Growing up in Texas, on an easy day, the sun is out, there's a light breeze, birds singing and there would almost always be something cooking inside on the stove. There was nothing like kicking your feet up, eating freshly cut watermelon while watching the adults put laundry on the line to dry out back.
One thing that almost always appeared on every line, at every home, were the handmade patchwork quilts, they were essentially woven into the core memories of my childhood. They carried stories, filled a need and brought comfort from one generation to the next.
Our family quilt-maker was great-great-Aunt Sanai. She spent countless hours hand-stitching quilts for every household in our family, creating beautiful heirlooms that connected us through her artistry and personal taste.
In the days of “Waste not, want not”, the ability to create something from nothing was not simply a gift but an artistry of survival. The idea of buying and pairing fabrics year-round, creating beautiful functional works of art. Her work was rooted in culture, love and necessity, ensuring that her family not only had protection from the elements, but shared one common theme that kept us bonded us all together as a family...her quilts. Over the years, that tradition along with the quilts, have quietly withered and faded away, but the memories attached still remain.
Instead of losing tradition altogether, why not reimagine the beauty of Southern patchwork quilting in a modern way? Taking note of the times, it is understandable that traditional quilt ties were made with a single yarn, in order to preserve resources. As the tradition continues and resources are plentiful, note the elevation to a 4-yarn hand-braided quilt tie, a subtle, yet fashionable progression.
Over the years, that tradition along with the quilts, quietly withered and faded away, but the memories attached to them still remain. The idea of losing this tradition forever feels like a personal invitation to carry a piece of that culture forward, to create a modern day heirloom for generations to come, an opportunity to return to grass roots.
As this project is very close to my heart, I would like to welcome you to come along and watch the moment (full length video) unfold from beginning to end:
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO
Experience the Sanai Kaftan in motion from start to finish
WATCH THE BACKSTORY
Watch the moment that sparked it all.
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