Meet Stella

We have ladies of all ages in our Monday Hawaiian Quilting group. Stella is probably our oldest member and also our most prolific. She's in her 90s and still produces three bed-size Hawaiian quilts a year.  She does all the cutting, applique and quilting herself and as you can see from the pictures below, she is an excellent quilter.  One of the things I like best about Stella's quilts is the vibrant colors she uses.

This is her newest quilt.  The design for this particular quilt came from an old family friend. I can't remember the name of the design but it is based on a tree that is found in only a few spots in Waimea. 

In addition to doing the traditional applique, Stella has added "chicken tracks" embroidery around the entire design. This is something that you often saw in older Hawaiian quilts but rarely in quilts made today.  She turned under the edges and appliqued them and then went back and did the embroidery.

  The quilting she did in the traditional echo pattern, which follows the outline of the design.  Her stitches are small but even more important they are even in length.  Not an easy thing to accomplish.  Stella says this one is now on her Koa bed and I'm sure it looks fabulous.

Stella is a treasure not only for her quilting but because she is a really nice lady and we love it when she shares stories of growing up on the Big Island.  We always say we have to bring a tape-recorder or someone who takes shorthand because once she's gone, all her stories will go with her.

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