

OK…here are the next two blocks in the Nourish quilt….oh, I kinda hate to do this, but don’t know how else to put the dreaded “fine print” stuff on this site. All these designs are copyrighted, so please don’t copy them! I know pretty much everyone who knows me knows all this stuff, but in the event someone actually surfs into this blog that isn’t a quilter, you either need to purchase the pattern (contact me using the links on the right) or make your own designs. Sorry. Well, actually I’m not sorry…it’s part of how I make my living, and I love doing the designs! So hope you like them….
Wow….it’s amazing what you can do if you just get a couple hours at one time! I finally got to spend an afternoon in the sewing room, and was able to fine-tune two designs, the Ulu (breadfruit) and bird of paradise, for the “Nourish” quilt, which will be a new patterns and provide some block ideas for the Hawaiian Applique by Machine. And, all you hand workers out there, it’s easy to add a seam allowance to these and to them by hand…just takes longer to finish!
Anyway, I’m thrilled with the way these blocks have turned out, especially the bird of paradise. I’m not sure how much of the blue-pen will show on screen, but trust me..when the satin stitching is done this block is gonna be SO cool, and the Ulu isn’t bad, either! I don’t know how to upload multiple photos to one post, so I’ll do the bird of paradise blocks in this message, and then do another one in a second with the ulu blocks.
To backtrack a second…two plus years ago we went to Hawaii, only the second time I’ve ever been there. Of course I took tons of photos for future quilt ideas. Since the Ulu is traditionally the first Hawaiian pattern you make (though I didn’t know that when I started, and I didn’t do it), I wanted to make my own Ulu design. The ulu is the breadfruit tree and fruit, which is a staple in the Hawaiian diet (makes poi and such). From that idea, I moved to the idea of a quilt about Hawaiian plants that feed the body and the soul, which gave me the title “Nourish the body, Nourish the soul”. The Ulu and Taro plants feed the body, the beauty of the bird of paradise feeds the soul.


The Blue Gingko on the left will be the design we use to learn three different machine applique techniques, then the Taro leaf design on the right will be one of several designs from which you can choose to learn how to “do” Hawaiian applique…but using my method that doesn’t involve trashing your knuckles trying to cut through eight layers of fabric at once! The Blue Gingko pattern is currently available, and the taro leaf will be part of a 62×62 quilt pattern that I hope to have done by spring (tentatively called Nourish, or Nourish the Body, Nourish the Soul, since it will be either traditional Hawaiian food plants, or beautiful plants the feed the spirit).

Here’s the project for the December class. You can also buy the pattern from me via my website / by mail: https://www.sarahannsmith.com/patterns.asp