Indian quilts at FOQ

Various people mentioned that this quilt is the one thing they'd like to take home from Festival of Quilts this year - it was in the "Banjara: Historic Indian Textiles" display -

Some close-ups of the many layers, worn through by much use -

A godhari from Geeta Khandelwal's slide show -

It's made from sari borders, with the addition of a humble seed bag when the sari fabric ran out. Other quilts shown in her lecture, made in the rural area around Mumbai (Bombay), were available in her display -

The quilts are made for personal use, not sale, and are rooted in religious beliefs and rituals.

Some show an African influence - the population of the area includes descendants of traders from East Africa.

Unusually, quiltmaking starts from the outer edge, with strips being added until the centre is reached. A razor blade is used to cut the strips, and the cut edges are folded under to make the triangles.

Including the name of the child for whom the quilt was made is unusual, and there is often suspicion about going to school in these villages - the main education is to learn the religious texts, orally.

Quilts are washed in the river, and laid on roofs to dry. This is done before and after the monsoon. The monsoon is the most productive time for quiltmaking. Quilts are stored by being hung over rafters.

The quilts are heavy - they are filled with old clothing - sari, dhoti, lunghi.

Quilting is with white thread - white is the only colour available. A cloth thimble is used, and a large needle. The fabric is held in place by stones during sewing, and measurements are based on body parts - for example, quilting lines are spaced one finger apart or two fingers apart.

The black sari is worn on only one day of the year, 14 January - Makar Sankrati, to celebrate the arrival of spring -

At the centre, when the quilt is finished, rice, jaggery and powders (turmeric, kumkum) are sewn into a little pocket, offerings to Anapurna, goddess of food, cooking, and nourishing care. They are left in place when the quilt is washed.