The Queen’s Quilt

Submitted by Linda G (after a trip to Hawaii).

Have you ever traveled and discovered an unexpected little gem? This delightfully happened to me with an impromptu visit to Iolani Palace in Honolulu.   And the delight was in discovering “The Queen’s Quilt” displayed in the room where Queen Lili’uokalani was held prisoner. Intriguing story?

Here’s a brief history of the events that resulted in the making of a beautiful piece of history and art.  In 1893, Queen Lili’uokalani sought to reinstate the rights of the “sovereign” and the “people” that had been stripped by the 1887 Bayonet Constitution.  In response, a small group of white men planned to overthrow the Hawaiian government and secure annexation of Hawaii once wrestled away from the native hands.  American marines landed and in 1893, a Provisional Government was proclaimed legal.  In 1895, a counter revolt occurred and several people were imprisoned for treason.  Queen Lili’uokalani was among those arrested.  She was sentenced to a $5000 fine and 5 years of “hard labor”.

Instead of hard labor, she was confined to one room in the palace; the very room her “Queen’s Quilt” is now safely displayed.  She spent nearly 8 months in the room with darkened windows so she could not interact with her people.  She had two companions–one friend on Monday through Friday, and another friend on Saturday and Sunday.

With her two companions, she passed her imprisonment time stitching the most unusual form of Hawaiian history.  The embroidery and applique blocks hold messages that spell out the hopes and dreams that Queen Lili’uokalani had for her people.  “Imprisoned at Iolani Palace…we began this quilt there.”

The quilt is a nine-block format with narrow sashing and border bringing order to the busyness of the crazy patch blocks.  The richly colored silk fabrics and ribbons are thought to have come from the Queen’s own wardrobe.  Multicolored silk threads embellish and add information and political statements.  The Kalakaua coat of arms is surrounded and framed by crossed Hawaiian flags.  Queen Lili’uokalani wrote in her diary “…we were occupied in sewing fancy work….so the day goes by quickly enough…”

The quilt measures 95 by 97 inches.  The quilt required stabilization because of the age of the silks.  To stabilize, the quilt underwent an addition of sheer woven polyester and “thermofixation”.  The stabilization was so successful that is is nearly invisible.

What does the Queen’s Quilt mean? It bears messages of success and defeat, intangible messages of friendship and support, and symbols of hope for the future.  It has survived nearly 130 years.  Wouldn’t we all want our quilts to have such longevity of support and hope to others?

Reference: “The Queen’s Quilt”, Fourth printing, 2017, Friends of Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Linda was not allowed to take photos of the quilt.  But you can see it by clicking the button below.  And if you click on the box in the bottom left-hand corner of the image, it will enlarge.  Enjoy!

Have you seen the quilt?  What did you think?  Let us know in the comments below.