The art of Quilt making

Quilts and other cloth-based narrative art are part of many cultures. Made by hand -- often collaboratively -- using familiar materials such as scraps of clothing, quilts are both personal and communal objects. Quilting continues to be largely a home-based form of women's artistic expression.

They also tell a story about their creators and about the historical and cultural context of their creation through the choices made in design, material, and content. The stories that reflect the lives of the people who create them and that record the cultural history of a particular place and time.

In Uttara Karnataka  region in each house you find women making quilts for the monsoon season. After the day’s work, sitting on the verandah, the women settle down to work on their quilts. The sari will serve as a backing for the pattern created from pieces of used clothing, lovingly gathered from family and friends.

These utilitarian efforts have a visual strength one sees in the most sophisticated works of art. Bold and complex, the quilts present a geometry that transcends the decorative. These quilts show that the extraordinary can be found in the simplest of domestic endeavors.

To gift a quilt, sewn with old clothes of the family, for the daughter who gets married, often carries fond memories of the maternal home.

3 days Workshop on: The Art of Quilt making

Nirmalkka from BuDa folklore stitches quilts. Her needlecraft shows a remarkable expertise and originality. She will be sharing the techniques and patterns involved in the process of stitching a quilt. It is an opportunity to work under the guidance of a traditional quilt maker.

The details are given below. Do come if you are interested and do pass it around as well.

Date: April 2nd , 2011 to April 4th , 2011.

Time: 10-00 am - 5-00pm (Lunch break: 12-30 to 1-30)

Venue:  Vakil Gardens, Kanakpura Road, Bangalore
Email: folkloreindia@gmail.com
Last date to enroll :  30th March 2011

Pl Note: Participants will learn the traditional patch making stitches. Please bring old cotton cloths and (preferably bright colors). Kindly bring your lunch pack.