Kawandi is a unique style of patchwork quilting using recycled saris and fabric scraps created by the Siddi women of India. The Siddis are a Black ethnic minority in India descended from the Bantu people of Southeast Africa who were brought to India in the 17th century on Portuguese slave ships. Almost all Siddis today subsist as agricultural and casual laborers, and as domestic help. The earliest Siddhi settlers who fled Goa and entered the Karnataka forests of North Canara, made the forests their home and started cultivation.
The Siddis of Karnataka are known in recent years for their unique style of quilting called kawandi. Kawandi are assembled by a complicated process of quilting that makes their style distinct from surrounding groups. The process involves taking recycled fabric scraps and arranging them in stylistic geometric patterns, sometimes embedded with religious symbols. Quilts are usually made for family members by older women who can no longer work in the fields, but young women are starting to design and make them for sale.
The non-profit organization Siddis Women Quilting Cooperative (SWQC) was created in 2004 in an effort to provide a source of income to the community and quilt makers. In 2011 an exhibition titled “Soulful Stitching: Patchwork Quilts by Africans (Siddis) in India” was shown in the Museum of the African Diaspora, helping these quilt makers and the community to gain recognition. This is where California quilter Margaret Fabrisio, first encountered kawangis and began her journey to India to discover how they were made. As a result, she introduced Siddi style quilting to the USA. See examples at Fabrizo Gallery.
During this one-day workshop, you will learn basic techniques and complete (or make significant progress) on a 16 x 20 quilt. Note: Making Kawandis is not for every quilter. A sewing machine is not used as Kawandis are pieced together by folding the edges only and assembled with running stitches. However, once you make your first Kawandi, you may find it is addictive!
Instructor Elizabeth Neily
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