LEI KUKUI

Tuesday, September 12, 2017 Filed in: Hawaiian Quilt

Candlenut Tree

Kukui trees in Hawaii are recognized by their dusty green, tri-lobed leaves. These trees can grow to heights of 80 feet, providing more than shade. Its bark, leaves, flowers and nuts are used for a variety of medicinal and practical applications.

Kukui nuts are rather large, similar to walnuts. In ancient times, Hawaiians used the nuts as candles, because of their high oil content, or they extracted the oil to burn in stone-basin lamps. Before electricity, any source of light at night would have been appreciated. So these little nuts served an important purpose, and the tree came to be known as the candlenut tree.

The tree had both practical and ornamental uses, extracts from the bark and nuts were used to paint kapa (a type of cloth made by Hawaiians); soot from burned nuts was used as a black dye for tattooing; the leaves, flowers and nuts were, and still are, strung into leis for personal adornment. A lei can also be made from mature, highly polished nuts.

Our bed quilt pattern, Lei Kukui, depicts the leaves, nuts, and little white, five petal flowers of the tree in a traditional arrangement with a center medallion and kukui nut lei border.

You get an unexpected bonus with our Lei Kukui: three patterns in one.

Use the center medallion without the border to make a quilt that would be approximately 52" square. This is a great option if you are making a single-bed quilt, or need a larger wall hanging.
Or, are you looking for a unique border to enhance another quilt you are piecing or appliqueing? Using the Lei Kukui border around another quilt could be just the look you need, and would increase the size of your quilt to approximately 84".
Included also, is a companion 21" block, or pillow pattern! Add this block to our other block patterns for your pohopoho* quilt, or turn it on point and you have a 30" wall-hanging. Lots of options!