Tīvaevae are quilts made by women throughout eastern Polynesia, from the Cook Islands to the Society Islands and Hawai‘i. Such quilt-making was probably introduced by missionary wives sometime in the nineteenth century. Tīvaevae are used domestically to decorate beds and furniture, but their more significant use is as gifts at haircutting ceremonies and weddings.
Making tīvaevae involves two main sewing techniques: patchwork and appliqué. This example, known as a tīvaevae tātaura, uses a particularly elaborate form of appliqué that incorporates several different stitches. It was designed and cut by Vaine Ngaro, president of the Cannons Creek Vainetine (women’s group) in Porirua, and sewn by the group.
Blossoms of the New Beginning, 2001, tīvaevae tātaura (decorated quilt) cloth by Vaine Ngaro and others, purchased 2001 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds