Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. We were scheduled to have a day off from quilting this Saturday March 4 because the room we usually have class in will be used for another palace function. But my day off was short lived when the Bishop Museum called and invited us to have our class there in their Atherton Halau. So ladies we’re having quilting class. If you haven’t made other plans come and join us at the oldest museum in Hawaii. The Atherton Halau is located right outside the Bishop Museums main building near the entrance and gift shop. You will need to pay parking or there’s a lot of street parking just outside the museum grounds. Hope to see all of you there. I hope the ladies who called about class this Saturday will able to come after all.
Those are the quilt patterns I love when everything just flows from the center. Joyce finally got her quilt cut, laid out and pinned. The heleconia makes a beautiful and full design. Personal design for Joyce from John Serrao. Can’t wait to see the completed quilt.
…That it’s time to put away that needle and thread and breakout the sewing machine. Our amazing and wonderful Margaret e-mailed me this photo of her last hand-made quilt. She explained that her fingers are too painful to do any type of hand sewing and quilting. Her story is not the first time I’ve heard it and it won’t be the last. We all get to that stage when our eyesight is not what it use to be and our fingers just won’t make the fine stitches we once knew but it’s okay, the legacy of the many quilts you made will live on for many generations. Margaret’s last quilt is the Kahili, Hawai’s Royal Standards and I heard Margaret has a lucky friend, whose going to receive this quilt. Many aloha and blessings to you Margaret… now get that machine started… Design by John Serrao
…Susie doesn’t this quilt design and colors bring back memories.
So I spent the day doing the graphics on another of John’s 45″x 45″ pattern books. I love doing it. It’s like a puzzle that slowly reveals itself. I start by taking a picture of the 1/8 pattern and uploading it to my computer. I then use a photo program to color in the pattern and then with another program slowly double the 1/8 design to a quarter design, then the quarter becomes a half design and before you know it the half design is now a full design. It’s amazing. So today I thought I’d share one of the designs I worked on for John. When I first finished it I asked John, ” What were you thinking?” All he said was, “Oh! that’s the old family Loi(Taro Patch) in Laie.” The whole family would come together to work and clean the Lo’i. It was a family affair. The Kalo or Taro plant therefore came to symbolize family. Yet, another story quilt of memories of old. Hope you enjoy the design. 32 Taro Leaves….
I’m beginning to think that’s Pat’s motto, Challenge Yourself. She’s always challenging herself to do more, climb higher, make the impossible…ha!. Yep make the impossible here’s Pat’s next quilt design, The Hapuu Fern. I don’t think anyone else would have taken this challenge. I can’t wait to see the progress on this quilt. Hey Pat… keep us updated.
The weather people finally got it right. It was a very wet Saturday here in the islands but that did not stop many of our quilters braving the flooded streets to attend the quilting class. It was a great class and got even better when I checked my mail box at home in the late afternoon and found a box wrapped in brown paper. Actually the movie Sound of Music with Julie Andrews came to mind. Well I got to say that package was full of sunshine. Thank you Mama Kimi 🙂 for the amazing quilted purses and quilted eye glass case holder. Tuffy, Missy, Thea and I sends a fondest Mahalo and John loves his eyeglass holder. He laughed when he saw the Shaka and Blinking Eye. John says he misses his daughter. We adore you and again thank you for sending us sunshine on a dreary wet Hawaiian day.
Quilt Designing is always about what inspires you and your story. 6 years ago John created the Cushion/Wall hanging pattern book called the Bible Series, inspired by the flowers and places of the bible. These patterns were designed as a reflection of hope, peace, love and charity to everyone who quilts its design.
Another amazing quilt by Pat. The beauitful Rose quilt design by John using a variegated fabric.
Prepping your large quilt for quilting by layering your backing fabric, batting and top fabric can be overwhelming. Take your time and by using the grid basting procedure it will stop your batting from shifting and stop your quilt backing from puckering. Joyce the quilt is beautiful I can’t wait to see it quilted. Monsterra Design by John Serrao. Applique by Joyce Kuwada.
Yep, I just can’t help myself. I had this on my FACEBOOK page but I just had to share it again. Pat’s amazing money tree quilt. A John design of course and I sincerely believe one of his best and we can’t forget Pat’s awesome quilting. She did this quilt in record time too. Oh and the design, in Hawaii we call this the Money Tree but it’s not really a Money tree. It was given that name when it was first planted outside of Bishop Bank in downtown Hilo back in the 1920’s.