Women of Barmer

The Social Work Research Centre of Dhanau, a small village in the Barmer district of western Rajasthan, works with 300 women artisans who earn income from their needlework.

Barmer Applique

Barmer applique was traditionally sewn on bedspreads of black or brown bases. Motifs were almost entirely inspired by nature: trees, leaves, flowers and animals. Women in six villages in Rajasthan produce these appliques. An elaborate bedspread may take nearly a month to complete.

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Visit the Artisans

Tilonia, a small village in the desert regions of Rajasthan, India, is home of the Barefoot College. For more than 35 years, the College has worked to improve the lives of the rural poor by addressing basic needs for water, electricity, housing, health, education and income. Tilonia helps these rural artisans to market their products in India and around the world. With new markets for their crafts, their livelihood is improved and the production of the traditional crafts is continued.

The Tilonia Home collection of home textiles features a variety of decorative pillows, bedspreads, quilts and duvet covers suitable for contemporary decorative styles while still reflective of Indian craft traditions. Tilonia Home brings the color and spice of India to your home.

The Tilonia Artisan collection of gifts and accessories offers handcrafted scarves and shawls, appliqued and quilted bags, handmade paper books, and colorful decorative items for the home. From the deserts of Rajasthan to the mountains of the Himalayas, Tilonia Artisan spans the cultures and traditions of India.

Friends of Tilonia, Inc. is a US-based, tax-exempt 501(c)3 non-profit organization which helps support the rural development programs of the Barefoot College and its charitable affiliates in India.


		Barmer applique was traditionally sewn on bedspreads of black or brown bases. Motifs were almost entirely inspired by nature: trees, leaves, flowers and animals. Women in six villages in Rajasthan produce these appliques. An elaborate bedspread may take nearly a month to complete. Tilonia applique, the style of applique taught to women by the Barefoot College, uses designs adapted from mandanas which are traditional patterns on floors in Rajasthan. Abstract motifs are cut from fabrics and then stitched onto the base.






		The villages of Bagru and Sanganer are well known in Rajasthan for their blockprinted fabrics. Over 200 families in Bagru produce blockprinted fabric. Traditional dyes are vegetable-based and produce red, black and indigo patterns on unbleached cotton fabric. More recently AZO free chemical dyes have been used to produce a wider range of color. Blockprinted fabrics are used to make a range of Tilonia home furnishings, kitchen and beach gear. They can also be ordered by the yard for your own sewing projects.


		Embroidery is traditionally a skill of the women of the Sind area in Pakistan, but is now found in Barmer, Kutch and parts of Bikaner. Elaborately embroidered items were given to a girl at the time of her marriage. Each of her blouses (kanchili) was embroidered by her mother. The Barefoot College, began working in the Barmer district in 1988 in an attempt to pay fair wages, develop new designs and preserve the craft. Today, the College helps market the embroidery of 150 women.


		The Tilonia chair originates in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The traditional design was streamlined and enhanced with an embroidered leather back by Tilonia in 1982. Local carpenters were trained to produce the chair and the side tables in sheesham and babool wood. Traditional peedas, or stools, are also made in Tilonia with either embroidered leather or woven seats. Furniture is available only to wholesale buyers due to shipping requirements.


		Weaving was traditionally a scheduled cast occupation restricted to a community called Balais or Meghwals. These communities used pit looms that produced a 24" width fabric. Handlooms were introduced as they produced fabric wider than than the pit looms, and thus were more efficient. With the change in looms, people from all communities became weavers as the caste associations of pitloom weaving were removed. There is also a group of Rajput women from the village of Kada who have broken tradition to learn how to weave. The weavers produce the fabric used for applique and blockprinting.


		Avani is a voluntary organization based in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas in northern India. Avani provides employment and educational opportunities to over 400 artisans in these remote mountain villages. The artisans use wild silk, Tibetan sheep wool and natural dyes to produce elegant, handloomed Avani textiles. Visit Avani on YouTube > Avani Philosophy >