After weeks of lessons and anticipation, the extracurricular hour arrives at Kandadukathan Muthaiah Subbiah Chettiar Girls Higher Secondary School in Nattarasankottai, Sivagangai district.
Founded in 1967 by VVRNM Subbiah Chettiar, the government-aided school blends academics with skill-based learning. Once a week, students from Classes 6 to 12 learn various stitching techniques, including embroidery, basic tailoring, and quilting.
Most of the girls come from rural, economically weaker backgrounds, and the school views craft training as an essential life skill. In a dedicated tailoring room, they practise under the guidance of SS Meena, committee member and quilt mentor, and the school provides the materials. Recently, three Class 9 students displayed their quilts at an exhibition in Chennai.
Harini, one of the participants from the school, says, “I started stitching at a young age because I was fascinated by watching my mother sew. We have a special session once a week after school, from 4 pm to 6 pm, where Meena ma’am teaches us different styles and designs. Seeing a national award-winning quilt displayed in our school motivates us.”
Another student, Kavya Prabha, shares that quilting has helped them, as it improves their concentration. “Meena ma’am first taught us to stitch a basic quilt mat, and then we moved on to embroidery.”
Akhila, the mathematics teacher, who accompanied the students for the exhibition, tells DT Next, “Students in our school come from rural and economically weaker backgrounds. This competition was an eye-opener for them, as it was the first time they had travelled outside the village. They gained exposure to different works and learned a great deal. We are looking forward to more such events. I would like to thank Tina Katwal and Varsha Sundararajan (founders of the Quilt India Foundation) for inviting us and the school secretary, S Nagarajan, for giving us this opportunity.”