I kind of quizzed Anne on Hawaiin quilting during my lessons and she taught me a few things about it that isn't normally shared with paying, tourist, students. Things that she learned from her Aunties, by word of mouth. Things like, don't sit or stand on a quilt. That means no chair pads. I was puzzled, because I'd seen some chair pads of Hawaiian design for sale in several places. Anne hesitantly told me, basically, that those are the equivalent of the made in China quilts that are priced so cheap in places like Sears over here. They aren't authentically Hawaiian, even though they look it. She said that her Aunties taught her the spiritual aspect to quilting - that each quilt we make contains a piece of our soul. Traditional Hawaiians don't use black fabric, don't make placemats or chair pads, and their quilts are buried with them unless willed purposefully to someone.
While I'm not sure of all the details, and want to ask Anne some more questions, like, "what about a bedspread? I sit on my bed. Is that not ok?"
but as far as the big picture goes - if you look at, say, a hug quilt from the Hawaiian perspective, the "magic" of the hug quilt is explained. They are quilts containing loving pieces of many souls, all hoping and praying for the recipient. I think a hug quilt shouldn't be just 'inherited'. It should be passed on with a purpose.
Musicmaker