DIFFERENT TYPES OF RILLI

The three basic styles of rallis are: 
1) Patchwork made from pieces of cloth torn into squares and triangles and then stitched together, 
2) Appliqué made from intricate, cut out patterns in a variety of shapes, and 
3) Embroidered quilts where the embroidery stitches form patterns on solid colored fabric. 

A distinguishing feature of ralli patterning in patchwork and appliqué quilts is the diagonal placement of similar blocks. Special rillis made for weddings or gifts often have a variety of embellishments including mirrors, tassels, shells and embroidery. There is much individual expression and spontaneity in color within the traditional patterns resulting in a seemingly endless variety in rillis. See more details in next paragraphs.
Rilli: Patchwork Patterns

There are three basic styles of rallis: patchwork, appliqué and embroidered. Traditionally, patchwork rallis are the most common ones found on the village beds throughout Sindh. They are made from small pieces of hand dyed fabric either torn or cut into geometric shapes. The patterns are often bold with frequent use of triangles or squares on point to give movement to the design. Some patterns have practical uses such as a game board. One pattern is used for a chess type game (tukri) and another game uses the spaces in a cross pattern (chopar). Overall geometric patterns are called

farsh or tile floor. Often the borders on patchwork quilts are fairly simple. In the Punjab, patchwork is often alternated with appliqué work.

Rilli: Applique Patterns

Applique patterns came in a wide variety of abstract shapes. Ralli makers are proficient at appliqué work including many very fine lined appliqué designs. The appliqué in the center fields of the quilts often has appliqué as blocks in the pattern. The same color of blocks is usually placed in a diagonal pattern. In upper Sindh, the rallis are mostly appliquéd with a speciality of layered appliqué. In this work, the appliqué is cut and before it is sewn down, another color of fabric is inserted in the space. Lower Sindh specializes in appliqué work with a red appliqué border on many rallis. Most patchwork or appliqué rallis also have some appliqué in the border including scallops, cones, interlocking circles or intricate stepped square patterns (upper Sindh).
Rilli: Embroidered

The most famous embroidered rallis are from the nomadic Saami and Jogi (snakecharmer) tribes from lower Sindh. The Saami travel every year across Pakistan as they migrate with their animals from India to Iran. On a solid fabric (usually black), they embroider a vast variety of beautiful and intricate designs using a thick thread that gives the impression of a printed pattern. The Jogi group more often uses a brown fabric. The stitches include running stitch, chain stitch, double chain cretan stich, feather stitch, herringbone stitch, interlacing stitch and others. Sometimes the quilters will make a quilt using running stitches on a printed fabric called a lassi (simple) ralli. In upper Sindh, appliqué blocks are sometimes alternated with embroidered blocks in a quilt. The stitch used in those is usually the complicated hoormutch interlacing stitch that is famous in south Asia.