Customer Reviews

Hawaiian Quilt Masterpieces

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If you love Hawaiian quilting--this is a volume you shouldn't miss. This is not a "how to" manual. It is a history of classic Hawaiin quilts accompanied by color plates that left me spellbound. The designs are incredible and well worth study. I've held a fascination with the possible direct connection between early Hawaiian quilts and the Baltimore Album quilts of the the Eastern coast. This may be the only book with color plates of some of these beautiful early quilts that would offer clues to this connection. My favorite designs in this volume are Anthurium by Mary Manoi and Coconut and Pineapple by Meali'i Kalama. It is of no consequence to me that this is not an instructional manual as I do not anticipate ever being able to quilt one of these masterpieces. It is, however, a one of a kind book and I urge you to treat yourself while it remains in print. Mary Z. Cox

I recently went to Hawaii and was fortunate enough to see some wonderful quilts. I ordered this book after I got home. There are some great examples from different collections. I've really enjoyed it!

Hawaiian Quilt Masterpieces is a beautifully well written and photographed presentation of Hawaiian quilting. It is not a how to book but tells enough and shows enough for someone to decide whether to go further in either research or production. It is a valuable reference book for collectors and quilters alike.

This unique and beautiful category of quilting is not well publicized or documented and this book is an excellent review of the genre.

While sailing on a recent NCL cruise ship I came across this book in the ship's library. Each day I went back and read more. The pictures were wonderful. I decided I needed my own copy of the book and I am very pleased I was able to purchase it and add it to my personal library. It hits all the various Hawaiian quilt designs with a description without boringly being over long.

As with any skill or art, one should be surrounded with 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 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 realized that history of quilting is as important if not more important than how to.

As a quilt historian I naturally looked for that in this new book on Hawaiian quilts and was pleased to read information I had not read before. The introductory chapter is the history. It is an easy read, interesting and the author pulls from a variety of sources, some of which I haven't read in other books on the market about Hawaiian quilts.

Another reason I recommend this book is because the quilts included come from collections, public and private, around the US, not just Hawaii, so you will see quilts you have not seen before.

What I noticed was that the usual echo quilting pattern associated with Hawaiian made quilts is absent from many of the quilts in this book. Other, more familiar quilting has taken it's place. Not too much was written about this fact, which was the only disappointment for me about this book.

I recently gave a talk using the audiences antique quilts and sure enough, a beautiful Hawaiian fruit-flower type applique quilt, made in white on light blue was shown and it was quilted with a small grid pattern. I thought it was more uncommon than I now understand it to be.

The book is oversized with one large quilt photo of each quilt, of excellent quality, making it is easy to see the quilt's applique details and quilted patterns.