The 12 days of a Desi Christmas

The 12 days of a Desi Christmas are a series of  mini collages created on old visiting cards and back issues of Vogue is where I got bits and pieces to collage with.

Desi is a Sanskrit term meaning native of the Indian subcontinent. It is used to describe the people, culture etc.

So, here you have the 12 Days of Christmas with an Indian flavour.

On the 1st Day of Christmas my true love gave to me - A Panther in a Palm tree.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas my true love gave to me - 2 Pesky Peacocks

On the 3rd Day of Christmas my true love gave to me - 3 Plates of Chaat.

On the 4th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me - 4 Super foods

On the 5th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me  - 5 Golden Stars

On the 6th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me - 6 Fans a Whirring

On the 7th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me - 7 Stunning Silk Sarees

On the 8th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me - 8 Jars of Pickle

On the 9th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me  - 9 Home Remedies

On the 10th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me  - 10 Ancient Tomes

On the 11th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me - 11 Flowering Trees.

On the 12th Day of Christmas my true love sent to me - 12 Pashmina Goats

All the collages have a touch of green because the theme for December @mini.collage.collective is Green.

I would like to wish everyone a wonderful  Christmas. 🎄 May you enjoy  joy, peace and fellowship with family and friends.💫

Pixel Paradise

A 20" × 20" quilt created for the tsi_dq fabric challenge. 

The theme given was - Bird of Paradise.

I created a quilt of 400 inchies with the English paper piecing technique.

Then backed and bound it because the challenge rules required the quilt to have a backing and had to be bound.

Then I made 400 Suffolk puffs and created a second layer.

A quilt experiment I made up as I went along.

Sketches of the ideas and the placement of colours. Wothout these I would have gone mad.

The quilt is entirely hand sewn.

Hidden - 21Nov - 22 Dec

I'm delighted that my work is part of this brand new show at The House of Smalls, in Edinburgh. 

This is an exhibition by 60 women who have been affected  or witnessed domestic abuse either mentally or physically.

Timed to coincide with 25th November - White Ribbon Day for the elimination of violence against women.

This mini quilt speaks of women who are educated and accomplished professionals  but in a patriarchal society many a time husbands, partners and employers  tell them to shut up, their opinions and ideas are dismissed.

A number of women shut up to keep the peace and in the process are mentally traumatised. They develop illnesses which are unexplained.

The mini quilt is 12cm × 12cm.

Techniques: Applique and embroidery 

Framed and ready to hang.

With frame - 6" × 6"

Available for sale.

Please leave a comment if you would like to purchase the piece.

If you are in Edinburgh, do pop in to view all the fantastic work done by 60 artists.

Chay Reds, Ferrous Black

I was fortunate to be able to spend time and view the Chay Reds  Ferrous Black exhibition at MAP in Bangalore. 

Blocks used in printing the cloth.

The printing process. A slow painstaking process.

Floral borders.

A variety of bird and animal motifs.

If you are in Bangalore and can spare a couple of hours  do go and view this show. It's on till March 2025 at MAP (Museum of Art and Photography)

A quilt experiment - Bird of Paradise

I'm experimenting with creating a hand pieced layer of inchies which will support a layer of Suffolk puffs. 

A contemporary quilt inspired by Bird of Paradise.

The 20" × 20" layer of inchies are done and now I've begun making the Suffolk puffs. 400 to be made.

Making of a Diary Quilt - 2

Getting on with the Making of a Diary Quilt - Part 2.

Day 9 - Making yo - yo's or Suffolk puffs.

I made seven yo- yo's because there are seven stars which make up the Saptarishi Mandal or constellation also known as the Big Dipper in the Western World.

Day 10 - Applique the yo - yo's onto the quilt top.

There is an interesting story about the Saptarishi Mandal, which you can read here - The Story of  Vashishtha and Arundhati. 

Day 11 - Connect the yo - yo's with running stitch.

I chose a yellow silk for the yo - yo's because these yellow Angel's Trumpet flowers release a beautiful fragrance at dusk and the night air is beautifully scented.

I suspect the flowering has something to do with the cycles of the moon as well.

Day 12 - Improv patchwork. Make it as large or small.

I decided to represent the many moods of the Nilgiri sky.

The brilliant blue winter sky, which is all blue with not a single cloud in the sky, the moody monsoon sky with dark rain clouds and the cloudscapes which will have one day dreaming for hours.

Day 13 - Attach the improv patchwork anywhere on the quilt top.

Day 14 - Hand yoga.

Day 15 - Choose a piece of fabric, trace the outline of a familiar object and applique it  anywhere on the quilt top.

I used this fabric which I got in a giveaway. It matches the teal blue of my phone cover.

Day 16 - Trace the outline of a familiar object and embroider it.

I wear a gold chain with a gold sovereign or coin given by my paternal grandmother, so that's what I placed on the quilt top and traced the outline of and embroidered.

Day 17 - Onto a piece of fabric, trace out a part of your body and applique it onto the quilt top.

Decided to trace out my foot. Symbolic of the all the walking I do in the garden.

The fabric is Shwe shwe fabric from South Africa. 

Thank you Helen van Zyl for all the shwe shwe fabric swatches you sent me when we had a fabric page swap.

Day 18 - Embroider or appliqué a piece of clothing. The size is left to you to choose.

These are my  patched black trackies.

I have two pairs which developed holes because my cat Gin has a tendency to dig her claws into my legs when she wants to be fed.

The track pants are of knit fabric and I patch the holes with the fabric from old panties.

These trackies are boros in the making, one patch at a time.

The quilt top is slowly filling up.

I think a third part will be required. Shall have that up in a couple of weeks.

I hope you have a creative weekend and get to indulge yourself making , messing around or learning something new.