Desi drapes and more

07/10/2016

07/10/2016

Sashti - Green
Kaalratri is traditionally worshipped during the nine nights of Navratri celebrations. The seventh day of Navratri pooja(Hindu prayer ritual) in particular is dedicated to her and she is considered the fiercest form of the Mother Goddess, her appearance itself invoking fear. This form of Goddess is believed to be the destroyer of all demon entities, ghosts, spirits and negative energies, who flee upon knowing of her arrival.

Am wearing green begumpur Saree paired with all time favourite ikkat blouse.

Begumpur Saree story 😊

Begampur is a small but well known village in Chanditala II block, Hooghly district in West Bengal.

Handloom weaving is the main occupation of the residents of this village. The number of handloom weavers has dwindled . due to migration to other profession.

For a long time handloom weavers were producing a well-known sari variety, locally known as ‘matapar’ saris which means simple border without any ornamentation, woven with coarser cotton yarn (40s x 40s & 40s x60s ). These cheaper variety saris are mainly of coloured stripes and check patterns and with designs in the borders.

After the cluster intervention, weavers were imparted training in Designing, Dyeing, Preparatory processes like drum warping, sizing etc. and importantly, in dobby and Jacquard weaving with the main intention of producing diversified products. Weavers improved their skill and they started producing new varieties of quality cotton sarees by adopting new techniques and modifications taught to them.Normally, 40s to 100s count of cotton yarns are used for Begampurisarees both for warp and weft. Steel reeds of 56s to 76s are commonly used to keep the texture of the sarees at par with Dhaniakhaligharana. The picks per inch are almost equal to ends per inch. As a result, balanced texture is obtained which gives comfort for wearing.

Wooden Dobbies are widely used for extra warp designs and Jacquards are also in use at present.

Begampurisarees are woven in balanced texture with contrasting borders in red, black, purple, orange etc., emphasized by a serrated edge motif. Narrow to broader borders are woven with designs of variety of stripes and figured motifs using dyed cotton yarn. These broad borders known as ‘maathapaar’ or ‘Beluaaripaar’ were often in two colours- such as black and red with a compact weave thus making it more hardy.

Hank yarn sizing is in practice in Begampur . The starch used for sizing are mainly sage, arrowroot , rice, wheat , parched rice ( Khai) etc. BegampuriSaree can be distinguished by the presence of typical designs .

06/10/2016

Panchami - Yellow
Katyayani is the sixth form amongst Navadurga or the nine forms of Hindu goddess Parvati (Shakti), worshipped during the Navratri celebrations.This is the second name given for Parvati in amarakosha, the Sanskrit lexicon(uma katyayani gaouri kali haimavathi iiswari). In Shaktism she is associated with the fierce forms of Shakti or Durga.
Am wearing a yellow brown batik silk Saree .this is comparitively a unusual colour combo .have paired it with brown khun blouse and wooden necklace as accessory .as mentioned yesterday , batik is one type of resist dyeing .
About Batik
Batik is a “resist” process for making designs on fabric. The artist uses wax to prevent dye from penetrating the cloth, leaving “blank” areas in the dyed fabric. The process, wax resist then dye, can be repeated over and over to create complex multicolored designs.Batik is especially unique due to the way certain wax blends will “crackle” during handling, allowing lines of color to come through on resisted areas.
Batik can be done with many types of dye & wax on cotton, silk and other natural fabrics. Most weights will work, provided the wax penetrates all the way through the fabric, but the finer weaves work best for detail work. We used cotton, but feel free to use what you want. Silk is a little more challenging to work with because of its unique wicking properties.
Batik masters employ a process of repeated waxing and tub dyeing to achieve their final result. This method requires mastery of color mixing and over dyeing; as each layer of dye is applied over the last a new color is produced.Now a days a wide variety of batik Sarees are available .they come in some beautiful colour combinations on lovely silks to cotton .

05/10/2016

Chaturthi - Blue
Skandamata is the fifth form of Hindu Goddess Durga. Her name comes from word, Skanda is another name for war god Kartikeya and Mata is the term of mother.
Skandamata is four-armed and rides on a lion. She carries a lotus, a water material and a bell. Her one hand is in blessing posture. Lord Skanda can be seen in her lap. She possesses four arms out of which two often hold the lotus flowers. One of her hands is always in the boon-conferring gesture and with the other she holds her son Skanda in her lap. Her complexion is white and she is seated on the lotus. So, she is also called Goddess with a lotus-seat. Lion also is her vehicle.
Am wearing a indigo on chanderi cotton silk Saree .the dark light effect of the colour is obtained by resist dyeing (will write about it in later post )
Indigo in details .
Most natural indigo dye comes from the leaves of Indigofera tinctoria. This plant is tender to frost and grows best in the tropics, thriving in hot and humid places with fertile soil. It is commercially grown in India, El Salvador, Vietnam and some other countries.
Indigo is the only important natural blue dye.leaves of the plant indigofera tinctures are the best source of this dye.this very important dye popularly known as the Kings of natural dyes has been used from ancient times till now for producing blue colour.The colouring matter is present in indigo plant leaves as a light yellow substance called indican
The leaf production from one acre of cultivated indigo plants is approx 5000 kg which can yield about 50 kg of pure natural indigo powder after processing.it is produced by fermenting the fresh plant leaves,and cakes thus prepared are used for dyeing purposes.Apart from Indu-gofera species,there are several plants that can be used to produce indigo dye.Woad is a natural indigo producing plant.apart from this dyers knotweed and Pala indigo are some of the plants used to produce indigo traditionally. However The use of natural indigo started declining after the manufacture of synthetic indigo.
Indigo dyed fabric is widely use for Ladies and men's Clothing apparels ,upholstery & home decor . Indigo imparts a non blingy yet a very classy look .these Sarees can be paired with neon contrast printed blouse for a smart & stylish look .Silver or antique finished jewellery pairs very well with these.

04/10/2016

Tritiya - Red
Kushmanda is the fourth form of the Hindu goddess Durga. Her name signals her importance: Ku means "a little", Ushma means "warmth" or "energy" and Anda means "cosmic egg". She created the universe with her divine smile.
Kushmanda is worshiped on the fourth day of the festival of Navratri and as the consort of Shiva. She is believed to improve health and bestow wealth and strength.
She is depicted with eight hands holding a discus, sword, hook, mace, bow, arrow and two jars of honey and blood. She rides on a tiger or lion.
When the universe was non-existent and darkness prevailed everywhere, Maa Kushmanda produced the Cosmic egg with her smile, bringing light to the universe. She has the power and strength to live in the core of Sun. Her luminosity gives the Sun its brightness. She is said to give direction to the Sun God, Surya.
Today's colour being red am wearing Red cotton silk kalamkari saree with dancing peacock motif .By Kalamkari saree I mean saree which has kalamkari art done on it .
Kalamkari is an ancient Indian art that originated about 3000 years ago and is noted for its extraordinary beautiful hand paintings on fabrics. The word kalam means pen and kari means work according to the language of Hindi. The kalamkari artists make use special pens which are particularly crafted for this purpose from the bamboo tree. Once the textile is ready after the weaving process the fabric is mixed in a blend of milk and natural dyes and then the required design is done with the help of the special pen. The outcome of the paintings of kalamkari is very detailed and complicated.
There are 3 distinctive type of kalamkari
1)Masulipatnam Kalamkari-Owing to Muslim rule in Golconda, the Masulipatnam Kalamkari was influenced by Persian motifs & designs, widely adapted to suit their taste. The outlines and main features are done using hand carved blocks. The finer details are later done using the pen.
2)Sri Kalahasti Style-The Kalahasti tradition which developed in the temple region mostly concentrated on themes form Hindu mythology, epics (Ramayana, Mahabharatha), images of Gods and heroes.
3)Karrupur Style -Karrupur is a style of Kalamkari that developed in the Thanjavur region during the Maratha rule. The Kalamkari work was a further embellishment to the gold brocade work in the woven fabric, which was used as sarees & dhotis by the royal family during the period of Raja Sarfoji and later Raja Shivaji.
Some interesting Story :-
The patterns and the designs done on the fabric are very colorful and vibrant and are mostly natural vegetable dyes and synthetic colors are not used in kalamkari.The Kalamkari paintings are widely distributed in various products like saris, drapes, hand towels, wall paintings, prayer rugs, wrappers, bed covers, door covers and dress materials. In olden days which dates back to the period between 13th and 19th centuries in Andhra Pradesh specially in the state of Andhra Pradesh where groups of singers, musicians and painters, called chitrakattis kept moving from village to village only to depict the stories of Hindu mythologies in the form of street plays and generated income for their living.
The chitrakattis slowly came up with new ideas for the better understanding of the people where they staged their plays using large bolts of canvas painted on the spot with basic means and dyes extracted from plants. This is how kalamkari was introduced in the country. Then many Hindu temples started having large panels in the temple premises with kalamkari work on it illustrating the episodes of great Indian mythology .Kalamkari soon flourished as an art form which found its culmination in the middle ages during the reign of the rich Golconda Sultanate of Hyderabad. The Mughal rulers of Golconda and Coramandel Provinces appreciated and patronized the art of kalamkari and also called the skilled craftsmen of this craft as "Qualamkars". It is from the word "Qualamkars" that the craft form got its name kalamkari.
Price range for kalamkari saree depend on the type of work done & base fabric (silk, mul cotton, cotton silk )off late there are lot of printed Kalamkari Sarees available at reasonable price.

03/10/2016

Dwitiya - White
In Hinduism, Chandraghanta is the third form of Goddess Durga. Her name Chandra-Ghanta, means "one who has a half-moon shaped like a bell". She is also known as Chandrakhanda, Chandika or Rannchandi. Her worship takes place on the third day of Navaratri(the nine divine nights of Navadurga). She is believed to reward people with her grace, bravery and courage. By her grace all the sins, distresses, physical sufferings, mental tribulations and ghostly hurdles of the devotees are eradicated.
Today am wearing a 120 count linen Saree in pastel on white combination.here have paired it with pearl jewellery to complete the ensemble.
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, garments made out of linen are favoured in summer as the fabric is airy and keeps the wearer looking fresh even in the sultriest of the weather. However, for the fabric that looks and feels so airy, it is not weightless & creases faster. Am calling this Saree eco friendly ,as flax trees requires less water & attention as compared to cotton , though converting flax fibre into woven able yarn is little tedious thus increasing the cost as compared to other natural fibres
Linen has long been a popular in Indians.Linen sarees are all over the Saree market now, thanks to the designer Anavila Mishra for taking it to another level and the celebs wearing it.the Saree grade and cost is determined by its thread count . They are normally available as 80/80,80/100,100/100 and 120/120 .They come in light to bright hues of various colours and pattern .

02/10/2016

-2 # Navratri .
Pratipada - Orange
The second day is the day of Bharmacharini. She is the second form of Mother Goddess. Bharmacharini means one who practices devout austerity. She enlightens us in the magnificent embodiment of Durga with great powers and divine grace. She holds a rosary in her right hand and a water utensil in her left hand. She is blissful and endows happiness, peace, prosperity and grace upon all devotees who worship her. Filled with bliss and happiness, she is the way to emancipation – Moksha
Todays colour being orange ,I have draped this orange (brick orange) Ghicha tussar silk Saree .
Some interesting fact of Ghicha silk . Ghicha silk is a high quality fabric which provide a subtle sheen or glossy look to the Saree .Features like light weight ,durability, shrinkage free and smooth texture makes ghicha silk a demanding fabric. It is high quality natural fabric.
Ghicha yarn is obtained from pierced /leftout cocoons used in tussar silk routine.the cocoon are segregated & seperately dealt by pulling out thread slowly by hand and reeling onto earthen pots. This when spun give a coarser to fine variety of yarn ,though the yarn quality is inferior to the tussar silk yarn.ghicha yarn is generally used as blend material with pure silk or katia silk / cotton. Though originally from eastern part of India these Sarees are now available in major markets .they generally come in solid colours with many hues in each colour . Due to the unevenness in handloom weaving the Saree gets a beautiful ombré look Printed ones are also available .these sarees look great with the blouse that comes attached to Saree . But to cut the monotone one can also paired with contrast blouse as I have done here .to standout more one can wear terracotta / junk /fusion jewellery as I have worn here . Will write about terracotta jewellery in later posts.I feel this kind of dressing has a beauty in its own and is power dressing in true sense .

01/10/2016

wear Handloom.
for weaves yards dream.
Happy Navratri to all !!!!!!!

Navratri is celebrated and dedicated to the worship of goddess Maa Durga .As name suggest it is celebrated for nine divine nights or ten days. Nine forms, nine manifestation of Shakti ands are worshipped as Nav Durga. The first form is called as Shailputri worshipped on first day of festival .
Pratipada - October 1, 2016 (Saturday) - Grey
Shailaputri literally means the daughter (putri) of the mountains (shaila). Variously known as Sati Bhavani, Parvati or Hemavati, the daughter of Hemavana – the king of the Himalayas, she is the first among Navadurgas. She symbolise The embodiment of the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, she rides a bull and carries a trident and a lotus in her two hands.
Today's colour being grey am wearing grey coloured Khesh Saree .
Some interesting information on khesh , this Saree is based on three R. Principle .Recycle , Reduce,Reuse.
Saree is originally from Birbhum district in West Bengal . The technique of weaving with shreds of old Saree is called as khesh .
The Khesh weaving process is simple involving the wrap - which is new yarn & the weft - is stripes of thin cloths obtaining by tearing old Sarees lenght wise.
The old Sarees are procured ,washed and torned for further use. The old Sarees have to be cotton in order that they get tear easily . The tearing process which is as labour intensive as weaving is typically done by female members of weaver family.
Once the Sarees are torn into stripes.the weaver hang these stripes besides him for easy access while weaving . He weaves it with whichever strip he picks up randomly and thus every Saree is different in its own way . Saree colour is determined by its wrap colour yarn as the weft colour is just matter of chance.
The weaving can be however done either intensely with old Sarees or with gaps in between depending on the design effect desired .
Best thing about these Sarees are that they have very soft cotton and are easy to carry and easy to mix match (as you can see am wearing it today with bandhani blouse and had worn it earlier with indigo ). They definitely make a great style statement when paired with silver jewellery .

17/06/2016

Dongria Kondh Embroidered Shawl
Kapadaganda (locally) is an ethnic embroidered shawl used by Dongria Kondh Youths.

Kapadaganda in their own kuvi language means "Chiefs Cloth". Dongria Kondhs are particularly vulnerable tribal group of Odisha state (India). They live in Niyamgiri hills of Rayagada district and Kalahandi district, Dongria Kondhs have, so far, preserved their rich heritage of cultural and ethnic identity.

02/03/2016

Thank you !!!!

01/01/2016

😃😃😃😃