1/4″ longer.  The other thing… I dropped my thimble in the couch.  But I got it done.

I used the ladder stitch, you may remember that I really liked using Sharon Schamber’s binding technique.  Way back then… yes, I looked it up, just over three years ago there wasn’t much on the “ladder stitch”.  Wow, time flies.  Anyway, when I was trying to explain to my mom through messaging on the computer and then by phone,  I did a quick search, and couldn’t believe all the hits.

Marie and her quilt “Memories of Maui”

My friend Shawn (MsLibra) did the quilting on this quilt.  She used a topography design, with foot prints walking up the quilt.

I’ve been asked to make the label for her, and I was hoping to do that on February 8, at my sewing/quilting group, but forgot the hall has been scheduled for another event.  I should work on it from home.  I have some ideas on what I’m going to do, but can’t say anything until its done.  The label will be another blog entry.

I do  regret  I didn’t take photos of all the different shapes of the fabric when I received it.  Approximately half of my time was spent cutting the rectangles.

I’ve been through a lot with this quilt.  It has waited patiently as I went through my health issues.  I am very glad it is completed and soon will go to its forever home, but I will miss it.

Next step is the label.

-Alice

Tags: binding, Hawaiian quilt, Memories of Maui, quilting