I’d been putting off writing while gathering pics to write about, but then realized it had been NINE months since I last posted something. Things kind of get redundant after awhile. I imagine it may get boring reading about the same topics over and over. I’m currently in a purse making phase… Trying to use up fabric, interfacing, and handles. It started with needing a “white” purse to accessorize my Daughters of Hawai’i regalia. I had ordered "white palaka" from Little Cocalico but then decided to use white on white fabric (fig.2&4 above), from Kimuraʻs Fabric Store, that was leftover from this blouse. I'm still tweaking the templates (fig.1) for the purse lining. This Singer 15-88 treadle sewing machine (fig. 3) is my favorite for stitching thick fabrics like denim or multiple layered linings for the purses. While it doesn't zigzag, it has reverse and runs a nice straight stitch. 
Then I went on to this kikokiko (speckled) purse which was made back in 2023, blogged about here. While the green and orange lei ilima fabric is pretty, it was detracting from the natural beauty of the reddish brown kikokiko. After buying black barkcloth online that didn't look quite right with lauhala kikokiko in person, I ended up at Kimuraʻs Fabric Store for dark brown twill and various hand-sewing needles. I kept bending or breaking needles while hand-stitching the purse liner/insert layers. Kimura's has a beautiful array of fabrics and pretty much always has the sewing notions I need.
I'll spare the redundancy of ule hala processing pictures and skip to the new thing I learned. This time around, I harvested not only regular looking thick/wide ule, but longer skinny and greener ule. The longer skinny greener ule seemed immature but I thought I'd try it and see how it would work: The pounding/fraying went faster because it was softer, and it dried lighter "whiter" in color (blue arrows above). It also felt a little softer and silkier in texture after drying. Once it was wili into kaula, the kaula (string) seemed a little softer or more pliable than the previous kaula. Tensile strength seems similar though. Time will tell.
The Mauna Lani had their Lei Day Celebration on May 1 again this year. The array of employee made lei were beautiful, creative, and smelled lovely! The lei were silent auctioned with the proceeds going to charity. Kaniela played music and Anna danced hula with such grace and beauty. It was sooooo nice to visit with the other artisans while we demonstrated our respective crafts. I used my current purse as an example while I wove my project. I forgot to take more pictures. 
Adding this update: Lovely friends shared photos... this one of Anna and I in muʻumuʻu, pāpale lauhala, and lei hulu humupapa... Anna in her festive pink Mamo Howell and I in my paisley Bete. We're both wearing pikake style lei: Anna in a pikake style lei pūpū o Niʻihau and I with crocheted pikake strands.
There may be fewer posts as I run out of novel things to write about. Taking selfies and having my phone camera at the ready is still not something that comes naturally. lol. Until next time, Aloha Nui!