Rotate and Repeat

"I consider myself a farmer of patterns." -Alexander Gorlizki

Design training is a critical component of Anchal's program. This year we focused our curriculum on the possibilities of pattern. A pattern can be described as a shape or form repeated. The artisans learned that shapes form patterns in everyday life such as flooring tile or designs on a sari. These simple principles of repeating a shape can be applied to quilt designs generated by the artisans' ingenuity.

"Naturally, patterns emerge through repetition, and repetition yields up a type of discovery that reveals everything about itself, especially its sorry limits." -Jan Peacock

The exercise consisted of cut out shapes: a rectangle, diamond, and triangle. Each artisan made their own design by repeating the shape and again by working with a friend to combine their shapes. It was quite a beautiful process watching the women instinctively create a pattern with their own set of rules. Some are more strict than others, but all depict creative confidence and promising design elements for future product designs.