Leslee, you have done a fabulous job on that Hawaiian applique'.
Several months ago, I finished the wallhanging that is my avatar and have begun a new one that will be about 42" square.
I have many books on the subject and had an awful time trying to learn. Instead, I purchased a DVD by Nancy Chong that shows how to do it from start to finish. She was here several years ago for the annual Quilt Expo and had done a quick demo. Her DVD can be ordered from her website: www.prqc.com. I highly recommend it.