I had a Koudi quilting workshop for the ladies in the community I lived, in India. At that point I did not have a demo piece as I had donated the only Koudi I had. So I had to make a quilt. Coincidentally my Mom had given me a bag of remnants from my childhood. And that's how this story quilt was born. Every fabric piece in this quilt has been or still is a part of my life.
The boat motif on a sea-green background stands for the community I come from; Seafarers of South India! Our ancestors were pearl divers and fishermen. The fabric used for the boat is from a flower girl dress, my Mom made for me, for my Aunt's wedding. The sail is from my Mom's saree; she is LOVE.
I want to dwell on my aunt a bit; I was six and was her tag along; she got permission to visit her friends if she took me along; she was young and loved to dress trendy; she looked great but she was insecure about her complexion. She loved long baths on weekends; I got dragged into it too. There was lot of scrubbing ...scrub scrub for her and then for me ....like the color would run somehow; she ground fresh turmeric on a coarse stone; and abundantly applied it on herself, then me. I wouldn't remember how long it was but she would emerge out of the bath, fully satisfied with the yellow tinge the turmeric gave her and her tag along. Maybe we would get ready and go somewhere...my memory fails me.
There are pieces in there from skirts my Mom lovingly sewed for me; I wish I appreciated it more than I did.
There's a piece from the first blouse I sewed when in grade nine. My Mom had asked me not to cut the fabric. So I had to cut it and sew it the same day as she had gone out somewhere one whole day.
There's a piece that reminds me of the "mean me"; when my Dad sent sarees from abroad (in-demand in the early 80's), there was two of every type of saree, one for me and one for my sister; the mean me used to pick the ones I wanted first and give her the rest. I have no idea why I did that and why I got away with it. My apologies sister.
There's a piece from my sister's saree, my niece's scarf, my first hand quilt, the first bag I sewed, the workshop participant's remnant stash.
The central red piece is from a blouse I was wearing in the picture sent to my husband's family as picture of prospective bride; our's was a arranged marriage.
There was a unexpected gap between two pieces I thought would overlap; a narrow horizontal gap, which got filled with my daughter's school tie, black with white stripes; and that completed the quilt.
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