It was in 1994 that we were invited to be part of a group to travel to Belgium for the Beatification of Father Damien DeVeuster. Our role was to demonstrate the art of Hawaiian quilting. We decided that since this was a special occasion my father, John, would design a new quilt in honor of Father Damien.
The design for the quilt came in a dream to my father. In the dream he recalls standing on the cliffs above Kalaupapa looking over the beauty of the land. In this dream my father saw a young priest standing nearby viewing the beautiful sight. After a few moments the priest turned and walked into a brush and returned carrying a shield bearing the design of the quilt. As the priest turned to walk down the trail to Kalaupapa there appeared to be an aura of light surrounding him as he disappeared from sight.
Upon awakening my mother father quickly laid out the material and cut out the design for the quilt but the insignia of the Sacred Hearts that was in the dream was missing. They were at a loss on how to place the Sacred Hearts insignia of Father Damiens' order on the quilt. While they pondered on this problem one of our quilters, Mrs. Kay Johnson, came to class with a photo of the Sacred Heart taken from a picture window of the church that Father Damien attended in Belgium. She graciously allowed us the use of the photo to make a copy for the quilt. This copy was placed in the center of the quilt.
As my parents continued working on the quilt Damien Memorial High School contacted them requesting the use of the quilt for the Damien Memorial Ceremony. To our surprise they had named the quilt the Damien Beatification Quilt. We attended the ceremonies at the school and at the end we were asked what our intentions were for the quilt after the Belgium ceremony. We informed them that we were not sure whether to donate it to the church in Kalaupapa or the church in Belgium. Right after saying this Father Arsene who was standing nearby introduced himself as the Pastor for Kalaupapa and stated that he has the perfect spot for the quilt. Right at that moment we promised that the quilt would be given to the church at Kalaupapa after the beautification ceremonies.
We had completed the quilt and had it on display at Blessed Sacrament church in Pauoa, St Johns Mililani, American Samoa and Chicago where it was blessed by the congregation. We took the quilt to a Hawaiian Minister for a special blessing to reinforce the love of all Hawaii people in the quilt. As she opened the quilt she smiled and asked where the design came from. My father informed her of his dream and she started to explain the quilt.
The scallop edges on the side of the designs signified the beatitudes. The taro leaves at the bottom of the quilt signified the 10 commandments. The three kukui nut leaves on each side of the top design indicated the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The quilt explained Father Damien's role as he entered Kalaupapa. The Kukui leaf design indicated that Father Damien was to restore the light to Kalaupapa, as the nut from the Kukui tree provided light for the people of old Hawaii. The taro plant on the bottom of the design indicated the family of Kalaupapa that Father Damien would gather the people together as one. The cross quilted in the center showed the plight of the sick in Kalaupapa and his role in carrying them to a dignified life. After 3 weeks of sewing and preparing for the Belgium trip we heard the news that Pope Paul was injured and the ceremonies were canceled for a year.
In 1995 we were unable to attend the rescheduled ceremonies due to personal reasons and felt sad over the situation until we got a phone call from Father Arsene who had asked for us at the airport thinking that we were leaving with the others. We explained our situation and he asked to use the quilt for a special mass at Kalaupapa to coincide with the beautification ceremonies in Belgium. We happily turned over the quilt to him to be forever a part of Kalaupapa and at last our mission with Father Damien came to an end.
The Best Part of Hawaiian Quilting Is The Quilting Circle of Friends & Family. They're just as crazy as me.
Saint Damien, Quilted by Poakalani & Co. Designed by John Serrao
Kanani O Amelia - Quilted by Elsie Enos, Designed by John Serrao
Sometimes when we choose a design we are not aware of its significance until after the quilt is complete. Call it spiritual, a premonition, or even a coincidence just remember some things are just meant to be.
Back in the early 1930's my great-grandmother visited America for the very first time. After spending many days at sea on a ocean liner she finally had her first glimpse of the United States of America. She couldn't believe its beauty. The first flowers she saw were the daisies and she fell in love with the American Eagle the symbol of America. The large land mass and the great big mountains was nothing like the small islands she came from. At this time she fell in love not only with the United States but also its beauty and its people.
When she returned home she designed a quilt called the "Kanani O Amelika", The design itself is very unique. The design depicts the flowers that she first saw when visiting America which were the daisies, she also placed the eagles in the corner of the quilts. The quilt encompassed everything she loved about America. Although she never made a quilt with the design this pattern was designed in memory of her trip to America. Little did we know that years later this quilt would be of great significance to other quilters.
In 1990 Elsie Enos one of quilting students decided to quilt her first Hawaiian quilt wall-hanging. After making several cushion tops she decided it was time to go onto a bigger quilting project. While most quilters love floral and sea life themes Elsie decided to quilt a design adapted from a full-size quilt that my great-grandmother designed. She decided to quilt the pattern called "Kanani O Amelika" she wasn't sure why she decided on this pattern only that this was the pattern she wanted to make.
Elsie's quilt is designed with four Floral vases holding the daisy flowers, the flowers that she saw in the original quilt "Kanani O' Amelika", even though the quilt did not incorporate all the Symbols of America like the original quilt the meaning did not change nor the name of the quilt. After Elsie finished her quilt the beauty of it was breathtaking and the stitching was better than most expert quilters. The funny story about the quilt is that when you asked Elsie why she chose that design she actually didn't know.
In 1991 America entered into the Persian Gulf War and Elsie's son was sent to fight in the war. It was at this time that the significance of the quilt design came to light. The quilt held hope that her son who was fighting in a war would come home safely. It symbolized everything that is good about America and being Americans. Fighting for freedom, independence and especially for world peace. The meaning of the quilt she made is called "THE BEAUTY OF AMERICA," Her son is home now but the quilt will always hold a special meaning. A time when she too prayed for the safe return of her son and especially how fortunate we are being part of the United States of America.
Elsie Enos has been a quilter with us many years. Her compassion for her family, friends and especially for "things" Hawaiian always leaves me speechless. She always feels things genuinely and wholeheartedly and her quilting is always a reflection of her true beauty.
In the lower part of Nuuanu lived a young girl and her mother. Having lost her father a year after her birth her life was centered around her mother. They lived in a modest home with a lanai and a fairly large yard. While it was a happy home the only view across their narrow street was a beautiful plumeria tree in the middle of a cemetery.
Every Saturday, this nine year old girl would get her basket and run into the cemetery to gather her plumeria blossoms to make leis for her hula school. Her hula school entertained on boat days at the pier where they would dance when the ship landed in the morning and when it sailed out in the afternoon. This little girl couldn't wait for Saturdays because she enjoyed picking the fragrant plumeria blossoms and when she finished picking all her blossoms should would sit under the large tree and sew her leis. When she was done she always saved a few flowers to place on the graves surrounding the tree.
The little girl's mother would watch her daughter pick and sew her flowers from across the street but was always puzzled on how her she could reach the flowers at the top of the tree because a plumeria branch is very weak. When she asked her daughter, her daughter said her friends helped her. They would tell her which branches were weak and which ones were strong enough to hold her. She also said that when she placed her basket down on the ground the flowers at the top would gently float into the basket. Still her mother kept wondering who her daughters friends were.
One Friday while walking home from school the girl noticed the caretakers cleaning the cemetery. This was a familiar sight because the cemetery was always being cleaned. The next day as soon as the sun rose it was the time for the little girl to pick her flowers. She reached for her basket and started out the front door. Soon a loud cry was heard by her mother who thought her daughter had fallen and gotten hurt. "Look," she cried, "the caretakers cut the tree down." Her mother could feel the sadness in her daughters voice. To cheer her up her mother pointed to another tree nearby. "No, she said" that tree was special for me and my friends. I don't want to dance anymore." As the days went by her mother began to notice her daughters withdrawal from everyone and everything that she enjoyed. She remained in her room but appeared only when her mother needed her.
Seeing her little girl's sadness she decided to design and sew a quilt capturing the beauty of the tree that her daughter loved so dearly. While her daughter was at school her mother secretly sewed all day long hoping the quilt would would bring back the happiness and joy in her daughters life. After three months of sewing, the quilt was completed. One day when her daughter returned from school her mother surprised her with a gift. As she unwrapped the paper her eyes glowed with tears that lightened up her face. "The tree! The tree!" she shouted. It's on the quilt. She lovingly kissed her mother and asked if she could show it to her friends.
She took the quilt over the the cemetery and laid it out where the old tree was and looked and all her friends and told them that no one can every take the tree away from them again. Today the plumeria blossom is known as the friendship flower.
Plumeria (Antique Quilt Design), Caroline Correa Quilt Collection
