Story to Quilt.

As many of you know I went to India with my Sister Jan and friend Luana  in September.
Its hard to put into the words how exciting, emotional and enjoyable the trip was. Every day was packed with new surprises.
The colors took my breath away. 
The hustle and bustle of the city, the honking horns, and people going in every direction was exciting.
We saw women carting bricks, milking the buffalos at 5 am, splitting rocks, carting sand and just being beautiful, all wearing their bright  saris.
The men wore colored garments and turbans. The buildings, boats and textiles were painted with colour in mind.
We drove hundreds of miles through villages and cities. There are a mirriad  of stories  behind the doors of the shops and houses and buildings we passed.
On one occasion we were stopped in a traffic jam and I just put the camera out the window of the car to shoot a few photos.
This man wanted me to buy some of his pottery. He was sitting outside his turquoise painted house making pots from clay.
Next to him were a group of women shoveling sand to make the clay. They were loading it into bags slung low on the back of a donkey.
If you look carefully you can see an old quilt under the donkeys side bags. 
The women were elegant in their Saris despite the hard manual labor, I just don’t know how they do it. I can’t imagine how hard difficult life is. We are so priveledged.
The man approached us and asked us to buy some of his pottery and as he did so, the people  surrounding him looked up at us expectantly. It was just one of those moments.
Everyone in India wants to have their photo taken, but struck by this scene I offered to buy some of his pots if I could take his photo.
That short encounter (not more than a few minutes) are now imortalised  in thread and fabric. 

5 Comments Add yours

  1. Wendy in Kennewick says:

    You have really captured his glistening eyes. The way his eyes reflect the background colors make it appear that you can see his thoughts or imagine his history. Beautifully done!

    1. Pam says:

      Wendy, thanks. The quilt met all my expectations. I didn’t add anything else to it, nor did I do fancy quilting, I jut want his presence to stand alone

  2. Karen Rips says:

    Pam, I have followed your travels jealously and I’m wondering if you used a travel agency, or you planned the trips out yourself. I am planning a trip to India next year and would love some input

    1. pam says:

      Yes, I used a tour company and designed our own tour through them. if you email me off line I will give you the info.

  3. Brinda says:

    Hi Pam. I came across your website while looking for quilting classes in Bangkok. The site says you visit bangkok. I live in India but am here for 3 months visiting my daughter who is having her baby. Your thread painting is stunning. Do you run classes in Bangkok? Would love to attend

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