Spirit of Tivaevae

Documenting the making of my first Cook Islands tivaevae quilt

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  • What is tivaevae?
  • My First Tivaevae
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  • About
  • What is tivaevae?
  • My First Tivaevae
  • Supporters
  • Contact
  • Photos

    New flyers!

    By Melodie Turori / June 30, 2014

    Thanks to Jenny, we passed out a nice stack of our new flyers at Hura Tahiti last weekend!

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  • Photos

    First day of shooting

    By Melodie Turori / September 21, 2013

    My view from our first day of shooting #tivaevaefilm. #documentary #filmmaking Published via Pressgram

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  • Photos

    Taking Tongaroa for a drive

    By Melodie Turori / September 17, 2013

    I picked up a full car load of #CookIslands crafts and artifacts for our #PIFA booth this weekend. Tangaroa had to ride up front. We gave at least two guys on the freeway a reason to smile.…

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  • Photos

    Flyer prep for #PIFA #SanDiego!

    By Melodie Turori / September 14, 2013

    Prepping flyers to hand out at the #PIFA Cook Islands cultural booth next weekend. 7 days from today, ahh! Published via Pressgram

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  • Photos

    Making new friends in Beaumont

    By Melodie Turori / September 5, 2013

    A few of the friends we made at the Beaumont Ho’olau’lea back in June. #pacificislanders #festival #drumming #tbt Published via Pressgram

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  • This tivaevae gown is a collaboration from Mama Tukua Turia and Karen Walker. It went to London Fashion Week at the beginning of the year, now it’s back in Auckland, en route to Te Papa in Wellington. . It was so cool to have an up close look at the dress in person after seeing the pictures online. The stitching is just beautiful! . And the singing and dancing by the mamas? Such a treat!! . #tivaevaefilm #tivaivai #tivaevae #cookislands #pacificislanders #pasifika #pasifikafashion
  • Attention Auckland friends: . I’ll be in town next month (November) and I would love to talk with you about tivaevae! If you or someone you know (maybe even a group of ladies?) would be open to chatting, shoot me a message and we can set something up. :) . Last year I was lucky to meet and do a little workshop with Mama Mii Tupangaia from Wellington. She helped me sort out a stitch I was struggling with and how to hold my hands to sew without an embroidery hoop. 🙌🏽 #tivaevae #tivaivai #auckland
  • When you’ve been sewing for hours and can’t see straight anymore you gotta get close to your stitches. 😂 . Shared a little from the stage and demonstrated tivaevae/tifaifai sewing at the Heiva SD village a couple weekends ago. Meitaki @heivasandiego2018 for having me! . #tivaevaefilm #tifaifai
  • I got a little ahead of myself last week. 😏 Before picking colors or fabric, step 1 was: "What is this tivaevae going to be about??" . I wanted a design that connected the Cook Islands (my father's birthplace), New Zealand (my birthplace), and San Diego (home). My personal pacific triangle, if you will. . I also wanted the pattern to be simple and relatively easy to sew. There's a good chance I'd end up taking an extended break if the sewing became too frustrating. (Know thyself!) . Palm trees linked by the ocean are an elegant, tidy solution to both points! #TivaevaeTuesday
  • Kia Orana! I'm super excited to be back working on this film project AND... my Tivaevae!! 😊 . Yep, it's true. I finally started my own Tivaevae and I'll be sharing the process as I go. . Surprisingly, the most paralyzing part of the process so far has been picking the fabric. I walked into the store with a color scheme...and then I was a puddle of anxiety in front of way too many fabric bolts. . I love neutrals and moody shades, but Tivaevae are traditionally bright. Do I pick this beautiful navy and dark purple? Ooh, or this gray/black combo? Or do I try this orange which is way outside my comfort zone? 😓 . In the end, I think I came up with a good compromise that satisfied both my personal taste and tradition.
  • The pile of postcards we mailed to our awesome contributors. 💜 #TivaevaeFilm
  • One of many Cook Islands flowers that are translated from nature into Tivaevae patterns. #tivaevaefilm #Aitutaki #latergram
  • Tivaevae at the Auckland Museum. #tivaevaefilm
  • You can buy these pre-cut and tacked tivaevae from Ina Bishop. Then all you have to do is the stitching! #tivaevaefilm #quilting

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