Hawaiian Quilt Masterpieces

By Robert Shaw

In a land where the warmth afforded by a wool- or cotton-filled quilt is anything but a necessity, quiltmaking takes on an entirely new and different meaning. 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 55 remarkable historic and contemporary quilts, all reproduced in full colour, which 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 Hawaiian quilt masters. Hawaii's stunning quilts capture the essence of the islands' overwhelming natural beauty. 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 wor

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0883633965
• ISBN13: 9780883633960
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: Universe
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 12.5" x 0.8" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

What is on your coffee table?

As with any skill or art, one should be surrounded by technical books telling them the ins and outs of how to excel in their skill. It is also a good idea to start with kids' books for simple instructions and eventually go to specialty bookstores to track down those elusive out-of-print books by masters of the craft that speak to us from the past. "Hawaiian Quilt Masterpieces" is not one of these books. However, it does make a good coffee-table book that has some great pictures of 48 historic and contemporary quilts, all in color, and describes what makes Hawaiian quilts unique. I find myself periodically going back and rereading their interesting stories. Now that I reflect on this book, I realize that the history of quilting is as important, if not more important than a how-to.