Cut it Straight: Quilting the Hawaiian Shirt Block

These instructions follow the blogpost from June 15, 2015, which gave instructions for constructing a Hawaiian Shirt Block. Sisters in the Seams Like Sisters Quilt Bee will have a packet with the cut fabrics for making one block. (If anyone needs more of the fabric, I have all the scraps and can get you what you need. Please do not cut the large back in your packet) If you need to cut out your own blocks, find it in the tab above, or here. If you want to use this pattern, you may. It would be nice if you referred to this post. I ask that you don't sell this pattern.

Quilting the Block

The back of the block is cut to 18” across by 20” high.

Cut a piece of cotton quilt batting to this same size (18” by 20”).

The back and the batting will be larger than the front of the block. Try to make the print on the block and the back orient in the same direction. Most (not all) of the fabrics have an obvious top and bottom to the print.

About the batting: 100% cotton batting, either white or off white is fine.

Sandwich the three layers – back, batting and front. Baste them together to prevent puckering; whatever way you are accustomed to basting. You could hand-baste it or use a spray basting product that will wash out.

Thread color: you choose. White or off-white is fine. A color that blends or contrasts with the shirt is fine. Use a stitch that is on the longer side maybe 6-8 stitches per inch, not very small.

Now you are ready to quilt the block. For steps 1 – 3 you will not need to cut your thread or restart your stitching.

(1) Start at the point of the “V”. Follow the arrows on illustration (1), stitching uniformly close to the seam around the triangle. You will pivot twice, and notice arrows in the illustration at Pivot #1 and Pivot #2 at the corners of the triangle. You may need to be 1/8” to 1/4” away from the seam since the collar may get in the way. End at the point of the “V”, with your needle in the block.

(2) Pivot at the point of the “V” (Pivot #3) and take just a few stitches to Pivot #4 (see orange instructions on the illustration). When you pivot at Pivot #4, you will stitch down the center seam of the shirt 1/4” from the seam on the left side of the shirt (the non-pocket side). Stop at the bottom of the shirt, leaving your needle in at Pivot #5.

(3) Now you will stitch all the way around the shirt “int the ditch” or very close to the edge of the shirt. Start at Pivot #5, and end at the same point. At the top of the shirt, you may need to stitch near or on the border fabric in order to avoid the collar.

(4) Quilt around the pocket… maybe 1/8” away from the pocket. Be careful to leave the top of the pocket open.

Now you are ready to quilt the rest of the shirt. Illustrations (5) (6) or (7) give some ideas - or Use your own. If there is a flower or car or tree or sunset or water or prominent shape on the fabric, use that as a guide or idea how to stitch the three layers together in an artistic way. The illustrations are pretty simple. The goal is the have stitching about every 2” – 3” over most of the shirt block.

The borders may be as small as 2” when we sew the blocks together. With the quilt-as-you-go method we are using, we do not need stitching in the borders.