Hawaii's quilts reflect one of the world's most unusual and exotic cultures. Bringing elements of their Polynesian heritage to the American quilt, nineteenth-century Hawaiians created a distinctive and beautiful art form that is still actively practiced throughout the islands. Hawaiian Quilt Masterpieces presents forty-eight remarkable historic and contemporary quilts, all reproduced in full color, that trace the history of the islands: from the early influences of missionaries and traders, to annexation by the United States and subsequent statehood, to the current concerns of today's quilt masters.
Hawaii's stunning quilts capture the essence of the islands' overwhelming natural beauty as well as its people's legendary grace and charm. Early quilters developed the beloved Hawaiian applique quilt, its lovely floral designs cut like giant snowflakes from a single piece of cloth. They also created the unique tradition of the flag quilt, made to memorialize the glorious past of the Hawaiian kingdom that fell when the United States annexed the islands in 1898. This volume offers some of the finest examples of the islands' fabric art, highlighted by works of such masterful island quiltmakers as Elizabeth Akana, Sharon Balai, and Junedale Lauwaeomakana Quinories, whose clever variations on classic designs and techniques, spiced with subtle twists of modernity, keep these quilting traditions alive.
Hawaiian Quilt Masterpieces is the first new book on the subject in many years and is sure to become a standard reference in the field.