Rangeela Australia

India’s westernmost state, created in 1949 formerly known as Rajputana is also one of the most colorful part of India. In spite of sterile land (largely taken up by desert) it is frequently described as ‘colorful’ or ‘vibrant’. Rajasthan encompasses the Aravalli Mountain Range and the Thar (Great Indian) Desert. This makes the terrain inhospitable and the climate cold, especially at night. The people need to cover them at night without a lot of bulk or weight to carry with them during the day. Over time, local quiltmakers developed techniques which created a quilt called razai, that was lightweight, compact, warm and durable, all at once. The families have been carders for generations.

The material of choice for a Jaipuri razai is cotton. The cotton fill of a Jaipuri razai is finely carded to remove all the impurities. Once the cotton is completely carded, the artisans go on to make the quilt. The shell of the comforter can be velvet or silk, but the most common fabric is cotton. Often, the cotton will be decorated in the traditional Indian art of block print before the quilt is put together. Layering the cotton fill on the shell is an important step in making these quilts. The cotton has to be distributed evenly throughout the quilt in order to maintain its comfort and warmth.

Once the fill is carefully layered on the shell, the quilt is stitched together and quilted. In modern times, the stitching around the sides is usually done by machine in order to increase the durability of the quilt. However, even these days, the quilting on the quilt panels themselves is typically done by a hand-held needle. This stitching on the interior of the quilt surface helps to hold the fill in place and adds to the beauty of the quilt.