18 July,2026 11:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Rumani Gabhare
Artisans from the Quilted Stories community sort and stitch discarded textile pieces. Pics courtesy/Nivea Shetty
This writer still remembers her grandmother stitching a godhadi - a traditional handmade quilt created by layering old cotton garments such as sarees and dupattas before securing them with rows of small, tight stitches. Made entirely from discarded fabric, each quilt became a personal patchwork blanket, carrying memories woven into every layer and patch.
As quilting and fabric upcycling slowly fade from everyday life, Fabric Mehfil seeks to revive these traditional practices through a collaboration between Mumbai-based initiative Quilted Stories and Thane-based community and performance space, Atrangi Katta. The idea for the workshop emerged from founder Nivea Shetty's work with women in Govandi, where generations of embroidery and quilting skills continue to exist despite limited opportunities to earn from them.
Upcycling of fabric scraps
Explaining the format of the workshop cum event, Shetty explains, "Spread across six interactive stations, the experience encourages participants to explore a range of traditional textile techniques under the guidance of the artisans.
Visitors can personalise fabrics using upcycled fabric scraps and embellishments, create patchwork-style postcards with fabric instead of paint, stitch embroidered patches for jackets, bags or jeans, experiment and learn the art of handcrafted block printing, learn practical mending techniques to repair everyday garments, and collaborate with an artisan at the Dream Stitch Station to transform their own ideas into handcrafted creations."
A decorative jar cover crafted from upcycled cloth
Rather than following the format of a conventional workshop, the sessions have been designed as a hands-on experience, where visitors can interact directly with the artisans and explore each craft at their own pace. Alongside the activities, the event will also feature four fabric-focused vendors showcasing vintage clothing, fabric-bound books, handcrafted textile accessories and products.
Nivea Shetty and Vedanti Shinde
Vedanti Shinde, Atrangi Katta's founder, sums up their intent, "Instead of hosting conventional events, we try to experiment with formats that encourage people to engage with creative practices in different ways. Fabric Mehfil is our first event centred entirely on textiles, and through this collaboration we wanted to create a space where people can interact directly with artisans, understand their work and experience these craft practices through participation."
On July 19; 1 pm
At Atrangi Katta, Kalpataru Industrial Estate Road, Thane West.
Log on to @atrangi.katta
Entry Rs 450
