Kawandi quilting

During Covid I discovered many art and textile workshops that opened a new world of inspiration and possibilities to me. I still participate in several of the annual workshops offered. One of the workshop offerings earlier this year was on Kawandi quilting, Kwandi means quilt and the tradition was brought to India by African slaves. Kawandi are made from pieces of old cloth or worn-out clothing. Quilters cut the cloth pieces into small square or rectangular patches of brightly colored cloth usually placed on top of other, larger patches, creating a series of layers in contrasting colors. When the quilters have enough pieces of cloth to make a quilt, they use an appliqué technique to attach the patchwork to a cotton sari as backing for the quilt. They begin at one corner of the sari, working their way around, attaching the patches in place with lines of running stitch until they’ve covered the entire sari. I’ve improvised the technique and have made a few small bags. I really love spending time stitching and thinking and watching to see what the end result will look like. Do some research and watch some YouTube videos and make your own small quilt. It’s so satisfying!