I have learned a lot in the making of a traditional Hawaiian quilt. In the old days, a strand of the quilters hair would be placed in the quilt just before it was finished to include their own personal "Mana" or spirit to bless and to keep the receiver of the quilt safe.

Few years after I had starting making full size quilts an Aunt of mine in California had heard that I was quilting and immediately sent me original patterns from her Mother who had quilted in Hawaii for several years, when growing up I had heard of her Mother and how she made many full size quilts for her entire family but, we never met. Her Mother had passed away and no one else in the family had developed the art of the Hawaiian Quilt.

Upon receiving the pattern I began to observe the style and focus point of the quilt. It was complicated, no directions or measurements and you had to figure out the yardage in order to get the correct material chart for the full size bed quilt. While cutting the pattern for applique, I would vision 2 ladies on the side of me talking to each other, both women were of Chinese decent and 1 was taller than the other.

The Theme of this quilt was the "Ulu" with many leaves and ulu fruit. In Hawaii, the ulu fruit is considered a breadfruit tree, it symbolized bountiful and fruitfulness.

When I asked my aunty if her Mother was taller than most Chinese women and she replied in astonishment "yes" I then told her that for some reason, there are 2 women in my vision as I am cutting out the pattern. In San Antonio, Texas Aunty Ethel a master Hawaiian Quilter indentified the vision as good spirits trying to help me skillfully create an heirloom quilt.

More to come