Threads of Thought: Chennai Exhibition Turns Quilting Into Contemporary Art

Quilt India Foundation, in collaboration with Square Inch, which is also India's first quilting studio hosted an exhibition of quilts in Chennai. The theme of this year was 'Reflect.' Many people also participated

in a competition here where they were given an eight-fabric bundle. The challenge here was to make an art quilt on the theme ‘Reflect’ with at least 50% of the surface area being created with the given fabrics. The completed size of the art quilt was to be 20x20.Varsha and Tina, founders of Quit India Foundation said, "We've been bringing the fine art of quilting to both Indian and Global audiences. We have 58 quilts which are part of the challenge. The theme for this year is reflect. People are free to interpret in whatever manner they wish. They are free to use any techniques. A quilt is basically three layers or more of fabric stitched together. It can adorn your walls and galleries."

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One of the participants said that she had attended a workshop with Square Inch earlier and she had her quilt exhibited here. "It's very exciting for me. I enjoyed doing it a lot. I'm a slow stitcher. It took me a while, like a month. But I'm happy with the output," she said.Also Read: The Curious Case of “Mr A”: Maharaja Hari Singh and a Colonial-Era Blackmail Scandal The showcase this year had 58 entries by participants aged between eight and 80. Located in Thiruvanmiyur, the centre is known for its bespoke quilts and its regular quilting workshops. Nidhi, a first time quilter said, "I was inspired by my mom. This is the first time I've actually held a sewing machine and made a quilt. When I heard the theme reflect, the first thing I thought was what I would like to reflect. It's definitely happiness. I love to spread joy. Mine is in fact an interactive quilt. It's movable. It took me about a week and a half to do it. I enjoyed the process of it"Following the four-day exhibition, the quilts will now be taken to other art quilt shows across India and overseas. Visitors can also browse and purchase a variety of quilted products - including bags, laptop cases, tote bags, blankets and table runners.