Hawaiian Bows in Rows

23 comments
My friend Ashley is having a baby girl any day now. Ashley and my daughter Whitney are due very close together. I need to finish a baby quilt for Ashley as I wait for our own baby to arrive.
I'm not quite done with the flimsy yet but I'm making progress and enjoying the scrappy Hawaiian look to this quilt. Lisa sent me some fabrics from the island recently. I love them. And immediately I thought of my friend Ashley's baby.
Ashley's baby will be half Hawaiian, just like her son. When she was pregnant with her first child I made him a quilt with Hawaiian fabric.
Well I wanted to make a whirligig quilt. I went to Penny's blog to see how it is done. Unfortunately I just looked at the pictures and thought I could wing it. And I did it perfectly for my "proof" block.
But when I went to cut out the fabric for the rest of the quilt I made some technical errors. I just don't know how I did it. But I cut out the parts backwards for half of the blocks. That is what happens when I don't read directions, I guess.
As you can see this doesn't make a whirligig. Sigh. Oh well. I won't give up. My next project I was planning on a whirligig too, so I'll try again. Lucky for me I used the Hawaiian quilt blocks in a different way. I think it will turn out. I couldn't possibly toss this fabric. I'll post more when it is done and we'll see how it all looks together.

Yesterday was my twins birthday. I think Whitney is glad she didn't have the baby on her birthday but I think she's getting to the point where ANY day is a good day to have a baby.

-nanette
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23 comments

Unknown said...

Wonderful Hawaiian quilt! What a nice thing for Lisa to do. When we visited the islands years ago, I purchased some hawaiian cottons. I still have them and looking for something to do with them. I think your whirligigs look fantastic. Happy Birthday to your twins. Looking forward to a baby announcement soon.

Nedra said...

You know how much I love your baby quilt pattern. I've made it several times. So the baby hasn't come yet? I was wondering. My daughter is due within the next few weeks and is so emotionally ready. My best to mama and baby in the next little while.

MichelleB said...

Love the baby quilt. The only tricky thing about those pinwheels is that you have to cut them at the same angle, on the same side of the fabric, each time. Otherwise you get backward whirligigs. lol Do it once, and you usually don't do it again!

sallgood said...

So cute! I like the different way!!

Messy Karen said...

i like the bow layout. and the half piecing in between. i think you came up with a new great design. and you should pdf-it really soon.

Thimbleanna said...

I'm so glad you posted this! I've been wanting to make one of those whirlygigs and I thought I could just wing it too. Now I'll know to take a bit more time and plan out what I should do!

Rumi said...

We don't "mess up", we just change our minds. You still ended up with a fabulous quilt!

Lynn said...

I have 24 whirlygiggle blocks ready to be put together in a top - but this did not happen easily. http://diaryofamadquilter.blogspot.com/2009/01/whirly-not-so-giggly-but-doing-better.html
As you can see if you follow this link - it was frustrating at first. Many blocks I messed up - before and after I figured out how to do them. I kept forgetting to make sure that all fabric is right side up when I cut it. Beautiful hawaiian fabrics and I love the dots and checks mixed in with them.

Pat said...

Love the Hawaiian baby quilt. When is Whitney's actual due date? It does seem like she's been waiting a LONG time (and I'm sure to her it seems even longer!!!)

Betsy said...

Nanette it is adorable and definetly a cultural keepsake.

Patricia said...

I did that on my first whirligig quilt too. I found out the secret. Just make sure that you always keep your template the same side up. I marked mine with a big red heart to show me which way was up. It worked. Love you tons, Tricia
P.s. doesn't it make you crazy when one little thing like that can really wreck the easiest pattern?????

Lily Boot said...

giggle! giggle! giggle! Oh Nanette I am so with you on this - I NEVER read instructions properly and frequently pay for it! I've been doing the same with triangles - only cutting them in one direction so they're all left sided and now I have a pile of useless triangles - unless I make TWO quilts.

pratima said...

The Hawaiian prints are so cute. The baby quilt is adorable!!
Sorry to have to go through all that trouble with the blocks :(
Belated Happy Birthday to your dearest girls :)

Barb said...

Such beautiful fabrics. Isn't it funny how things work out despite our so called mistakes! I think the quilt will be gorgeous.

Sherri said...

Love these fabrics! Best wishes for your daughter too!

Janet said...

I can imagine me doing the same thing, seems you're not alone. Love the baby quilt, exciting times ahead, best wishes to all.

Cathi said...

That is a great baby quilt! Sometimes making an error produces such great results!

Anonymous said...

The quilts are coming out lovely! I think that you'll get the whirligigs figured out, and come out with something absolutely wonderful! Take care, Cheryl

Rae Ann said...

I simply love this quilt! It is adorable.
I will add this to my list of...
Have to make!
You always do the neatest things Nanette!

Lisa said...

Love the Hawaiian Quilt! Nanette, some times I get so excited that I don't read the directions or, at least, not very carefully! Oh well!

Ginger Patches said...

I love your fabrics in the baby quilt, very cute! I did that in a quilt recently so I used the half I did right and made a table topper and I fooled around with the goofs until I came up with something...you never know maybe you'll find you've come up with a new technique :)

sewtakeahike said...

Hi Nanette, so sorry about your whirlygig mishap!! When I made my first whirlygig block, I thought it was going to be innocent enough to make. I was so wrong! If you cut your fabrics out wrong side up, you have a big problem! AND, I thought I would start with square blocks, totally wrong!! That's why I made the tut, so noone would have to go through all the little mistakes and wasting fabric like I did. :) It's simple enough, but if you disregard any of the little directions, it won't turn out. Better luck next time.
Anyway, I love how you ended up arranging them into bow ties! Very nice save!

Truffle queen said...

Hi Nanette!

Not that your quilt top was a "terrible" problem but it reminded me of "When God gives you lemons, make lemonade"! The blocks are great and the quilt will be treasured forever! Piecers are the best peacemakers!