made in hawaii 2007 - keiki edition

oops, procrastination got the best of me yesterday so my apologies for being a day late with a few keiki finds from this weekend's made in hawaii festival.

i first learned about sweet island baby earlier in the summer via the baby awearness blog. christina, sib's owner, is a stay-at-home mom from kailua who has been making mei tai baby carriers since 2004. fanciful patterns from amy butler (one of my favorite textile designers) brighten up carriers and baby accessories like burping cloths and nursing covers. 

no worries if you can't make it to the show since you can shop online or drop by one of sweet island baby's island stockists.

okay, so stamping isn't just for kids any more. crafty keiki and grownups will no doubt be in stamping nirvana when they arrive at rubber stamp plantation's booth. in addition to island themed stamps, the company designs temporary polynesian tataus (birthday party swag, anyone?) and vintage hawaiian stickers to adorn secret notes to your bff.

next up: foodie finds

the hawaiian quilt reborn

tapa

recently, h|h reader erin sent over one of the best tips ever about the modern hawaiian quilts designed by a member of her hula halau in san francisco. since this has been one of the more elusive items on my wishlist, my curiosity was piqued and with one click i discovered quilts created in the tradition of old hawaii but with a truly modern sensibility.

designer michael pechinski introduced kapa mua, his island style modern bedding collection, back in 2005. his work reinterprets the traditional symbols of oceania like tapa cloth, tattoo designs, even the iconic feather cape worn by the ali'i, and distills them into fresh designs perfect for the modern day home.

pu

'ahu 'ula

if you want to wrap yourself in a kapa mua design, just know that quilts are made to order which allows you to mix and match fabrics to work with your budget and space. the end result is a piece of textile art that is both an homage to our island culture and will be treasured in your home for generations to come.

take a peek at kapa mua's ha collection here.

{mahalo erin!}

summertime show & tell

it's no surprise that summer is high time for hawaiian style as evidenced by the the many, many catalogs arriving in the post. i confess to being a former kitschy hawaiiana lover (reborn to adore all things modern, natch), still most anything vintage, or barkcloth, or, well, could be found at bailey's still catches my eye.

exhibit 1 - hidden in the soft surroundings catalog, retro fabulousness in the form of embellished south seas pillows and, to pamper man's best friend, the oh so tropical leilani dog bed.

exhibit 2 - something about the quaint floral patterns found on the cabana quilts (with matching pillow covers) at garnet hill reminds me of the lightweight blankets that were draped over my aunty's bed back in the day.

exhibit 3 - and, finally, if nosy neighbors prevent you from enjoying your outdoor space, why not create some much needed privacy with grandin road's teak window shades that harken back to a more genteel time.

ink & paper navigation

honolulu, circa 1934

i have been enamored with the idea of decorating my space with vintage maps ever since spying the idea in more than a few shelter magazines. an enlarged copy would serve a dual purpose - filling up the blank wall in the living room and acting as a sort of touchstone to home from across the pacific.

so it seemed like serendipity to discover lahaina printsellers, just days after reading yet another feature about decorating with maps, while flipping through the pages of hawaiian style magazine. the maui company got its start selling antique maps from the days when cartographers, not google maps, helped people find their way around the world.

now that the prices of antique maps have skyrocketed, they also trade in reproductions of vintage maps of the hawaiian islands (some dating back to the 18th century) for those of us who have better ways to spend $30k.

if you fancy yourself a map to call your own, take a peek at the online inventory which is stocked with maps of the hawaiian chain created upon its "discovery", detailed island survey maps from the days of king kalakaua, even colorful fun maps for tourists who would have arrived by steamer.

when on maui, stop by one of their galleries to soak up the old school world of cartography in person.

little dragon girls

a few years ago, the three friends who started little dragon girls decided the time was right for a collection to empower asian-american girls. their inspired idea was to flip the western stereotype of the dragon lady on its head and redefine it for a younger generation.

take the iconic dragon, ditch the tired imagery of the exotic seductress with an opium pipe, add a shot of style with a dash of sass, mix with a message to inspire modern day girls, shake and enjoy!

the company, which is split between hawaii and l.a., started out selling baby tees emblazoned with the ldg manifesto at local craft fairs, and the response was so good that they eventually expanded their line to cheeky stationary, a keiki collection for the littlest dragon girls, and have even more goodness planned for the future.

take a peek at the full line on their website however, for now, orders are old school and must be sent in by snail mail. island stockists include shirokiya as well as ecosystems at kahala mall.