I had checked out Kawandi in a few videos a while back - saw no "reason" for it. I still do crumb blocks, which are way easier. However - Thank you Laura-Lynn for opening my eyes. I DID NOT KNOW the tradition of saying a quick little prayer for someone with each block. What a fabulous tradition!!!! It now means sew much more to me. I may apply that to my crumb blocks! You hit it "out of the park" yet once again, LL. We Love you (and your videos). Thank you for a great video.
I truly learned to respect the women who made these Kawandi. They made them either sitting on the ground or squatting, no comfortable sewing chair. Their recycled fabric was precious. Try to google quilt if Siddi. Women of Africa were captured and taken to the India area. A truly inspiring and educational experience to learn.
I have read up on this also. Great idea for a hand sewing project. Think I will make a throw for the back of my chair. Maybe some covers for my kitchen chairs. Love on going projects. Thanks Laura-Lynn.
I have seen quite a few other videos on Kawandi quilting but no one else added or even mentioned the phula. And thank you for explaining they pray while adding pieces.
I've been watching a few videos about this lately and I plan on giving it a go soon. But I am going to do the machine version that Brenda from Mount Scrapmore showed. No hand work for me until I finally get the big stitch done on the medallion quilt. 18 months and counting....
The corner pieces are considered “flowers”. And the purpose is because the tribes who started this said that the piece is not finished w/o them. They traditionally used the families old clothing that could no longer be repaired for use. So it also represented the family.
Thanks, LL, for something new and very interesting. I'm always up for a new way to use scraps and crumbs. So, the unsewn areas are handstitched down after? I can't wait to see your scarf when it is done.
The fula is tradition, the siddi women believe that if uou don't have then ,then the Kawandi is considered naked" not finished " And you need yo feed the Kawandi with grains of rice for prosperity for the family that are gifted the Kawandi,
this was our first Kawandi project but I dont see an issue with what ever fabric you want to use. just adjust for the tension and type of thread for silk.
Hi there, love your tutorial but I have to say ,," you don't leave a thumb size between the thread, the tradition is not to have a finger in between,,,because the beliefs are if your fingers could go between the thread then you could accidentally pull on the thread.... I've done alot of historical searches on the Kawandi