Hawai'ian Quilts

Best part of my Hawai'ian quilt pilgrimage was the surprise of talking to people who share my passion. It zapped right through formalities. There were two small quilt shops, one in Volcano, HI, and the other in Waimea, where I saw a few fine Hawai'ian quilts. The upper photo shows one. I know! it's blurry. One woman said she can't get her teenage daughter interested, because quilting is so painstaking & kids want immediacy. Another told me that grandmas today are out working or watching the grandkids while their moms & dads work; they don't have time to quilt. So, she said, families are keeping the old quilts for themselves as they become rare. You can still get cruder versions in the open-air tourist markets, & these are on the beds of many guest houses. Here's the site that led me to Big Island quilt shops.

My favorite was Dragon Mama in Hilo, HI. Japanese fabric (costly). Rice paper screens and rice pillows made to order. I bought kimono scraps of indigo-dyed cotton and brilliant rayons/ silks, which you can see in the bottom photo.