Spring Kawandi 2023

 

Seems like it has been a slow start to this year when it comes to creating new works. I have hardly worked in the studio lately. It has been months since I finished my last quilt. Yet, the way time is passing by, something tells me I am extremely busy. I better sit down and really think about where it really goes. 

Here is the last Kawandi I finished early this year. This one started out as wanting to take a break from my usual palette of colors and needing to work with texture. The choices of fabrics were random because I always want to achieve that scrappy feeling in my quilt. I do have lots of fabric in my stash and I could spend hours curating fabrics for a new quilt. Sadly, most of the time would go into pulling out fabrics and then refolding and putting them back again. 

Who wants to do that? 

So I pulled whatever was in front of me and got it going. Initially I thought I was going to mix solids and prints.  

 

 

But once I started stitching the patches on top, creating contrast with prints alone made more sense. So I added small prints, large prints and everything in between. Some of the fabrics were really easy to stitch through and some were quite thick as I was using shirts and dresses from the goodwill store just because I like some of those prints. After all these years of quilting, I still see some fabrics show up in multiple quilts and I can't seem to get rid of them. I must really love them!

 

 

Here is the shirt from the Goodwill store. I loved that print and wanted to make sure it got perfect spot in the quilt.

 

How about that hot pink? That was a vintage mini dress I picked up in San Francisco Goodwill store. I love the way it pops off of all other prints.

 

 

I am not sure If I am completely sold on a Kawandi with all prints. I spend so much time stitching on them but because of all the prints, the stitching gets lost.

The reality is, no matter what I plan before starting a Kawandi, it really doesn't follow the direction I want to give it. It has mind of its own. I just put one scrap next to the previous one. Is it mindless sewing? I don't think so. If anything, it is pretty mindful. I am engaged in making decisions, enjoy every stitch and the way it evolves. 

When it comes to those last stitches in the center, game time is on! I better be able to stuff all of that quilt in my left hand so I can stitch with the right. It somehow gets done. The last stitch is taken and for the first time I really can see it in its full glory. 

A fascinating process that teaching me so many lessons of life itself. Being in the moment is the biggest one of them all. This one though, I think it told me to take a break from flowers for a while. 

Sujata
 

Back from Two Years of Hiatus

They say you never can go back home. 

I wonder if that is what this is. In my mind, I know that isn't what I am trying to do. Having moved so many times, I have managed to keep the best of the best memories and friends in my heart. having said that, I have certainly let my joy of writing go by the sideways for a while. So, once again, here is an attempt to keep these conversations alive. Two years of absence is a long time. It took me a while to even figure out how to figure out starting a new post. 

There have been tons of ups and downs just like everyone else here and around me have gone through. I welcome them all when I am in the right state of mind. The only thing I have managed to to is continue to stitch, teach and live, which I am thankful for.  

Post cancer life has been a slow recovery. Continue to live with all the possible normalcy has been a challenge but at the same time, if I didn't do that, I would be writing here a very sad story. I rather share the quilting journey as I have done before. 

More importantly, I have come to realize that keeping the journal of my daily, weekly life as an artist is more important here than anywhere else. Slow stitching has become a daily practice, a way of my life. I start other pieced quilts but halfway loose interest and return to stitching. There is something so meditative about this process, it provides me the fuel I need to go through the days.

Here are some of the pictures of past few months in next few posts. Hope it springs me back to designing and making quilts. 

 

A visit to an art exhibit in Mumbai, India  

Things I find inspiring me, stop me on my walks, may show up in future works.

 

 

Excitement of early spring 2023

Meeting my best friends during a small and intimate college reunion.

 

What's on the design wall for quite some time but not moving me from this point. 

Our family has grown! This is us now! Our younger son got married last summer to his partner of five years. Older son and his wife welcomed another son. My husband and I can't keep away from Seattle.     Family is one thing that keeps me happy at any given time, makes me laugh, gives me strength to go through whatever life brings. 

Sujata

Conversations on Quilts from India

 

 It is my lucky week and I want to share my joy with you all.

 

Quilt from The Henry Drewal Collection

Lately my posts here on the blog  have been far and few in between. But I am happy to be sharing any information I can here about the quilting in India. 

There are two online events coming up within a week or so. I highly recommend that you sign up for both. That is if you are into any kind of hand quilting and hand stitching. 

The first event is about the Kantha Revival in Easter India and Bangladesh. What we know as quilter is kantha stitching but most have very little info on what an actual Kantha quilt is. This is a really good opportunity to view the film and join the conversation.  

Kantha of Bangladesh Tickets- $5-10

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kantha-in-bangladesh-from-hidden-corners-to-public-view-registration-140441196399#

 

Here is another event of Siddi Quilts of India. It is a conversation between Dr. Henry Drewal and Dr. Sarah Khan. 

The quilts from their collection are in an exhibit at Cove St. Arts . It will be worth a drive if you are anywhere near Portland, ME.

February 6 - March 27 2021

This exhibition is co-curated by Henry J. Drewal, Evjue-Bascom Professor of African and African Diaspora Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who first saw kawandi while documenting Siddi expressive culture in 2004 and Sarah K. Khan. All of the quilts in the exhibition are by members of the nonprofit Siddi Womens’ Quilting Cooperative, which is keeping this tradition alive and vibrant

You can also sign up for an event on eventbrite  - click on the link below. You may not want o miss this at all.

Soulful Stitching by Siddi's of Karnataka - Tickets  $0-100

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soulful-stitching-a-scholarly-social-practice-tickets-141232412949?aff=ebdssbeac#

I would love to know what you thought after you attend these events.

 

Have a great week!

Sujata

Stories in Stitches - A New Begining

 

 

I was quite certain to be able to offer workshops in the month of January but it took us few weeks to get our footings back in the home. I have spent last three weeks unpacking, arranging and rearranging our belongings. I am sure it is not the end of it all but excited that we have managed to make some progress towards normalcy of life. 

Here is a little peek at my sewing space. There is a lot to organize. I can not wait to get my hands on my stash!

 

Guess what? All the plant babies survived the apartment from late summer to early winter. 

 

 

For me, normalcy in life also means teaching more workshops and I am happy to offer new workshops for Siddi quilt. Please click on the link below to sign up for the class. Once you have registered, you will have the access to the supply list and instructions for light prep work.  

You will also find the link for the zoom meeting for the day of the workshop. 

 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/139558833227

 

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/122139882677

 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/139567499147

 

Feel free to send an email if you have nay questions regarding the workshops. 

Happy Stitching!

Sujata

 

December Workshops for Siddi quilt.

 

Registration for December workshops is now live! Please join me for few hours of mindful, meditative process of  slow-stitch. 

Update - There are only few spots left in Siddi Quilt 107

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stories-in-stitches-siddi-quilt-107-tickets-129643309629

Siddi Quilt 108 is sold out.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stories-in-stitches-siddi-quilt-108-tickets-129645070897

Stories in Stitches - A webinar

A Quilt Story - I Really Want to Tell  

I still remember that day very distinctly. I was at my niece' house in Seattle and walking down the stairs. I had just received an email from Gwen informing me that someone name Kris will contact me and if she asked to teach, I should grab that opportunity. 

That very afternoon, I heard from Kris Cornell of Quilted Strait. The email said, Gwen who had been teaching at Quilted Strait was going to retire and she had suggested my name to be filling the spot to teach at that shop. I remember becoming a puddle with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. 

I picked up the phone and called Gwen in an instance. I knew then and know now, I could never fill her spot and do what she did. But I did end up teaching at Quilted Strait for a couple of times. More importantly I got to meet and come to know the nicest person who owns the most beautiful shop in the northwest.  I was scheduled to teach this very week but that did not happen due to the shutdown. So we have teamed up to do the best thing possible. 

 

 

I have prepared a brand new talk about post Cultural Fusion Quilts and the subject is very important to me. It is the essence of my approach to quilting and why most every quilt I make becomes personal.

On Sunday, October 18 I hope you can join me for an hour of presentation followed by Q/A.

Tickets are available on Quilted Strait website.

https://quiltedstrait.com/

Happy Monday to you all!

Sujata

A Siddi Quilt Workshop

 

 

Month of September has been a mix bag here at the Shah household. In the midst of it all I offered Siddi Quilt workshops. Thanks to all of you who signed up, it was an enjoyable experience. 

Those who missed the workshops, with all your requests via emails and Instagram, I have scheduled two more workshops for the month of October. 

The supply list is on the workshop page.

The time of the workshop reflects Pacific Standard time. You will have to check the time in your zone before selecting the session.

You will receive a zoom invite a week prior to the workshop date.

So excited!

Click on the link and it will take you to the Eventbrite sign up page. 

For Friday, 10/09/2020 Click on the link below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/copy-of-stories-in-stitches-siddi-quilt-104-tickets-122656529983

 

For Saturday 10/10/2020 Click on the link below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stories-in-stitches-siddi-quilt-103-tickets-122148616801

I hope to see you then!

Be well my friends!

Sujata