Maui Historical Society's 2nd annual Celebration of Quilts
Saturday, May 14, 10am-3pm, Bailey House Museum, $10The Maui Historical Society's second annual Celebration of Quilts was an event swaddled in homemade goodness. Streaming through the leaves of hala and kukui trees, Saturday's benevolent early summer sun cast crepuscular rays of rose gold on the outdoor exhibition--a clothesline of showcase-quality quilts stitched by local artisans, spanning the circumference of the museum's main lawn. Admission was just $10, and included complimentary lemonade and chocolate chip cookies. Inside, the museum's own Hawaiian quilt relics were augmented by other antique quilts on loan (like the "Ona Ona," i.e. sweet potato quilt loaned by Jamie Laniakea Clark). Of course it's hard to pick, but I'd have to say my favorite of the bunch is the eggshell-and saffron-colored quilt from the D.T. Flemming collection (regularly on display on the upstairs bedroom's four post bed) named "Na Kalauna Me Na 'Ilima" (crowns and 'ilima). Though over the years I've meandered the museum more times than I can count, this recent visit was a fresh reminder of how exquisite their artifacts are. On this occasion, I was particularly struck by the large, perfectly spherical na pohaku (stones) made for endurance training (oft underwater), as well as the half-sphere stone implements made for smoothing adz marks. P.S. A big mahalo to the Bailey House Museum's executive director, Nicole McMullen, and office manager, Marsha Cavin for their lovely work.
Learn More About Hawaiian Quilts:
EXCERPT FROM THE EVENT PROGRAM
"The distinctive characteristics of a Hawaiian applique quilt are, 1) they are generally appliqued on one piece in contrasting colors using a [snowflake] paper-cutting technique taught by the missionaries, 2) they are usually inspired by nature or a meaningful life event, and 3) they often use echo quilting, stitching rows that radiate out from the appliqued design. These quilts were treasured and patterns were considered property of the creator." EXCERPT FROM THE EVENT PROGRAM
"Another popular pattern was the Hawaiian Flag, or Ku'u Hae Aloha (My Belove Flag), created at the end of the 1800s and in greater numbers between the years of the overthrow of the monarchy (1893) and the annexation of Hawai'i (1898). They often contained symbols of the Hawaiian monarchy, such as the Coat of Arms. These quilts became symbols of protest and loyalty.
Saturday, May 14, 10am-3pm, Bailey House Museum, $10The Maui Historical Society's second annual Celebration of Quilts was an event swaddled in homemade goodness. Streaming through the leaves of hala and kukui trees, Saturday's benevolent early summer sun cast crepuscular rays of rose gold on the outdoor exhibition--a clothesline of showcase-quality quilts stitched by local artisans, spanning the circumference of the museum's main lawn. Admission was just $10, and included complimentary lemonade and chocolate chip cookies. Inside, the museum's own Hawaiian quilt relics were augmented by other antique quilts on loan (like the "Ona Ona," i.e. sweet potato quilt loaned by Jamie Laniakea Clark). Of course it's hard to pick, but I'd have to say my favorite of the bunch is the eggshell-and saffron-colored quilt from the D.T. Flemming collection (regularly on display on the upstairs bedroom's four post bed) named "Na Kalauna Me Na 'Ilima" (crowns and 'ilima). Though over the years I've meandered the museum more times than I can count, this recent visit was a fresh reminder of how exquisite their artifacts are. On this occasion, I was particularly struck by the large, perfectly spherical na pohaku (stones) made for endurance training (oft underwater), as well as the half-sphere stone implements made for smoothing adz marks. P.S. A big mahalo to the Bailey House Museum's executive director, Nicole McMullen, and office manager, Marsha Cavin for their lovely work.
Learn More About Hawaiian Quilts:
EXCERPT FROM THE EVENT PROGRAM
"The distinctive characteristics of a Hawaiian applique quilt are, 1) they are generally appliqued on one piece in contrasting colors using a [snowflake] paper-cutting technique taught by the missionaries, 2) they are usually inspired by nature or a meaningful life event, and 3) they often use echo quilting, stitching rows that radiate out from the appliqued design. These quilts were treasured and patterns were considered property of the creator." EXCERPT FROM THE EVENT PROGRAM
"Another popular pattern was the Hawaiian Flag, or Ku'u Hae Aloha (My Belove Flag), created at the end of the 1800s and in greater numbers between the years of the overthrow of the monarchy (1893) and the annexation of Hawai'i (1898). They often contained symbols of the Hawaiian monarchy, such as the Coat of Arms. These quilts became symbols of protest and loyalty.
