The women artisans from the world's 7th largest desert Tharparker in Pakistan are part of the world's oldest-surviving quilt making traditions. They make colorful Quilts, Table Runners and hand-embroidered cushions and pillows which are called Ralli Quilt.

Their folk art handmade quilts are popular in the world and are of three types appliqué, patchwork and embroidery. They are also made in the Indian states of Rajisthan and Gujarat.

In Pakistan, Rallis of Province Sindh are very beautiful and colorful. Ralli is a type of quilt made by patchwork. It is also used as bed linen. Ralli is prepared with multicolor pieces of cloth stitched together in attractive designs. Its color combination and unique pattern speak for aesthetic sense of its creator. The designs vary from floral motifs, waves and images of animals and trees. Many handicrafts of great beauty like cushion covers, embroidered shirts, wall hangings and mirror-worked bags are made in Umarkot and Tharparker.

Patricia Stoddard, an Ameraican author, teacher and expert writes about ralli in her book RALLI QUILTS Ralli Quilts are remarkable, very traditional quilts made by women in the areas of Sindh, Pakistan, western India, and in surrounding areas. They are just now gaining international recognition, even though women have been making these quilts for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Ralliquilt.com is dedicated to providing quality information about the tradition of ralli making.

The lives of the people who make the textiles are woven into each piece. The symbols of flowers and animals used in the decoration and colors are imaginative and exotic. Every Ralli Quilt tells a story. It tells of the natural creativity and love of color and design of the women who create them. Every ralli tells the story of the strength of tradition. The basic designs and motifs of rallis have been passed from mother to daughter and woman-to-woman for maybe thousands of years."

Celia Eddy, an English author, teacher of quilts has a deep study about ralli quilts. She has wrote about ralli quilts in her book "QUILTED PLANET". Of ralli quilts, she says that their patterns and colors “embody all the romance and exoticism of the East.” Did you know that in the Indus region of Pakistan, where many rallies are made for dowries to this day, the word ‘ralli’ means to ‘mix’ or ‘connect’. One of the ralli quilts pictured in QP looks like a bar quilt of flying geese, surrounded by a thin Sawtooth border and a wider border of a square-in-a-square on point.

External links

• Ralli Quilts from Asia