In the process of being made, our intricately hand-embroidered cotton quilted throws and blankets are touched and nurtured by numerous hands, rendering them exquisite works of functional art.
The pattern on our quilts is first block printed. Artisans in our Sanganer printing studio print the design using a set of intricately carved wooden blocks. The printed bedspreads are then sent to Aloda, a village approximately 130 kms away from Sanganer. There they are hand quilted by a talented group of women whom we have specially chosen to work with. Our quilted throws and bedspreads differ from most other Kantha quilts on the market, which rather than hand printing the pattern, instead simply fashion quilts from pieces of scrap fabric, which is often machine printed.
Kantha is a simple running stitch which originated as an ingenious method of recycling. Women would use it to piece together fragments of old saris so they could be repurposed as quilted throws and blankets. Our handmade quilts consist of a hand block printed, patterned cotton sheet on one side, and a single color cotton sheet on the reverse. This single color sheet serves as a canvas to showcase the quality of the hand embroidery. There is a commonly held standard in all fine embroidery that upholds; that which is hidden is as important as that which is revealed.
Our handmade quilted throws and blankets do not have any cotton batting or filling material sandwiched between the sheets, and are hence considered light to medium weight. They are perfect as summer quilts and stunning as decorative throw blankets to drape over a sofa or any place you want to add a touch of boho, texture and drama.
One of the challenges we are facing is that quilting talent that was once abundant closer to the city is now simply not available. This has required us to venture deeper into the countryside to find groups of women who are able and willing to offer us the quality standards we require.
The quilting process is a communal activity that the ladies typically settle down to in the afternoon once they have tended to their fields and completed all their household chores. Stitched in picturesque, bucolic surroundings there is much laughter and chatting that accompanies these sessions. Given the level of detail and quality we stipulate, each of our quilts typically takes two to three weeks to complete.
Currently we make our handmade quilted bedspread (or “coverlets”) in small quantities, for only a few prints. We hope to extend the collection this year. Every aspect of the process and hand that touches it permeates these gorgeous textiles with a vibrational energy that only something that has been handmade can exude, and we welcome you to make one your own!
Do you have any suggestions or ideas to help us with this launch? We would love to hear from you.
I am going to India including Jaipur, next month and a visit to a block printing studio is one of our visits. Thank you for the information.
Dear Leslie, Bon Voyage! It’s magical how the hand blocked prints come together. If you would like to share pictures from your trip on our blog, I will be happy to work with you on getting the post together!
Love the idea of lightweight coverlets…so useful in California with our weather, and should also do well in the rest of the country, since they have hot summers as well. Red and blue are such traditional colors, and I would encourage you to branch out to others as well. Peach, hot pink and magenta (makes me think of India) turquoise and greens. In your advertising, emphasize how useful these will be in the warm weather.
Would it be practicable to maybe make the quilts in quarters and sew the finished ones together. Might be easier to handle the fabric in smaller pieces. Also you could combine more than one color? Also thinking of colors, even there’s no such thing as too much color for ME, many younger people are sort of into neutral colors, tans, beiges, black….
I’ll keep your project in mind and let you know random thoughts as they occur. Baby quilts???
Love from Nancy–love and success to all of you!!
Beautiful quilts, cloth, and making it all come together. I am always willing to pay a little extra to get your quality products created under favorable work conditions. I have your curtains, tablecloths, shower curtain, pillow covers etc., throughout my apartment. They always garner complementary remarks from those visiting my home. The colors hold up well, even in the sunniest of rooms. Many thanks for all you do.
I so enjoy your products and your website. I love reading your news and really appreciated learning about where and how things are made; it makes me appreciate what I have purchased from Saffron Marigold all the more.