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Prepare for Winter with a Warm, Snuggly Jaipuri RazaiThe Indian state of Rajasthan has given us a gift to face winter with – a warm,snuggly, lightweight quilt called a "Jaipuri razai." Soft as a cloud, light as air, warm astoast, this very comfortable handmade comforter inspires all manner of similes todescribe it. Although the name seems exotically foreign to Anglophones, the translationis fairly straightforward. "Jaipuri" means "coming from Jaipur," the capital city of Rajasthan, and "razai" simply means "quilt." Jaipuri razais are available online and instores in the United States and are often available as fair trade comforters.A jaipuri razai is special both for its artisanry and for its functionality. First, inhandmaking these beautiful quilts, razai artisans use the traditional textile-making skillsof cotton carding, cotton voile-making and quilting. Cotton carding is the process of  preparing cotton to use as cotton fill in a quilt. A worker uses two carders. The cardersare convex paddles covered with small, fine teeth. The worker charges the carders by placing cotton fibers onto one of the carders. Then the worker gently draws the other carder across the face of the first one several times, changing position of the carders fromhorizontal to vertical. In the process of carding, the cotton dross is exposed and removed."Dross" is simply waste material. Removing the dross leaves soft, fine, delicate cottonfibers. In a typical Jaipuri razai, the worker starts with a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cottonand works at carding it for a full week. After fully carding the cotton, the worker is leftwith a mere 100 grams (approximately 3.5 ounces) of cotton to use to fill the comforter.The lighter and fluffier the cotton fill, the warmer and cozier the quilt will be.Once the fill is prepared, the artisans go on to make the quilts. It is important tolayer the cotton evenly throughout the quilt. This is another characteristic of the
 
handmade quilt that gives it its warmth. The shell of the Jaipuri razai is usually a high-quality soft cotton voile. Cotton voile is a lightweight, gauzy cotton fabric with a soft,smooth surface. The softness of the voile adds to the very snuggly, cozy nature of theJaipuri razai. Sometimes the quilter uses a velvet covering instead of cotton voile.After being filled, the quilt is stitched together. Of course, in times gone by, thequilt-makers did all the stitching with a hand-held needle. Modernly, however, quilt-makers use a sewing machine to stitch the sides of the quilt together. The machine-stitched sides increase the durability of the quilt. Quilters then use a running stitch on theinterior of the quilt panels to hold the fill in place and add to the beauty of the quilt. Allthis work, from the carding to the filling to the quilting, is typically done by artisanswhose families have been practicing these skills for generations.The functionality of the Jaipuri razai is as important as the artisanry that goes intomaking it. Although a Jaipuri razai is handmade, soft and snuggly, one should not get theimpression that it is delicate. These quilts are, in fact, quite durable. This is notsurprising when one considers the history and geography of the region that the Jaipurirazai originated in. Rajasthan is located in northwestern India. Bordering on Pakistan,Rajasthan encompasses the Aravalli Mountain Range and the Thar (Great Indian) Desert.Throughout Rajasthan, the terrain is inhospitable and the weather can get bitterly cold,especially at night. Traditionally, Rajasthanis were often on the move. Shepherds,traders, soldiers and warriors, itinerant bards and others traveling by camel caravan werein need of a covering to carry with them that would keep them warm in the cold desertnights and yet be easy to carry. So the Jaipuri razai by necessity had to be as long-lastingand convenient to carry as it was warm and comfortable to use. It is as functional in a
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