Habitat for Humanity Thailand

Our International School Bangkok high school students built houses for Habitat for Humanity Thailand. There were two trips. The students helped build two houses in Lampang and two houses in Udon Thani.

Udon Thani

Udon Thani

These quilts were both made by Debra, a member of our group who now lives in California. Way to go, Deb! The recipients of these quilts were surprised and happy to get a quilt to symbolize the warmth and friendship that went into the construction of their new houses.

Lao Khrang Pasins

Jenny holding up a pasin.

A pasin is a sarong woven on a loom and worn by the Lao people. Today Jenny Spancake gave a talk at the Jim Thompson Library about her collection of antique pasins. Jenny has lived in Southeast Asia since 1983 when she and her husband first moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Seven years ago they moved to Thailand.

Jenny is an embroiderer, so the pasin caught her eye when she was shopping in Bangkok. It looks like embroidery even though it isn’t. It is a woven textile and the weft, or horizontal threads, create the look. She started collecting pasins woven by the Lao Khrang and now has so many she doesn’t know how many she has.

As she collected she learned about the history of the people. The Lao Khrang migrated to Thailand from Laos about 200 years ago. They now live in Phichit, Kampengpet, Suphanburi and Chainat in Thailand. The word Khrang may come from a word meaning lac, a red insect dye which is the basis for their signature red pasins.

Jenny’s collection contains many pasins 100 years old or more, still in very good condition. No two are ever alike so the collection continues to grow as she cannot pass up a new find. However as Jenny looks for antique pasins she makes it a point to occasionally purchase a beautiful newly woven pasin, as it is her belief that we have to support the weavers of today so the tradition can continue. To see textiles such as these, Jenny recommends the Paragon mall 4th floor in Bangkok, especially the shops “Maya” and “Golden Triangle.”

One way the groups
differentiate themselves is according to the style they wear.

Rickrack Road Quilt

Materials list
for the blocks
13 – 18″ x 22″ fat quarters
assorted pink, teal, tan, green, brown and yellow prints

19 fat quarters assorted beige prints

sashing and binding 2 1/3 yards

4 1/4 yards for backing

The quilt is 69 1/2″ x 77 1/2″

from each of the coloured fabrics cut – 9- 5″squares (need 112)

from background fabrics cut 112 – 6″ squares

From the floral cut 5 – 6 1/2 x 77 1/2 sashing strips

4 – 2 1/2 binding strips

Use a pencil to draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the colored 5″ squares (draw lightly or put sandpaper under fabric to prevent stretching). Align a marked square with one corner of a background 6″ print (connector corner). Sew on drawn line and trim excess, leaving 1/4 inch seam allowance (you will have 1/2 square triangles left over). The unit should be 6″ square. Repeat to make 112 pieced unites. Lay out four pieced units in pairs. Sew together each pair; press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to make a block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 11 1/2 ” square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 28 blocks.

closeup of Rickrack Road Quilt

Rickrack Road Quilt

Quilt group at Avery’s house.