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Tapa Cloth and Hawaiian Quilts: Textile-making has a long tradition in the Pacific Islands. While having utilitarian function, textiles have also been used by islanders to commemorate life's important events and ceremonies. Barkcloth, known in many regions of the Pacific as tapa, is a widely used fabric. Not woven like most textiles, tapa cloth is made from strips cut from the bark of the paper mulberry tree that are flattened with special mallets. Many strips can be sewn or glued together with a plant resin to create a large sheet of fabric. The thin paper-like material can be painted or printed with natural pigments, applied with brushes or bamboo stamps. In some areas of the Pacific, barkcloth is decorated by dipping leaves in red pigment and pressing them on the cloth. Geometric patterns, reminiscent of Polynesian tattooing, are also commonly found on tapa cloth. Tapa cloth has been and continues to be used in many ways in the Pacific. It can take the form of a blanket, a room divider screen, the "skin" of a ceremonial mask, or loose clothing. It is tradition in the Islands for people to exchange textiles during special ceremonies. The work each piece represents and the good "mana" of the woman who created it testify to the significance of the gift and provide the recipient with good luck. Today it is still customary at weddings for the bride and groom to be given large quantities of finely woven mats and tapa cloth, which are often worn around their bodies in layers as a sign of community blessing. Other passages of life that often involve the ceremonial exchange of textiles are births and funerals. When American missionaries first arrived in Hawaii and other Pacific Islands in the early 1800s, they brought with them new customs in dress and habit. Quilts were brought to the Islands, prized by the missionary women for their sentimental value more than for their necessity, given the mild Hawaiian climate. Native islanders appreciated the fine workmanship of the quilts, and they compared them to the decorative tapa cloth bedspreads they made known as kapa moe. It is not known exactly how the native islanders began their own style of quilting, but certainly there were influences from the missionaries. Missionary women felt it was important for native island women to learn to sew in the European manner, as this was a proper activity for ladies of the day. Using patchwork techniques to illustrate different sewing skills, Hawaiian women became accustomed to cotton fabrics and threads. Although the missionary women utilized various patterns for their quilts, the appliqué style was most popular with the native islanders. Appliqué is the technique of cutting a shape from one piece of material and sewing it on top of a larger piece. This tradition is most often associated with Hawaii, but similar quilts are created throughout the Pacific Islands. In the Cook Islands this technique of quilting is called tivaevae manu. Some historians have speculated that since the Hawaiians did not traditionally use cotton fabrics for their clothing, they had no scrap pieces that could be sewn together to make patchwork quilts. The expense of imported fabrics also is seen as a determining factor in the development of Hawaiian quilt design, as it would seem counter-productive to purchase large pieces of fabric just to cut them into smaller pieces and sew them together as a quilt. Another possible influence on the creation of Hawaiian quilt designs is the European tradition of cut paper art, known as scherenschnitte. In this technique, folded paper is cut into intricate patterns and then placed flat on a light colored background. This folk art was popular with German-Americans, some of whom became missionaries and lived in the Hawaiian Islands in the 1860s. There are examples of quilts from this period with appliquéed scherenschnitte patterns, but it is not known for certain if these provided the impetus for the native quilters to develop similar techniques in their work. However it happened, Hawaiian quilts are a beautiful example of cultural synthesis. Combining the techniques of Europeans and Americans with their own sense of color and design, Hawaiian quilters have created an enduring cultural tradition. Today as in the past, native quilters draw inspiration from their surroundings, using plant and flower patterns based on the flora of the region. Flowers like iris, orchid, calla lilly, hibiscus, are common motifs, as are vines, leaves, and sea animals. These patterns are reminiscent of the leaf-stamping used to decorate tapa cloth. Using a dark color of fabric for the design and a light color for a contrasting background, island quilters use appliqué techniques to create their bold patterns. To create the appliqué, the quilters would gather the material in folds and cut away specific areas, afterward flattening the material to reveal the pattern. This technique is much like the way a child creates a paper snowflake, with symmetry and repetition of pattern adding to its beauty. Once cut, the appliqué piece is stitched to the background fabric in a method called "echoing," as each stitch echoes or follows the wave-like contours of the cut fabric design. In this way, native islanders adapted the new medium of quilting to create a completely different form of expression, one that reflects love of their environment in every stitch. Today it is common to find Hawaiian quilts taking the place of tapa cloths in ceremonial exchanges at weddings and funerals. The quilts, lovingly made and often produced by communities of women, transmit blessings and good wishes to newlyweds and the souls of the departed. Quilts are also given as special gifts, and are sources of artistic pride for the makers. They are highly collectible artforms, and are featured in galleries and craft shows throughout the islands. Quilters across America have developed an intense interest in Hawaiian quilting. It is not hard to find resources that explain the techniques used to create these striking works of art. In the classroom, quilts cut from brightly colored paper can be made by children of any age, and each student can contribute a square to a large classroom-size tribute to this native style. Stencils can also be created so that students can paint fabric dyes onto light colored material in patterns like the colored designs of the appliqués. Students can use these opportunities to learn about specific plants and flowers native to the islands, replicating the blossoms and leaves in their quilt designs. For more information about the contemporary art of Hawaiian quilting, visit these excellent web sites: http://members.aol.com/alohaquilt/index.html http://www.lava.net/~mhm/quilt.htm http://www.poakalani.com |