July 4, 1998

Michigan State University Museum; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project; Cuesta Benberry Quilt and Ephemera Collection

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

A tri-fold pamphlet describing an exhibit at the Mission Houses Museum, opening July 4, 1998.

Mission Houses Museum
presents its
Twentieth Annual
Hawaiian Quilt Exhibition
Exhibition open through July 4, 1998

NaKapa Apana Hawai'i
I Humulau Ia

Embroidered Hawaiian Quilts

You are cordially invited to an evening of cocktails and pupus at the Opening Reception
May 26 at 4:00 PM
Please call ---- by May 18 if you plan to attend

History of Embroidered Quilts
When quilters and quilt enthusiasts think of Hawaiian quilts, the "snowflake" applique quilts (kapa lau) or the Hawaiian flag quilts (kapa hae) immediately come to mind. Few people, even in Hawai'i, like their mainland counter-parts, also made red outline embroidered quilts. These wonderful whole-cloth quilts, embroidered with Hawaiian flowers and other motifs, were made by the same women who worked in the Hawaiian applique and flag quilt traditions.

Becovers, quilts, pillows, and dresser scarves embroidered in turkey-red thread on white cotton fabric were considered "extremely fashionable" in Hawai'i from 1880 through 1925. In some families the appliqued quilts were kept "for good" while the redwork quilts were the "everyday quilts," washed and used until they were worn out.

Emroidered quilts were enourmously popular over a forty-year period. By the time Edith Plews addressed the Mokihana Club at the opening of Kaua'i's first quilt show in 1933, she said of the embroidred quilts, "Here are a few odd ones: these with embroidered patterns were a distinct style thirty to forty years ago." Used up, worn out, passing out of fashion and out of mind, the heyday of the outline-embroidered quilt had become a faded memory.
Laurie Woodard, Guest Curator

Schedule of Quilt Events
Exhibit Opening May 26, 4:00 PM
Join us for cocktails and pupus

Redwork Teaching Squares
Try your hand at embroidery and quilting on pillow-sized redwork designs. Ongoing during the exhibition.

Quilt Kits for Sale in the Museum Shop
Purchase redwork embroidery quilt patterns, applique kits, and finished quilts.

Fancy Faire June 13 & 14
See the quilt exhibition free this weekend.
Quilt Lecture Saturday, June 13, 1:00
Meet guest curator Laurie Woodard who will talk about the quilts featured in the exhibition. In the Chamberlain House Galleries. Free.

Preservation Talk Sunday, June 14 1:00
Learn how to preserve your quilts with textile conservator Linda Hee. In the Library. Free.

Quilting Classes Beginning May 2
Make your own applique quilt pillow. Classes taught by Kupuna Chun will be held at the Museum every Saturday. Call the Museum at -------.

Offered Through the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project...
Redwork Class Sunday, May 31
View a lide lecture by Laurie Woodard with the class instructed by Elaine Zinn to follow. Neal Blaisdell Center Room 7, 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
Call Harriet Yamaguchi at --------.

Biographies
Laurie Woodard
Guest curator Laurie G. Woodard is one of the founding members of the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project, a non-profit organization committed to the preservation of Hawaii's quilt heritage. She received both a bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, and a Masters degree in History from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Laurie was formerly curator at Mission Houses Museum, specializing in the care of the textile collection. In 1996, she received a grant from the Quilters' Guild of Dallas to research Hawaiian outline-embroidered quilts. Her research was published in the 1997 issue of Uncoverings, scholarly journal on quilt history. With Laurie's expertise for these special quilt, Mission Houses Museum is pleased to present this exhibition on embroidered Hawaiian quilts.

Linda Hee
Linda Hee is the curator at the Tropic Lightning Museum and is a textile conservator in private practice. She received her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and Education from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, and her Masters degree in Conservation from The University of Delaware which is renown for its Conservation program. She spent severl years as an objects conservator at Bishop Museum with a specialty in textiles before joining the Tropic Lightning Museum.

Kupuna Chun
Kupuna Chun was born on Moloka'i. She has entertained our local community as a hula dancer and storyteller for years. She has been quilting most of her life, and now loves to share her knowledge with students.

Admission Information

To see the Quilt Exhibition $4.00

Guided Tours
Mission Houses Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 to 4:00. See Living Historians dressed in period costume every Wednesday and on Kama'aina Days. We offer walking tours of the historic downtown area. Stop in on Thursdays for an elegant afternoon tea after your tour.

Prices and tour times vary so call (-----) for information. The quilt exhibition is free during the Fancy Faire weekend.

Fancy Faire
Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14
The Museum Shop will be open.
Admission to the Museum grounds.....free
Admission to the Quilt Exhibition....free
Come for hula, Hawaiian food, entertainment, and 65 crafters of Hawaiian wares.

Museum MembershipBecome a member of the Mission Houses Museum Association.
Benefits include:
-Free admission to the Museum
-10% discount in the Museum Shop
-Subscription to
-Invitations to events and exhibitions

Call (-----) to become a member.

Hawaiian Mission Children's Society
Mission Houses Museum
553 South King St., Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813

Twentieth Annual
Hawaiian Quilt Exhibition
Opening Reception
May 26, 1998 4:00 PM

Please RSVP by May 18 if you plan to attend
Call (------)