CCTMQG member Marcia H. shares information about making a Kawandi
A Kawandi is not about perfection – it is a utility quilt. They are made, working from the outer border in, to the center. The quilts are made by women of the Siddi ethnic group in Western India. They are descendants of early African migrants to South Asia.
Some Notes on how I make a Kawandi
Start about half inch before a corner.
Stitch the first row close to the edge
Each and every row is stitched around the entire piece like a frame.
Finish one row before continuing with the next row.
When stitching, make a backstitch at each corner so the fabric does not pull to the center.
Stitch rows about one quarter to a half inch apart – just eye it – no need to measure.
Your stitches do not need to be perfect.
Your only goal is to cover the previous piece’s raw edge.
Backstitch when adding the next piece of fabric if you feel it’s needed.
When you get to the center of the row, fold your fabric along three edges to help distribute the weight of the fabric.
Fula: Fulas (flowers) are added to each corner. This may be done as you go along, or added at the end.
Fold about a three inch square on the diagonal twice – like a prairie point. Sew the tip of the fula to your kawandi. Leave raw edges on your fula.
Tikli: Tiklis are small pieces of fabric used as a design element. They may be added as you stitch, or later.
Pillar: Pillars are what you might think of as a border. Longer strips of fabric added to the kawandi.
Belly: the belly is the core or center of the kawandi, and that is added last.
Design as you go in the moment as you come to it.
You may choose your fabric ahead of time,but add them improv-ly.
Enjoy the process!
Kawandi website links
https://www.cctmqg.com/s/Kawandi-website-links-version-2.pdf
