Hawaii A-Moo-Ha !

I wanted to show you my State Challenge piece all finished! I called it A Moo Ha and it's 45" X 35"
I shared some of the construction along the way on these posts, Quilted text and making of the hibiscus flowers and how I made the sun and pineapples
This is a bit closer and remember you can click on pictures to see them larger. 

She's a full figured gal, with a lot of hip to jut out when swingin' that grass skirt. I plan to write an article on that process but it was fun and messy! Note her bra top, with seashells, and her flower lei made of sequins and seed beads. Her boyfriend is playing a ukelele and mooooning over her. 
I made her like a doll, with stuffing,  and then sewed her to the quilt last.
The surfboard also stands out from the quilt and used one of my special hoarded old fabrics.I just cut out the words RonJon and fused them on, because I fondly remember going to a RonJon shop once.
The palm tree came out just the way I wanted, and I quite enjoyed how the quilting looked, note two wooden heart coconuts. The little stone in front of the surfboard says "laugh" so... go ahead and laugh!

I chose the wilder of the two pineapples and I loved the wavy line quilting on it. I have never done that kind of thing but it seemed called for. Looks like someone had a mai tai or two while quilting doesn't it??
The hibiscus were scrunched up while
appliqueing/quilting them to add dimension. They are
beaded by hand with a few iron on crystals for good
measure.
You can see the quilting along the sand. I had some questions about leaving some unquilted area for movement. I think there has been a trend for several years to over quilting, filling a space so much that there is little drape or contrast and I wondered if judges have been seeing that so much they won't appreciate my attempt at sand dunes. I decided I like it and left it with some echo lines and un quilted areas.

 Here are the flowers on the other side  shown close up. Lots of metallic threads including halograph mylar. Really shiny. In the right light it really glistens like dew on a petal. Beads, sequins and crystals for the stamens.
I entered it in our guild challenge. It did not win any prizes, but when we went up to tell a bit about our quilts, the audience ooooohed. I thought, come on! You just saw it over there! It was in shadow though so when it caught the light it performed the way it does at home. Lighting is important.
One guild member commented " I thought it was Hawaii until I saw the cow. They only have brown cows there"  (Picture my reaction) I said, "I don't let  reality interrupt my life too much" Really! That's what made her reject Hawaii despite the hibiscus, volcanoes, beaches palm tree, tiny 3 inch log cabin blocks with flamingoes in each center, pineapple, and surfboard??
Not the fact that the cow was dancing on her hind hooves wearing a grass skirt accompanied by a ukelele playing boy. hmph.

Shrug, I might be slightly less traditional than most around here. I like it.
LeeAnna
linked to bloggers quilt festival http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/