Aloha Oe
On this day in 1891 Liliuokalani is proclaimed Queen of Hawaii, the last monarch to rule the islands. Liliuokalani took over for her brother after his death. She was ousted by revolutionaries only two years later. Liliuokalani spent most of the rest of her life in the United States and composed many popular Hawaiian songs, including “Aloha Oe,” which means “Farewell to Thee.”
This now-faded blue and white wholecloth applique beauty, titled Ka’ahumanu or Lei O Ka’ahumanu was made by Eme Mahikoa in 1899 in the town of Kawaihao on Kauai Island in Hawaii. It is entirely hand made and features a pink backing fabric. The quilt was documented by a family member of Mahikoa as part of the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project in 1996.
View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view.
Sources:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/liliuokalani-proclaimed-queen-of-hawaii
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjZyZ8IuSzw (Aloha Oe on Hawaiian guitar with photos of Hawaii….relaxing)
Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org