This traditional craft is usually pursued as a leisure-time activity by rural womenfolk working out of their homes. The practice seems to have originated in the household activity of using available scraps of fabric to make a tablecloth or a bedspread. The womenfolk often engaged themselves in stitching pieces into a patchwork design, using a wide range of colour combinations; the product so made was not only utilitarian but also a treasured memento. Gradually, as the craft has developed – due to exposure to trends in foreign countries in related crafts like quilt-making and appliqué work along with patchwork itself- some of these hand-made products have found their way into the market.
A CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE
Formal training is imparted to groups of young women in rural areas in the techniques of patchwork, quilting, embroidery, and other related domestic crafts. The patchwork items have a good market outside the country as well as in some commercial establishments found locally.The craftswomen study market preferences; whatever the product, the aim is to make them of a high-quality and also ensure its suitability to various climates. Patchwork quilts are held as prized possessions. Items made using the patchwork technique include cushion-covers, bedspreads, and table settings crafted to harmonise with furniture and accessories.
Formal training is imparted to groups of young women in rural areas in the techniques of patchwork, quilting, embroidery, and other related domestic crafts. The patchwork items have a good market outside the country as well as in some commercial establishments found locally.The craftswomen study market preferences; whatever the product, the aim is to make them of a high-quality and also ensure its suitability to various climates. Patchwork quilts are held as prized possessions. Items made using the patchwork technique include cushion-covers, bedspreads, and table settings crafted to harmonise with furniture and accessories.
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