Poakalani Hawaiian Quilt Exhibit
May 31, 2022
OHA Office of Hawaiian Affairs
560 N. Nimitz Hwy Suite 200
Honolulu, HI 96817
10:00am – 2:00pm

Poakalani Hawaiian Quilts in conjunction with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs would like to invite all of your to a special 1 day Hawaiian Quilt Exhibit being held at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. After a 2+ year wait 14 Hawaiian quilts 45″ x 45″ will finally be handed over to the Pitt Rivers Museum of Oxford, England. The quilts were commissioned back in 2020 but due to Covid-19 it took a little longer for the quilts to be completed. The quilts will be received by Marenka Thompson-Odlum – Research Associate of the Pitt Rivers Museum. This will be the only showing in Hawaii before they will have a permanent home in Oxford, England.

All the quilts were designed by the late John Serrao and quilted by selected Poakalani Quilting Teachers and students. The quilt designs conveys the culture and traditions of Hawaii.

Please come and help us celebrate another milestone of sharing our unique art to the people of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford England. Any concerns please contact Cissy at 223-1108

The Office Hawaiian Affair asks that masks be worn and if possible a pre-check in if you’re planning to attend. OHA is located on Nimitz Highway, before City Mill, across from Nimitz Liliha Bakery and Little Joe’s Steakhouse. Please see the flyer below for instructions.

Aloha Quilting Family,

I realize it’s been a while since I last posted, actually more than a while but Rae and I want you to know that while we miss the quilting classes we miss all of you more. Many people have called and e-mailed but sorry to say as long as the palace is closed so are our classes. Let’s just hope this vaccine works and we all can get back to the Palace soon.

I can’t believe that it’s already 2021 and I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and New Year. I also pray that you and your families are safe and healthy.

My family is doing fine. I’ve been working from home remotely with my day job since March 2020 and according to my manager it’ll be a while before we’ll return to the office. Life has truly thrown us a curve.

For most of the year life was uneventful, which is a good thing. Without the quilting classes I also got a little lazy hence the very few updates on my website but this Christmas I received an amazing surprise which I just had to share with all of you. When I thought there were no more of John’s quilt designs to be found… to my surprise I was wrong.

Apparently my cousin Kaeleneʻs Aunty Donna was cleaning out some of her treasures and came across 39 of John’s original designs.(There were 40 but alas one is missing). She received it from Kaeleneʻs mom, Aunty Leilani. Poakalani and Aunty Leilani grew up together, best of friends and inseparable. While they were not related by blood they were true sisters of the heart.

So apparently before John designed the 30 cushion patterns that I knew of he also designed 40 patterns prior to that. The way the story goes Poakalani had such a difficult time with the original 40 patterns John designed that he tossed it out and designed 30 new ones and made them easier. What I didn’t know was that copies of the original 40 patterns were made and I guess my mom gave one set to Aunty Leilani who gave it to Aunty Donna. 50 years later Aunty Donna returns it to Kaylene, who then gives me back a copy over the Christmas holiday. After 50 years the circle is complete and John’s original 40 cushions patterns have returned home and now back in my possession.

The designs are intricate and the sizes range from 18″ x 18″ to 22″ x 22″. A few of the patterns are part of his second set of 30. I hope to share some of those patterns with you I may need to tweak it just to make them easier.

The design above is probably John’s first Tulip pattern. Just click on the photo and you can download the pattern. I didn’t change the pattern. It’s all John’s from his handwriting to the pattern. You may need to enlarge the pattern.

Mahalo Kaylene, Aunty Donna, Aunty Leilani, Poakalani and John. It was a wonderful Christmas Surprise.

Everyone Stay Safe and God Bless.

Cissy

Yes it’s been awhile since I posted. I’ve been having the most difficult time deciding which pattern to share with you. With the COVID19 crisis and now the tragic death of a man at the hands of a rogue police officer the world in which I was raised in is unrecognizable.

I don’t have any words of wisdom with everything that is going on right now but during the next few month I believe all of us needs to be patient with one another. Let’s all just be kind and respectful to each another.

Today’s pattern I’m sharing is actually one of my favorites. It’s from John’s original 30 cushion patterns he designed back in 1972 called the Ahonui, which in English means Patience. How appropriate is the pattern during these difficult times. Poakalani always said if you can applique this design you can applique any Hawaiian Quilt Pattern. Everyone please be safe.

‘Ōlelo No’eau
I ka ‘ōlelo no ke ola, I ka, ‘ōlelo no ka make
Life is in speech, Death is in speech
Words can heal, Words can destroy

We have available a large selection of cushion patterns in our quilting classes and we try to encourage our students to choose patterns that symbolizes the culture and history of Hawaii. We’ll go through many designs such as the Ulu(Breadfruit), Ti Leaf, Kukui Nut, Mokihana, Ginger, Monsterra and even Sea Life designs but many of the quilters tend to choose the Pineapple pattern. The pattern is not only easy to applique and quilt but it also symbolizes friendship, and the friendship of friends and family formed in our quilting classes is one of reasons the quilters return every week for classes.

I am blessed and I give thanks every day on how lucky I am to see my quilting family every Saturday at our quilting classes. We may all not be related by blood but we’re all related by our quilting spirit of aloha.

Our classes are gatherings of sharing and encouragement and sometimes a place to just get away. We always hope that when the classes end everyone goes home feeling better not only about their quilting ability but also themselves.

Thank you to all the Poakalani quilters who comes to class every week to share themselves and their quilts with others. It’s all of you who makes our classes special and unique. We miss all of you and hope to get back to the classes soon. Enjoy this weeks pattern.

Did you know that Hawaii has only two seasons. Unlike our mainland states who have the four seasons of Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring Hawaii has only two seasons, a wet season from November to March and a dry season from April to October.

These days I believe we’re all between two new seasons, before lock down and after lock down and while we’re locked in our homes nature has taken over… the flowers are still blooming through out the islands. …and like the Hawaiian flowers which blooms all year long we will soon bloom from our homes.

Until then I miss our quilting classes and all the quilters. I miss my co-workers. I miss being outside enjoying the sun and flowers, moon and evening stars.

My heart goes out to everyone especially the seniors and their cancelled graduations and proms, cancelled Festivals, sports and music events, missed vacations, special anniversaries and birthdays. The birth of new family members, marriages and especially special heartfelt send offs to our recently departed family,

…and while I’m missing everyone I firmly believe that this will all end soon, but we will not be the same I believe we will be stronger and wiser.

Prayers to all of you… my family and friends. Enjoy the Lock Down pattern.

John always spoke of everyone having an inner light and inner light that makes us shine as good parents, amazing co-workers, dependable siblings, and even Hawaiian quilters. How is your light shining during this difficult time.

A few ways we can make our light and everyone’s light shine:
Go out only when you really need to and practice Social Distancing
Call a friend who lives alone and have a joyful conversation
Clean your windows… that’ll make your light shine(lol)
Write a letter to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while
When you see a First Responder….. Say Thank You
Quilt and Pray because God Really Listens
…. I bet you can think of many more ways

To All Hawaiian Quilters….

Are you quilting everyday? Is your light shining through your beautiful hand made quilts. Send me a photo at cissy@poakalani.com of your completed quilts or quilts in progress so we can share your light with other Hawaiian quilting enthusiasts. If your not quilting send a picture of what you’re doing with your time.

Just a Reminder class is cancelled until further notice. Everyone please have a care. We will miss the weekly classes but this will pass and we will return to our daily lives. We want everyone to be safe and healthy when we return. If any of you need anything please call or text me at 808-223-1108.