quiltersmuse.com Blog

Textile marked “made in India – 100% cotton”

Last week, I purchased an antique textile from India. It is heavily appliquéd in mostly colors that are not vibrant, but tend toward gray and beige. Elephants and camels are heavily represented, an indication that this piece is not Islamic made. According to one source, “living beings are not usually represented in Islamic Art.”

More than likely, this is a ralli quilt. The name “ralli” is thought to be derivative of the word, “ralannu,” a verb that means to mix, to join, or to connect. A number of name variations for “ralli” exist, and ralli quilts are made in Rajasthan. As is typical of rallis, patchwork (a sawtooth appliqué design) adorns the edge of the piece I bought, and there is embroidery on the back that the maker has made no attempt to hide or disguise. Some of the fabric is Indigo-dyed.

In the book, Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India by Patricia Ormsby Stoddard, page 63 shows a woman in Mirpurkhas who has cut out multiple elephant pieces to appliqué onto a ralli made for commerce. Seeing the elephant appliqués has convinced me that I have a ralli quilt. The tag on the back simply says, “100% cotton, made in India.” It was clearly made for the trade.

Ralli quilts are created in both large and small cities, including places in Sindh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. I have a file about textiles from Pakistan and India on our website.

The International Quilt Study Center will exhibit thirty textiles in a display titled “South Asian Seams: Quilts from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh,” from May through November 2010. The curator of the exhibit is the aforementioned book author. Workshops will be held in conjunction with this exhibit. Check www.quiltstudy.org for more details, as they become available.

I am sure this exhibit will be welcome, as before Stoddard’s book, not a lot has been written on this subject for the general public. For more online information, visit: www.ralliquilt.com

Patricia Lynne Grace Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Today, I stumbled upon some wonderful resources for those of you who love to see Amish Quilts and learn about them. Amish quilts are made by the Amish people of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Holmes County, Ohio; and Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Indiana. By the way, the “A” in Amish is a soft sound like “ah” – just so you know how to pronounce the word correctly.

The first resource I found was a pdf that prints out to 13 pages, “The Collector’s Eye: Amish Quilts from the International Quilt Study Center Collections.” If you have a color printer, you are in for a treat! A great deal of history is provided for you, and major collectors such as Jonathan Holstein, Robert and Ardis James, and Henry Barber add their thoughts in this document.

At the present time, there is an exhibit of Amish quilts at the Textile Museum, 2320 “S” Street NW, Washington, DC, through September 2009. Their hours are 10 – 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; and 1-5 p.m on Sunday.

Yes, everyone loves Amish quilts. I remember when I was studying “History of Quilts,” the question arose as to whether the Amish made any Crazy Quilts. At first thought, the conclusion was “no.” Then, I happened to spot an Amish-made, Crazy Quilt with some orange colors, at the Vermont Quilt Festival, in a special display that year of the Espirit Collection, curated by Julie Silber. In quilt history, one can never say, “never,” with any confidence.

I hope that you enjoy these links. To see more Amish quilts, visit the Quilt Index/American Alliance for the Quilt website, or the International Quilt Study Center’s website.

Here are three novels that were recently celebrated in a newscast seen online. They depict Amish life as told by someone who has studied it intently. Cindy Woodsmall, author, states that the prayer caps of the Amish women mean more to them, perhaps, than wedding rings. Below are links to three of the five books she has written about Amish Life.

Best wishes, as always,

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications