Deb Rowden enjoyed coming back to Manhappiness! Deb is a 5th generation Kansan and a graduate of KSU's  College of Journalism and Mass Communication, so returning to MHK was an opportunity to refresh with former colleagues and friends. Her first quilt was made for her dorm room in Putnam Hall. Deb has been an author and held several journalism-related positions, but she felt fortunate to conclude her career at the Kansas City Star as an editor. 

We also know Deb to be flexible and resilient.  We were in a different venue for this meeting, and of course, the technology did not cooperate, so she was unable to share her slides. We modified as members assisted with showing slides throughout the membership and carrying quilts for closer inspection.

Since retirement, Deb became interested in Scrap Quilting, but with a particular focus on the fabric arts of other cultures, particularly in India, China, and Japan.  

Deb has recently traveled to India, where scrap quilting is a lifestyle born of resourcefulness, storytelling, and family needs.  Indian Kawandi quilts are made by Siddi ethnic groups who are descendants of Africans. Their textile scraps are stitched on to the backs of fabrics, perhaps other used materials, with the technique of starting from the outside and adding scraps to fill in the center.  Adding "phula" corners is similar to adding a label in our culture.
Learn more about these Siddi Kawandi textiles.

In rural Chinese villages today, women are creating dynamic patchwork textiles, just as generations before them did. This art form has evolved from ancient Buddhist and Daoist customs, but is now used for practical and functional home use. 
View an exhibit that was recently featured at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Deb also has been fascinated with the Boro style of Japanese patchworking. Boro textiles are a traditional form of quilting built on the philosophy of "use and reuse."  The term "boro" means "ragged" or "tattered" with the idea of making use of every possible source for needed clothing and household textiles. Tattered, used fabrics would be recycled for practical use and embellishing/refurbishing other textiles. 
The spring 2026 exhibition at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, NE featured Boro Textiles.