Quilts in Iran

Quilt Maker in Shiraz

Back on Thursday from 2 weeks in Iran. Weather was snowy and cold but bright, food was rather better than expected ( although I don't want to see any more rice in a while) and got used to the non alcoholic beer ( been catching up since on the red wine). People were on the whole very friendly and anxious to know what we thought of Iran and the sights were wonderful. Besides the blue tiled mosques of Esfahan, we visited Persopolis (of course) some traditional mud built villages and Zoroastian sites which were fascinating.

I'll be posting lots of pictures (including more crumbly doors to add to my collection) and no doubt my quilting is going to be inspired for a while by what I saw and experienced but thought I'd start with quilts.
I was walking past a shop in Shiraz ( alas no wine!) when I saw a man quilting a mattress with quilts displayed - very much in the tradition of quilts seen in Turkey with thick layers crudely stab stitched. He beckoned me in and asked me to take a photo of him ! ( that happened a few times - the opposite of what we'd been told about asking permission first. We also had our photos taken by locals quite a few times , sometimes sureptiously, sometimes asked to join in their group shots - with so few tourists we were the quaint novelty)