styleNorth

I was drawn into the store by the “Moving Sale” signage promising 50 per cent discounts and although the Afghani rugs in the main showroom are very nice indeed, it was the ralli quilts that really caught my eye at Craft (1172 Yonge Street, 647.435.6869).

With suzanis continuing to be red hot accessories, tribal rallis offer a way to sidle up to the trend without being slavish. And the price is definitely right: originally tagged at $450 each, these colourful, handmade blankets from Pakistan’s Sindh province are currently marked down 50 per cent.

Like most Pakistanis, Craft owner Das has kept a very special ralli tucked away as part of his daughter’s dowry. Craft carries newer, cheaper, machine-made rallis but they don’t hold a candle to these vintage (30 – 35 years old) handmade pieces. Most of Craft’s rallis are medium weight and measure in the neighbourhood of 80” x 50”, although each one varies somewhat in design and proportion.

Like suzanis, rallis can be used as bed or floor coverings, throws or wall hangings. I found an excellent website about rallis (ralliquilt.com) and if you’re really interested, Das recommends the one-and-only book on the subject, Patricia Stoddard’s Ralli Quilts (Schiffer Books, 2003).

Craft has two other Toronto locations, 604 and 622 Queen Street West. Tell them you saw it on styleNorth!