The story behind the print
Gujarati patchwork
- Origin:
- Kutch and Saurashtra, Gujarat (inspiration)
- Since:
- Generations of village quilt-making
Bright triangles, zigzags, animals and trees on white, inspired by the patchwork and appliqué quilts of Gujarat and Kutch.
In the villages of Kutch and Saurashtra, women have long made quilts and hangings by piecing together small bits of cloth (patchwork) or stitching cut shapes onto a base (appliqué). It began as a thrifty way to give old saris and fabrics a new life, and grew into an art of its own. Museum collections hold Kutch quilts from the early 1900s onwards.
The designs are bold and joyful: squares, triangles, diamonds and zigzags, with simple animals, birds and trees, often in red, black, indigo and mustard on white. The fine running stitches that hold a quilt together became part of the look.
Our Gujri Patch range recreates that patchwork look as a print, with the triangles, folk icons and even the stitch lines printed onto 100% cotton. It is screen printed in Jaipur, not stitched by hand, which keeps it soft, flat and easy to wash. See our Jaipuri screen print story.
