Patricia Stoddard and Ralli Quilts
We met Patricia Stoddard during the European, Patchwork Meeting where she was presenting an exhibition of her “Ralli” quilts.
Patricia: has a background in academics, teaching and humanitarian service. She has a Ph.D. in family ecology and international development. She has lectured and taught both nationally and internationally on ralli quilts. Her first objective in promoting the Pakistani quilts was to research and document the art of ralli making. The result was her book called “Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles form Pakistan and India”,( published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 0-7643-1697-4). still the only book on rallis. The second objective was to raise awareness of ralli quilts through exhibits, markets and museum displays. The third objective was to help local cooperatives of women continue in their ralli making tradition and earn money for their families.
Sewn:
When you followed your husband to Pakistan, how long did you stay?
Patricia:
My husband was the Defense Attaché with the US Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan from 1996 to 2000. I was there between 1996 to 1998. (Family dependents were evacuated in 1998 due to security issues.)
Sewn:
What made you go to remote villages and discover their way of life and also their textiles?
Patricia:
I first discovered a few ralli quilts in some local handicrafts shops in Islamabad just a few weeks after we arrived. I was immediately “taken” by them and was very curious about who made them, where they were made, etc. The first ones I saw reminded me of the Amish quilts I knew from the US. I asked many questions of the shopkeepers. They only had a few quilts because visitors did not buy them. I asked questions about the makers, regions, patterns, etc. I also asked if they had any books and found out that no one had yet done any major research on the rallis. I collected all the information I could from the people, folk museums, and friends around Islamabad. When I had gotten all the information I could from those sources, I planned some trips to the Sindh province in Pakistan and also Gujarat, India where they make rallis also. We visited some wonderful quilters in many villages. (I ended up writing a book on the rallis from all I learned, published in 2003.)
Sewn:
Was it secure to travel then and when was it?
Patricia:
I traveled in 1997 and 1998. To travel to the remote villages in Sindh, we needed a protective escort, due to the fact that there were few outsiders that traveled in that area. (One of the big dangers was robbery at that time.)
Sewn:
How you managed to get also old textiles?
Patricia:
In the beginning, I collected whatever I could get. When the shop owners learned I was interested in rallis, they went out to buy them for me. Traditionally, rallis were made only for family use. Families sold some that were older, extra ones, or ones they felt they could part with. Later, I was able to buy some directly from the villages I visited and I was also given some by friends. I continue to collect from contacts in Pakistan.
Sewn:
Were you already collecting textiles from elsewhere or was this your first attempt?
Patricia:
For years I had traveled around the world and had collected examples of textiles wherever I went. Among others, I had embroidery from Guatemala, weaving from Bolivia, and silk from China. However, this was the first time I set out to make a collection of a specific kind of textile.
Sewn:
Now you are back, do you keep contacts there and how your get new pieces?
Patricia:
I have many contacts who live in Pakistan. Email and Internet are wonderful tools to keep in touch and find out about rallis that come available to buy. I also support a cooperative of women quilters, Lila Handicrafts in the Thar Desert of Sindh, Pakistan where over 50 quilters make rallis to earn money for their families, particularly schooling for their children, and we communicate by email at least once a week
Patricia hopes that in the future, more cooperatives can be started in different communities so the many variations of ralli design and tradition can be fostered.
You may visit Lila Handicrafts’ website www.ralliquilt.com.pk as well as Patricia’s website www.ralliquilt.com for information or to order her book directly.