Textile Tour to India

The day is almost here!

Tomorrow I get on the plane to visit my mom and then off to an adventure of a lifetime with Amy Butler.

Back Story -

I met Amy and David Butler at Houston Fall Market in 2014.
I shared my book and quilts, we talked for a while.
I met up with her again that evening... Few of her pals were also there.

After a picture or two she said, "After meeting you we have been thinking all day of may be traveling to India."

To which I responded, "Seriously? Can I go with you?"

Amy asked, "Really? Would you consider coming with us? We'd love that!"

In my head of course I was saying, "This is not happening.. Someone please pinch me!"

Few days later, when I came home from Houston, I had a note from Amy in my inbox about planning our trip together. I knew she was as sincere to go on this trip as me wanting to visit my mom. 
 
We have spent many months planing for upcoming two weeks in India. Two of us are traveling to Jaipur, Rajasthan and Kutch, Gujarat for an unforgettable experience. We will be exploring the palaces and markets, forts and mud huts, folk artists and museums, meet ralli quilters and embroidery artists, block printers to learn from the best. All to plan out a textile tour for early 2017.

Last year's visit to India is still fresh in my head. I am thrilled to be going home again.

Those of you who have been asking about a possible tour to India, Stay tuned!

Follow us if you will on this colorful journey. I will be posting pictures on this blog, on instagram @therootconnection and on fb www.facebook.com/TheRootConnection

Sujata

A little bit of India

I thought a week and half in Seattle had faded away most of my memories of India. But then yesterday I transferred my pictures into the computer!  The trip was an incredible learning experience on many levels.

Most encouraging part of the trip - Seeing quilts in person which validated my point of view in the book and meeting with the people who make them.

I had the opportunity to meet with a family who earns their living making quilts. Families of three brothers living in one farmhouse.

Farmhouses in the region of kutch, Gujarat are clusters of one-room mud-huts with a large open courtyard in the center. People were so warm, they smiled ear to ear! They were happy to show off their homes and offer us food fresh from the wood-burning stoves, also made with mud!

Here is the picture of a quilt made for personal use. It is finished with thousands of little stitches, made with most humble fabrics - The fabrics most quilters in the west would probably think are not worth the time. 

But for the villagers in Gujarat, India it is an absolute necessity. Desert cold can be brutal. Wood burning stoves and fire pits are the only source of heat for most of the rural homes. Each member of the family must have quilts to sleep on and cover themselves with.

If the thin sari fabric wears out at some point in time, there is always a plan B!

Patch it up and make it part of the quilt. New layers of  thin saris are added as old layers wear out and quilts get heavier with time.

The reality is, they make beautiful quilts with the mix of new and old fabrics. To improvise is not a style, it is a way of living. They must use the fabrics they have for personal quilts and purchase new fabrics for quilts worthy of consumer markets all over the world to earn the living. As beautiful as that indigo quilt is, I was sadden by the fact that the quilt looked perfect! Perfect in placement of fabrics, colors and stitching.. One look at it and I was done seeing the whole quilt!

As far as future of quilting in India goes, conversations with quilt making community were a mix bag of happy and sad.  I must write all that down before I forget.

I so badly wanted to buy one of their quilts and bring it home. I asked if they would sell one to me.. The one with all the mistakes and imperfections, one I could use as my inspiration board forever!

The answer will surprise you.. A flat out "NO" with tremendous pride!

The explanation was simple - Quilts for their personal use were either given to them as wedding gifts or were made for future events like wedding in the family or birth of the child. A 65 years old woman showed me the quilt she had brought with her when she wedded her husband.

They showed us stacks of personal quilts neatly folded and stored under a large sheet. They were for the relatives and guests who often visit from other villages. To keep them warm, to show their respect and to show off their artistry.

The real truth for not selling the quilts, this woman explained, "Our ancestors said to never sell Godharis."  

I came away with a beautiful experience. During our seven hours' car ride to the city, all I could think about was when will I return next.

Three hours with them were just not enough, but they gave me a lot to ponder over.

Sujata 

By the way, if you missed my earlier post, I will be lecturing and teaching at MAQ this summer. Click on the link below for more information.
http://therootconnection.blogspot.com/2015/03/mid-appalachian-quilt-conference.html