NID Open elective 2015
Star, peacock, aeroplane and kites - The craft of 'Katab'
For this open elective of Star Peacock Aeroplane and Kites at National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad) students were invited to experience the craft of ‘Katab’ both as a skill and as a design concept. Each student was paired with a traditional ‘Katab’ artisan and learnt how to make sketches by hand-stitching units of cloth.
The workshop was an opportunity to enhance the understanding of expressing daily life objects as simplified and abstracted motifs/ideas. With appreciation of how stars, peacocks, aeroplanes and kites have evolved in the folk craft of ‘Katab’, the students learnt the traditional skills of folding, cutting and stitching of cloth. As a physical output, each student has a portfolio of textile explorations leading to a focussed theme. An important aspect was scouring for sustainable materials and application of colours.
The old fabric/sarees being used for the layering of the quilts must not have any embellishments.Usually a traditional quilt has 4-5 layers. Different fabrics are mixed and matched into the color palette, and print is used as part of the palette itself. This also helps in optimal usage of the fabric
