The Tapa Story

Someone asked me to tell the story of how the Tapa quilt came to be.
Don't worry, it is a pretty short story! My parents lived in Hawaii for
20 years. Really, their hearts are still there. My Dad is a painter. He
paints in the Primitive South Pacific style, which he may have pioneered!
They collect Hawaiiana. Hawaiian art work, historical documents,
objects, books, etc. Here are a FEW of his many paintings.
(Notice the tapa in this one.)

He came home with a piece of tapa a few years ago and put it on his
office wall. He bought a book all about tapa (as a reference for painting.)
It seemed he was really into this new topic. So when I took the book
home to look at it,(he insisted. Tapa knowledge is a must you know!)
It struck me that I could definitely make a quilt from one of
these patterns. So I told him I was going to make him one and
double checked to make sure he liked the one I chose. He did, but he
wanted turtles on it instead of those spidery palm fronds (see earlier post).
So I took a turtle picture they had (of course) and used it as the template.
I designed the pattern and away I went on a new quilting adventure: Appliqué!
I fussy cut all the diagonal strips across the field and they and the turtles are
appliquéd. It was an awesome experience watching it come together.
I really cannot believe that I did it.
I have had it for three years, and it is finally done!

Love, Moorea