Purple Edge Sari Tapestry

Sari Patchwork Tapestry
Chetan Ram Joiya
Samelo Ka Tala village, Rajasthan, India


Discovering Sari Patchwork Tapestries
Jennifer Villella, Ten Thousand Villages Buyer


On Rajasthan’s stark, desert horizon rise grand palaces and fortresses built centuries ago by the maharajas. The exotic sights on the country’s western edge remind me what a friend once observed during his travels in India: the more barren the landscape, the brighter the clothing. Here, in Rajasthan, women wear vividly colored saris and as much jewelry as they can afford- bracelets covering their arms from wrist to shoulder, earrings and headdresses.

Saris are often embroidered with geometric designs, flowers and vines to personalize these articles of clothing, and also to indicate skill. When a garment begins to fade or wear out, it is not simply thrown away. The decoration is salvaged and sari fabric recycled. Embroidered pieces are snipped out and patched together with other pieces to create large blankets or wall hangings, which often become heirlooms passed to daughters upon their marriage.

This wall hanging is crafted in the same tradition by Chetan Ram Joiya using traditional Rajasthan hand patchwork and stitching, skills through which he and his family members earn their livelihood.