Appliqué and Patchwork
The use of appliqué and patchwork techniques together was traditionally a method of recycling old fabrics to make new fabrics. Very often these pieces use a range of printed and woven fabrics not found in other forms, they are the remaining record of materials made in the years prior to the piece being made.
Appliqué is the addition of fabrics or embroidered pieces to a background fabric. Appliqué pieces are often cut directly from the cloth, the edges turned under the slip stitched into the background fabric. The techniques are mainly used in the region of Patan in Gujarat where 6,200 of STFC’s artisans reside.
The method of folding the fabric and cutting away is similar to that used to make cut paper designs. The fabric is folded, then shapes are cut away or the fabric is cut into. When the fabric is opened up and slip-stitched onto the background, the shapes are enlarged. The outer edge, the width of the band or size of the motif is then reduced with the slip-stitching. |