Draft Your First Hawaiian Applique Quilt

11/4/2023

Background on Hawaiian Quilting

According to Wikipedia, a Hawaiian quilt is a distinctive quilting style of the Hawaiian Islands that uses large radially symmetric applique patterns. Motifs often include stylized botanical designs.

Hawaiian-style quilts typically use solid or near-solid fabrics in only two colors. These quilts were historically made from the fabrics that were most readily available (often red and white).

Hawaiian Block from Letter I drafted in EQ by Kari Schell

Hawaiian quilt applique is made from a single cut on folded fabric. The fabric is folded in quarters or eighths -- similar to how we may have done paper snowflakes back in grade school.

You could use an Electronic cutting machine, such as a Cricut, Silhouette or Brother Scan N Cut machine to cut out your final image.

Alternatively you could go low-tech. Fold a piece of freezer paper in eighths and trace top section on the freezer paper. Cut out all your layers at once. You can then iron the freezer paper to your fabric and cut out your fabric. You can choose whether you wish to add seam allowances.

Hawaiian Quilt Font

A number of years ago, I discovered a Hawaiian quilt font. Each letter provided a Hawaiian applique quilt block. When I looked on the Internet today, I discovered three different Hawaiian quilt block fonts.

You can download the fonts for free from Netfontes.com The fonts were designed by Pokelele.
I decided that these "letters" would make great quilt blocks, and would also be good practice for learning to use the applique tools in Electric Quilt 8.

Once installed you can even use the alphabet on the quilt worktable. Make sure you are on Layer 2 and have a contrasting color from your background selected.

Drafting a Hawaiian Quilt Block using EQ8

Letter I in Hawaiian Quilt 1 font

In my tutorial this week, I will share with you how to draft a Hawaiian quilt block in Electric Quilt using a "letter" from the Hawaiian font as the starting point.

Here are the pdfs with images of the Hawaiian fonts I obtained from Netfontes.com. Feel free to use my pdf to select images for tracing a Hawaiian quilt block using Electric Quilt..

Here is the quilt from the video.

Hawaiian Quilt featuring the letter I designed by Kari Schell using EQ8

Letter Challenge

Are you ready to put on your detective hat? Here is a "letter" quilt I just designed in EQ8. Each letter was drafted as an applique block in EQ8. Can you decode it?

Hawaiian Code Quilt by Kari Schell using EQ8.

A challenge for you - Create your own Hawaiian code quilt. Post a picture in the Learning EQ Facebook group and let's have fun solving each others coded quilts. No requirements on number of letters (even one is ok). The idea is to have some fun playing with EQ.

Learning EQ Facebook Group Hawaiian Quilt Post

Ready to Learn the Applique Tools in Electric Quilt 8?

If you would like to expanding your applique drawing skills, I recommend my Tech Know Quilter class, Introduction to Applique. You will receive eleven 10 minute lessons (with videos along with written and illustrated tutorials) that will take you step by step through the applique toolkit as you draft a series of blocks and an applique quilt.

Purchase Introduction to Applique Online Class

My plans are to open enrollment for Tech Know Quilters at the end of December. (The membership is a more economical way to take the class.)

Send me a note if you are a current member and would like to add this to you current class for November. I will send you a discount coupon for the class.

If you are new to Applique (or would like to learn at a slower and more methodical approach), I offer an Introduction to Applique class. It is offered in Tech Know Quilters - a membership focused on mastery of Electric Quilt 8.

I have also included a few of the beginning Tech Know Quilter classes in my store -- for those that would like to try a class before joining the membership.

Introduction to Applique Agenda

Lesson 1: Star Flower (Precision tool bar and Line tool)
Lesson 2: Flower and Vine Blocks – Modifying a Block from the Library (Pick tool)
Lesson 3: Octagon and Hexagon Flowers (Shapes tool)
Lesson 4: Octagon Rose (Edit tool)
Lesson 5: Leaf Flower (Bezier and Freehand tools)
Lesson 6: WreathMaker
Lesson 7: Overlapping Heart Flower
Lesson 8: Eleanor’s Applique Quilt
Lesson 9: Flower Basket
Lesson 10: Pac-Man Tulip
Lesson 11: Freehand Meander Design plus Quilt
Lesson 12: Bonus: Pattern Design - Print and Export Instructions Part 2

Purchase Introduction to Applique Online Class

Here are a few images shared by Tech Know Quilter members after completing the Introduction to Applique class.

Nanne Panne (combined elements of the class with original applique)

Ad Sumida

Mary Groesbeck

Zdenka Nemethova

Dianna Carter said the class was so fun, she had to design an extra quilt. She never though she would love to do applique.

Linda Goldfarb

Happy quilting.

Kari

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