I picked this pattern and fabric up in the lovely tropical paradise of Kauai at the Kapaia Stitchery in 2008. The store was great, in a little red schoolhouse type building. It was an explosion of colors inside with lots of beautiful examples of Hawaiian quilts. Craig didn't find the store quite as interesting as I did....
It's sort of weird that quilting is popular enough in Hawaii that it would have even developed it's own style. They are typically symmetrical applique patterns with echo quilting (sewing around the appliques so has a "ripple in the pond" effect).
Cutting out the intricate shapes brought back fond memories of Arts & Crafts projects in elementary school. Remember the nervous excitement the first time you get to use the blunt-tip safety scissors to white knuckle the pattern from the folded construction paper? The pure wonder and delight of opening the paper to reveal that long chain of dolls holding hands. So here is today's chain of turtles and dolphins holding flippers and fins.
Literally hundreds of pins later (and several annoying bent ones I finally threw away), it's ready for the next step, the slightly more nerve-wracking step of actually sewing these 2 enormous doilies onto the backing without bunches and creases. Lunch might be in order first.