Rilli: What Small Pieces of Cloth Can Become
Lay a few pieces of cloth beside one another and their relationship begins to change them. A colour becomes stronger against another. A small shape creates a rhythm. Joining the pieces turns an arrangement into a textile.
Rilli works through those relationships. Associated with making traditions in Sindh and surrounding areas, it brings cutting, arranging and stitching together in a language we continue to explore at SHEWORKS.
Understand the construction
We are interested in how the textile is built, as well as how it looks. The joins, the repetition and the balance between pieces all carry decisions made by the person working with them.
Researching Rilli brings us back to scale. How does a composition change when it becomes smaller? How much patchwork can a garment carry? What happens when it sits beside a quieter handloom textile?
The same questions follow us into the home. A cushion, a throw or another textile object gives the craft a different setting, with its own demands on proportion and use.
Take the material seriously
Patchwork can be expressive without needing more detail around it. Often the most useful design decision is to simplify the setting and let the joined cloth remain visible.
Rilli also helps us look differently at material. Cutting, arranging and joining can give pieces a new purpose. The value comes from understanding what they can become together.
That lesson travels across our studio. Before beginning with something new, it is worth looking carefully at the cloth already in our hands.
Explore our Rilli collection and read about Katran and fabric remnants.