Cool, lightweight quilts with gorgeous prints.
There's nothing we love more than our Indian quilts - a delight to look at and wonderful to sleep under. We use the softest cotton for the cover and recycled cotton for the filling.
What's so special about them? They are an utter delight to sleep under. They are so soft and lightweight - wonderful if you don't like much weight on your toes or simply want a cool light summer quilt. And if that sounds too seasonal they also make a beautiful extra bed cover in winter.
Anything else to say about them? The best bit actually. The covers are exquisite hand block printed cottons with floral patterns in wonderful colours. And they're reversible, you get a different print on each side - two quilts in one.
See all our quilts - buy here.
Indian bedspreads have been in our story right from the start: when we opened in the early seventies our small shop had a waterbed, some pottery, a few candles and not much more. And yes, Indian bedspreads - which looked great on the waterbed. No photos from that time unfortunately. The printed designs are timeless, not just for the waterbed days of the seventies. They are classic patterns depicting elaborate and graceful representations of the Indian love of flowers which finds it's ultimate expression in the semi desert landscapes of Rajasthan.
We can't live without connection with nature and we've never lost our love for the hand block prints of Rajasthan where our quilts are made. Rajasthan is also where you'll find a special skill practised by wandering families who use something that looks like a long flat sitar to card old cotton and recondition it to rejuvenate family quilts.
Some of these quilts come to us from our friend Rajesh who lives in a small town called Nawalgarh in the Shekawati region of Rajasthan. Rajesh is the owner of the Tourist Pension Guest House, an wonderful place to stay if you're exploring this enchanting quiet corner of Rajasthan, away from the bustle of the big cities. Rajesh is a wonderful guide and his wife prepares delicate Brahmin food - and wholewheat bread for breakfast! If one of the things you miss in India is decent bread, Rajesh's Pension is worth staying at just for the bread. We ate in the courtyard next to a tree full of nesting weaver birds.
When Covid struck India tourism dried to a halt causing acute hardship to many people. We were concerned for Rajesh and were delighted when we struck on the idea of him supplying quilts to us. We've made a start and hope to see Rajesh in the autumn to see how we can develop the business together.
Here are some photos of the courtyard and bedrooms at Rajesh's Tourist Pension in Nawalgarh. The small town of Nawalgarh is a fascinating place to visit and Rajesh will give you a great tour, show you behind the scenes and guide you around Shekawati.
