Australia and Pacific

Australia and Pacific

Hawaiian quilts represent an appliqué and quilting style that was developed by indigenous Hawaiians. It may reflect older kapa (bark cloth) traditions. Hawaiian quilts characteristically have a central design that is cut out of a piece of cloth that has been folded into halves, quarters or eighths. The thus created radiating design it is stitched onto the white top cloth of the quilt, with echo quilting around the cloth's edges.  

Tifaifai is a quilt style from French Polynesia, involving appliqué and patchwork. Tifaifai means ‘to mend, sew.’ Cotton fabrics and patchwork were introduced in the early nineteenth century by Christian missionaries.

Wagga rugs are Australian coverings made from four or five flour sacks or chaff bags, sewn together with a bag needle and twine. Modern wagga rugs are considered to be a form of patchwork rather than quilts. They were originally made by men working in the Australian outback to keep out the cold.