This paper-pieced pattern is based on a traditional Moroccan zellige (tile mosaic) pattern found in many historic buildings around Morocco, among them the Seffarine Madrassa in Fez. Seffarine refers to the neighborhood where the madrassa is found, the neighborhood of the copper workers. The underlying motif is a four-fold Islamic geometric pattern that is called “Katiyani” or “Qityani” in the Moroccan tradition. The quilt comes together with a block-based assembly, combining three different blocks, and is finished with a pieced border.
Tighe is a textile artist with a deep interest in Islamic geometry. After completing his undergraduate, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jordan where he taught English at a rural boys’ school. He later completed a master’s degree at Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and has traveled extensively across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. When Tighe started quilting in 2016 it was only natural that his growing interest in patchwork would lead him back to the decorative arts of the Islamic world. While finding endless inspiration in traditional geometric designs, he focuses on finding historical examples of these designs whenever possible and studying the geometric construction behind the shapes. He lives in Washington, DC, where he researches patterns and creates intricate quilts in his home studio. Tighe has a growing library of quilt patterns that introduce quilters to the historical and geometric context of various motifs from different parts of the world.
Photos by Laura Loewen
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