How to make The Hawaii State Quilt Block – Journey of US State Quilt Blocks #13

Welcome to the 13th block in our Any Way You Want It – A 50 State Quilt Block Journey. We are introducing the Hawaii quilt block! To see our other State blocks (click here – State Quilt Block Journey)

In 1912 Hearth and Home solicited quilters to submit a quilt block that they thought represented their State, and they then published them and I am recreating these blocks for us to make!

The Hawaii Quilt block is a different kind of block than we have put together. I break this down into four quarters that are exactly the same. So if you know how to make 1/4″ of the block, the rest will be exactly the same. My inspiration for this block is from the Hawaiian Lei colors such as yellow, orange and purple.

, How to make The Hawaii State Quilt Block – Journey of US State Quilt Blocks #13

Below I will show you how to put this block together and I have created a video tutorial for this block also. The video will show you how I assemble one quarter of the block and then put them all together to become the single 12 1/2″ square block.

Go grab the cutting directions and templates for this block below and let’s get started! The pattern includes cutting the templates and instructions on cutting the strips for your templates.

To Begin With

I have created a very detailed video on how to put this block together. I show how I put my curved pieces together without pins too. This entire block is made up of 3 smaller blocks, so that is how we break it down!

This is a three color block. I would suggest using complimentary but contrasting colors for this block. I tried to match colors of a Maine State Gemstone, Tourmaline, as much as I could with my Batik Fat Quarter Stash. I am in two Batik of the Month clubs and I have a lot of Fat Quarters to choose from!

Tips for this block before we start

A 1/4 seam″ is used on this block, a quarter inch sewing foot works great for this!
Cut your strips with the grain of the fabric. This will help prevent stretching the fabrics when sewing. We want the fabrics to keep their shape.
Use the cutting instructions and replace your colors so you know which pieces to cut from each color.
I would use the templates to cut the notches out of all our your triangle pieces, the rotary cutting instructions will show you how to cut the triangles.
Cut your pieces by the color of the fabric.
Sew your four quarters together with a skant 1/4″.

Step 1 -Choose Your Fabrics and Cut your Templates

The rotary cutter instructions that you have downloaded tell you how wide to cut your strips and to cut your triangles. It also tells you many of each template are needed in the block. This is where you will need to figure out how many you will need for your colors.

Take your fabric and square it up with the grain and cut your strips to the width needed according the pattern. The number of strips will depend on the width of your fabric.

I would suggest cutting your templates by color. Cut your pieces from the fabrics using the rotary cutting instructions or you may use the templates that I have provided. I used the rotary cutting instructions to cut all the pieces, but then I used the templates to cut the notches off the ends of the triangles.

Template H

Cut a strip for the H pieces and cut the pieces from the strip using the H template. You will need 4 pieces.

Templates I, K, E (B, C, J)

Cut strips for I, K, E (use B, C, J if you have fabrics that have a back and front), and use the templates to cut out the pieces you need. You will need 4 pieces for I, and 8 pieces for K & E.

Templates D, G, F (B, A)

Cut strips for D, G, E (use B, A if you have fabrics that have a back and front), and use the templates to cut out the pieces you need. You will need 4 pieces of D, and 8 pieces for G and F.

Once you have cut all your templates out, lay out your block per the pattern!

Step 2 – Assemble One Quarter of the Block

I am going to show you how to assemble one quarter of the block, and the other 3 quarters will be exactly the same.

First we want to put together templates H and I and match the edges and sew 1/4″ and iron toward template I. (In my pictures H is purple and I is yellow).

Next add the D template to the H,I section you just sewed together, matching notched edges and iron towards the D template. (D template is orange in my pictures).

Now we will put together the sides of the quarter block. First sew template G and K together with right sides together. Line up the point of K to the edge of G. (K is yellow in my pictures and G is orange in my pictures) Sew at 1/4″ and iron towards the K template.

Last we will put together the E and F templates, matching edges and lining up the E points on the orange edges. (E is yellow and F is orange in my pictures) Sew at 1/4″ and iron towards the F template.

Once we have the side pieces ready, we can sew them to each other to complete the side. Put the two pieces together, matching the seams and nesting the seams to make it flat at the point. Pin in place and sew at 1/4″, iron this quarter towards the top of the side piece.

Repeat the steps above to complete the other side piece.

Lastly we can sew the sides to the center piece to complete the block. Lay right sides together, matching rounded edges and seams. Sew 1/4″ and iron towards the CENTER of the block. We iron this way so that there isn’t so much seam allowance at the center point of the block and when we iron two blocks together. Repeat for the other side. Your finished quarter block should be 6 1/2″ square.

Step 3 – Put blocks and rows together to complete block

Now that your quarter blocks are done, lay your block back out in the correct position so that we can sew the blocks together.

Put two blocks together in each row, matching the seams towards the edge of the block, notched edges at the center and line up the edges. Sew at a skant 1/4″ and iron each row in a different direction.

Now that the two rows are sew together we can put the rows together. Match the center seam by nesting the seams, match the seams on the edges, hopefully these seams will nest if you iron them in different directions. Make sure all your edges are flat together and sew together a skant 1/4″. Iron to one side. Measure and trim your block to 12 1/2″ square.