Pakistan, Meghwar tribal village, Tharparker desert, Sindh. 

Completely hand-stitched cotton patchwork ralli quilt hanging / bedcover / throw made by a Meghwar tribal woman in a remote mud-hut village about 10 hours drives from Karachi. 

Deep purple and white graphic design using squares, triangles and strips to create a tribal art piece. Lime green retro style cotton print backing. Three bright handmade cotton tassels at each corner. Light pure cotton wadding. 132x265cm

The Meghwar villages of Tharparker (That desert) in Sindh province are located in one of the most remote regions of Pakistan. The huts are round and made of mud with thatched rooves and are located in clusters surrounded by walls - each is a family compound and many compounds cluster together into a village. The huts have compressed mud/dung floors that had been polished into a very hard, cement like consistency. There is no electricity and water is collected from a well. I was told the well water is quite polluted now and only villagers can drink it without bring sick. The Meghwar women, although Hindu, practice PURDAH which is a Muslim rule where women are not allowed out of their villages ever. The men must shop at the nearby town or hawkers come to the village to sell fabrics, threads and food. It is a wonderful thing to see the bright, exquisite quilts these women make. they have patterns in their head and cut the fabrics without paper patterns or any instructions. When I traveled to this region the women massaged my calves when I arrived as they knew I had come a long way. We walked a track through the sandhills to the walled village. Embroidery and quilt -making by the Meghwar women of Pakistan and India are said to be some of the best in the world.