How to Do Hawaiian Applique & Echo Quilting
Hawaiian quilts are different from other traditional forms of quilts in four different ways. They are generally made of only two fabrics in contrasting colors and the design is made in one piece and appliqued onto the entire quilt top. The applique shape is cut out in much the same method as children cut out snowflakes from paper, and the entire design is quilted in an echo pattern, making repeated outlines that suggest waves and water. A Hawaiian quilt is an advanced project for quilters with good applique skills and attention to detail. These quilts often take a year or more to complete, but are truly worthy of the title heirloom when they are finished and displayed.
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Things You'll Need
- Background fabric
- Contrasting applique fabric
- Iron
- Scissors
- Pins
- Needles
- Thread
- Batting
- Backing fabric
- Fabric-marking pencils
- Rubber band
- Quilt hoop
Instructions
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Making the Quilt Top
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Piece together lengths of background fabric until you have a large fabric surface that is 2 inches larger in each direction than your desired finished quilt. Many fabric manufacturers are creating background fabric in 108-inch widths, so use this fabric if possible to eliminate extra seams in your quilt top.
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2
Cut a square of applique fabric as large as you want your applique to be. Use a large enough piece to ensure that the applique design will cover all of your quilt top surface except about a 3-inch border around all sides. Let the applique be the main part of the quilt, but leave enough room for a border to frame the design.
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3
Fold the applique fabric in half horizontally, then press the seam. Fold the fabric vertically and press the seam again. You now have a smaller square consisting of four layers of fabric. Fold this square diagonally from the corner with all the folds to the corner with four loose layers. Press this diagonal seam.
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4
Cut out an intricate pattern from the applique fabric, keeping the fabric folded while you cut. Begin at the top of the diagonal fold, cut into the fabric layers with an elaborate pattern like a snowflake. Finish near the corner with all of the folds. The more angles and curves that you put in your outline, the more intricate your final design will be.
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Fold your background fabric in half horizontally, then press the fold. Open this fabric up and fold the fabric in half vertically, then press the fold. Open the fabric back up and make folds on the diagonal, folding it in each direction in turn. Open the fabric up a final time. You will have a square with pressed folds in four different directions.
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Lay out the background fabric on a large flat surface. Open up the applique shape and lay it on top of the background fabric. Use the pressed lines on the background fabric as guidelines for centering and evening the applique shape onto the background. Pin the applique shape to the background fabric, making sure that the fabric is smooth and pinned in every curve.
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Use a small needle and thread that matches the applique color to attach the applique shape to the background fabric. Turn under the edge of the applique and do a small hem stitch to secure the piece. Clip inside corners and curves to help ease in excess fabric.
Echo Quilting
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Press your finished quilt top to remove any folds or wrinkles. Lay the quilt top onto a large flat surface like a big table or a clean floor.
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9
Attach two marking pencils together with a rubber band. This will cause the points of the pencils to be 1/4-inch apart, with standard sized marking pencils.
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Draw a line along the very edge of the applique shape with one pencil, while holding the other pencil placed outside of the applique and on the background fabric. While the inner pencil traces the applique shape, the outer pencil will make a duplicate line 1/4-inch away from the applique.
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Draw the second applique line by tracing the first line, which will create another echo of the applique shape. Continue making echo layers until you have covered the entire quilt top.
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Lay out the backing fabric onto a large flat surface with the right side down. Layer the batting over the backing fabric. Smooth the finished quilt top over the batting, making sure that the edges are even all the way around. Use large running stitches to baste the three layers of this "quilt sandwich" together. Place the basted quilt in a hoop and quilt along all of the echo lines.
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Tips & Warnings
Try making Hawaiian applique pillows as a first project before tackling a larger piece.
