I've never been to Hawaii, but I read a wonderful book:
"The Aloha Quilt" by Jennifer Chiaverini.
There she tells us everything about Hawaiian history, culture, the Aloha-spirit and Hawaiian Quilts and how they are made, all wrapped in a lovely story about a woman searching for the right path to go ...and finding it.
This is what "Aloha" means:
"It has been said to you in greeting and in farewell, and I'm sure you've all heard that it also means love."
(quote from the book)
Encouraged by the precise instructions given in the book I added my own touch and designed some little quilts - they are also shown in the dia-show about my small appliqué-quilts on the right hand side here .
I'd never claim these quilts to be "Hawaiian Quilts", they are made with this technique and this attitude in mind and with profound admiration for what Hawaiian masters are able to create, but these here are typical only of me and my way to do things and cannot and should not copy this noble native art - far from that.
However, with these small items I tried to capture a tiny part of this magical "Aloha"-spirit which is a main feature of a quilt done "Hawaiian Style" .
Other, more tangible, characteristics are:
A two-color appliqué design spreads out to the sides from the center. The pattern is created with a special technique of folding and cutting one piece of fabric which is then unfolded and appliquéd onto a piece of background fabric in a contrasting color.
The symmetrical patterns show flowers, leaves, animals or fruit and reflect the loving respect for nature felt by the maker. A pattern is created originally and individually and is sometimes given as a precious gift to a friend - no patchwork, no blocks, no multicolored designs, no fixed traditional patterns.
The tiny quilting stitches are done with yarn that matches exactly the color of the fabric and they follow the outline of the appliqué design (echo-quilting).
"No two quilts you create should be exactly alike....
This is the Hawaiian way. Everything is special and unique."
(quote from the book)
