Craigmore

This is where I currently reside. Its temporary but absolute bliss and I'm soaking it all in - fresh mountain air, sumptuous meals which I don't have to whip up, beds turned down at night, a bell to ask for more green tea.... I can go on and on. Its the most luxurious assignment I've been on to date and I'm getting used to it at an alarming rate, I have to keep reminding myself its temporary.
The assignment is to make pen and ink sketches of bungalows and factories on Craigmore tea estate and paint watercolours of the stunning landscape. Craigmore has been in existence since 1884. The Chairman's bungalow is the first in the series of pen and ink sketches and I've photographed it on a red oxide floor which is characteristic of old estate bungalows. Someone decided to walk all over my sketch, can you spot the centipede or is it a millipede? Partial view of the verandah and the garden. The trees are grand and gorgeous, all a part of the quaint lifestyle on a tea estate. I'll be sharing more glimpses of this life in posts to come.

It's time for evening tea.I hope you're week is magical.

Bathed in Bokeh

The cotton silk stoles I embroidered for the commission I mentioned in my last post was inspired by Bokeh.
The vision I had was of a person photographed wearing my stole in such a manner that the sequins of different sizes stitched at random would be transformed into bokeh in the photograph and make the person appear to be bathed in bokeh.
I hope the ladies who are gifted these stoles will derive immense pleasure wearing them and garner plenty of compliments too.

What happened to August

I last posted in July and now its almost the end of August!

August has gone past in a flash..... wow. A month of hectic activity and travel.

I was in Kerala at the beginning of the month conducting an embroidery workshop for thirty women. I usually get the participants to start a sampler on the first day so I can assess what embroidery stitches they know, their skill level and its a surface for them to practise the stitches I introduce to them. This is my sampler. It was a good workshop and I don't get to say that very often.
There's been a lot of travel and time with family. My teenage nephew has educated me about the electric guitar and rock music which he's extremely passionate about. Did you know there are people who would list guitar tech as their profession? I didn't know. My ignorance regarding all things related to electric guitars was shocking to say the least but Z was kind enough to show me YouTube videos to explain a technique or demonstrate them if he could. Shredding, Floyd Rose the Wah Wah pedal and Steve Vai. Glimpses into a whole different world. Amazing.

I've also been working on a small commission which I'm happy to report is now labelled, appropriate packaging created, tags designed and attached and ready for delivery.

There's more travel next week, this time to work on a painting and sketching commission. I'm looking forward to it because I'll be going to the Blue Mountains.

Embellished Fragments

In my last post I wrote of a path I was exploring but I now find I'm exploring more than one path simultaneously. One such path which I would like to call Embellished Fragments has begun with this first piece.

Bits and pieces of silk and cotton some dyed with tea, others used for hand pieced patchwork and embroidered wisdom have come together in the creation of Fear Less.

Would you buy something like this? You might ask - what purpose Fear Less serves? To which I would answer - its a fragment - frame it, incorporate it into a quilt or just keep it in a drawer or folded and kept in your purse so you can touch, read and ponder the meaning of the words embroidered on the fragment.

I leave on a project tomorrow- (yet another path!) I'll be back in the first week of August.

Path

Tussar silk stole, dyed with tea, silk applique and sequins.
Got two shades of tea. One edge of the stole was dyed with tea boiled in a stainless steel vessel - the resultant shade was more golden, whereas the edge dyed in a cast iron vessel with tea resulted in a more dark nut brown colour.
I'm going to be exploring a new path which has opened up rather unexpectedly - excited, curious and just a teeny tiny smattering of butterflies in the tummy. Wish me luck.

Splash

It's turned cool and cloudy and everyday holds the promise of a thunder shower late in the evening and its found its way into Splash.

Splash is a small square cotton silk scarf the sort you knot at the neck or wear as a head scarf. Bleach helped create the splotchy effect and running stitch which covers almost the entire surface provides texture.
The process of creating Splash got me thinking. Getting up, getting dressed and showing up has been the mantra R and I have followed for the past year. Clouds promising rain gather on the horizon and then melt away..... like Splash which was not planned but evolved I'm hoping both our actions and choices are in preparation for the splash in our life which will be monumental. I just need the grace to live in the moment until then and I can't wait to look back and see the pattern and texture which we created which enriched us and got us to the next level.

As for the future, your task is not to predict it, but to enable it ........ Antoine de Saint- Exupery.

Discovering a little line like this is so inspiring. Which is the quote which inspires you?

Brown and Blue

My adventures with pashmina include a snuff brown stole and a midnight blue one.

Detail of the applique done with silk cotton fabric and sequins.
Soft folds of pashmina
Diagonal lines of blanket stitch and sequins enhance a midnight blue pashmina stole.
Both stoles are now available at Plantation House.

Hide n Seek

The monsoons have struck and cooled things down. Let the creativity flow.

Here's something created pre monsoon

An off white soft pashmina with a hint of embroidery and sparkle so one can appreciate the 'chashm-e-bulbul' or 'eye of the bulbul' weave. A speciality of the master weaver of pashmina.

Space dyed embroidery thread gave the stole the name hide n seek. Delighted to report it sold hours after it made to Plantation House.

Needless to say its got me on a high and I've nearly finished two more pashmina stoles which I shall feature here in a day or two.

I'm inspired today by this and this. Wishing all of you inspiration when you least expect it. Cheers!

Off Commercial Street

Commercial Street in Bangalore is where one goes to shop for clothes, accessories and jewelery for the family and all the brands and labels are there. Its conventional retail at its best but for the real thing one must go off Commercial Street, into the little lanes and up narrow stairs.

Parked scooters and bikes become the display units for plush toys. don't miss the duckling hanging off the back of the bike. Everyday a different display and they get to set up shop where they like.
Colour coordinated styles for all age groups.
You're sure to find a tailor to rise to the challenge and sew and embroider the outfit which will make you the belle of the ball - ruffled,layered, underwired, tucked and pleated they've done it all.
Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise - you can find matching scarves and stoles, bangles and slippers in every hue and shade.
Little boys carrying colourful toys in baskets stroll up and down the street.
A little cheaper, most likely a rip off, won't last forever but its all the rage at the moment and you can't help be impulsive, you're expected to bargain. There's no better place than the little streets off Commercial Street to indulge in all you retail cravings when you're on a budget.

Flame Tree

Delonix regia.

Things in Bottles

Its been ages, almost a month since I posted about my scintillating life, thanks for persevering in checking for updates and I know you do because my followers have increased and I'm getting to see people visit from different parts of the world , places I've never heard of. Thanks guys for your patience, you guys rock.

Swimming in the afternoon to beat the summer heat has fried my brain and all creativity and inspiration seems to have evaporated. Alls not lost, I'm developing a terrific tan and its great to have the pool all to myself during siesta time and for company I have eagles overhead, gliding in circles in the blue sky.Mangoes are starting to make an appearance so inspiration should strike sometime soon. In the meantime.

Take a look at what I have in bottles.

My Orts bottle which is making slow progress was inspired by Sharon and this. The bottle with red Manjadikuru seeds and the fluffy yellow seeds of the Helichrysum flowers which grows wild in the Nilgiris. Do you collect things and store them in bottles? What do you collect?

Time to go and float in the pool and check out the cloud formations.

The Book of Leaves

The thirteen month swap which was The Story of the Traveling Pages has resulted in some amazing books and I've just completed creating my own - The Book of Leaves with contributions from ten women in the USA, the UK, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and Greece who interpreted my theme - leaves and created unique, one of a kind fabric pages.

This is the cover for the book which I embroidered.
The inside of the cover has the name of the person, the country they are from and the month they created the page for me. The first page is from Kath Walls in Greece.
The last page in the book is from Juliette Coates in the UK and the inside of the back cover has a pocket which contains the letters and smaller cards each one sent me detailing the method and techniques used in the creation of the page.
Thank you Ruth for putting together this fantastic swap and to all the lovely ladies who got involved, persisted and made those pages while dealing with life and the curve balls life threw each of us in the past year.. The book of leaves is a precious addition to my little collection of fabric books.

Any interesting fibre/fabric swaps and challenges happening in cyberspace? I'd like to get involved because I haven't taken up anything this year.

Oh there's been some changes taking place here.

Leaves from Cobi

This beautiful page of Leaves made by Cobi arrived in the mail over the weekend. Made with hand dyed fabrics and delicate stitches this page will make a beautiful addition to my book. Thanks Cobi.

A Siege of Cranes

I didn't fall off the southern tip of India. Its been work which couldn't be put off and I'm glad its all been completed.

I've taken up origami. Why? In the folds of the newspaper every morning are tucked in flyers from various restaurants and businesses which most people throw away without a second glance. I decided it would be a great way to up cycle the paper and hone my origami skills.

I started with the crane. No particular reason but I did some reading and discovered they symbolise loyalty and honour and a person who folds and creates a 1,000 cranes will be granted his or her wish.
So each morning I fold a couple of cranes with the shiny advertisements and menu cards. The seige of cranes cannot be contained at home so when I step out I place a couple on a ledge or window sill and hope the person who finds it will smile and decide to pick it up and keep it for a while. It would be interesting to know what they do with it because they do disappear.

I wish folding a 1,000 origami cranes would lessen the loss, suffering and pain of all the people in Japan today who had to face the effects of a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

Winners of One Heart One World

It's the evening of the 17th here in India and sitting in a little internet cafe at the tip of southern India I have drawn with the aid of random.org the winner of the crocheted doily and the little screwpine heart which were the door prizes on my blog for the One Heart One World event.

Here goes - No 9 wins! and that happens to be Kim . Congratulations Kim.

I was delighted with the response my participation in One Hear One World got - The OHOW post has garnered me the most comments ever and the band of followers have swelled to a healthy190 and besides I've had a great time doing the rounds of so many fantastic blogs which I would have never chanced upon otherwise.

So with all that said I decided to pick another person to win and random .org gave me No. 84 which happens to be Elizabeth. Congratulations Elizabeth I hope this is a pleasant surprise, you win a crocheted doily and screwpine heart just like Kim.

I wish there were little hearts to mail out to all those who came to visit and left a comment but there will be more opportunities to do so. So do drop in and say hello.

Kim and Elizabeth I have mailed you both and asked for your postal addresses so I can mail the little packages out to both of you when I get home from Kanyakumari.

Flowers for Kath

Kath in Crete ( so totally exotic I must say) has received the page I made for her so I can reveal it here.

This is the last page I created in the 13 month long book page swap. I rose to the challenge and have completed my end of the bargain successfully. 13 pages made and sent out and all 13 received without mishap. Fell back on the commitement of a page a month a couple of times but there was also the opportunity to catch up.

I got my first page in the swap from Kath as a matter of fact, so we've come full circle.

I've begun work on the cover for my book of Leaves. I hope to have the book ready by the end of March.

Have a great weekend.

The Princess and the Pea for Ann

I got word last night that Ann has received the page I created for her so I can reveal it here.

Ann's theme is Fairy tales so I decided to illustrate the Princess and the Pea.

I decided to represent the bedroom all prepared with the stack of mattresses and quilts with the pea tucked in between them.

Hard to miss the funky mattresses sort of tribal/folk and that shiny purple carpet - I've attempted some perspective in this funky eclectic bedroom here if you haven't noticed! The pea is a button covered with satin stitch and the mattresses have been stuffed with polyfil.

There's one more page to be revealed, hope to get word from Greece in the next couple of days that it has reached.

One Heart One World

The One World One Heart event is back.

Lisa Swifka is the brain behind this blog open house which has grown to 1000 participants in 4 years and this year is the fifth and final year.

So I just made it as a participant, last year I had a great time travelling the world and discovering a plethora of creative people via their blogs.

I'm a Textile Designer living in Bangalore, India. Embroidery is my passion. I embroider scarves and stoles and I'm deeply involved with design and development of textile based handicrafts in India.

As part of the One World One Heart event I'm giving away a crocheted doily and a little heart made of screwpine fibre. Both are made by groups of craftswomen who I've worked with.

If you'd like to be included in the draw for this giveaway you need to be a blogger, yes this is an event for active bloggers. Please leave a comment on this post only and I'll draw a lucky winner on 17th February. Please make sure you leave your email id so I can contact you. :) Like this maya(dot) matthew(at) gmail (dot) com so bots or trolls or whatever else don't get hold of it.

I hope you enjoy taking a look around my blog.

Thanks for visiting and to see the list of participants in this year's One World One Heart event click here. Bon Voyage!

The Sea for Mandy

Here's the page I created for Mandy and I can post it here now that she's received it. The theme was the sea.

Leaves from Juliette

This page made by Juliette came from the UK and takes the pages of my book of Leaves to nine.

Waiting for a couple more to take the count to twelve so I can start assembling the book.

Will start on the covers next week while waiting.

I've completed my end of the swap and will be posting three pages out to Germany, Greece and the UK tomorrow. There will be sneak peeks of the pages here but will have to wait for the recipients to actually receive them before I post pics of the three pages.

What have you planned for the weekend. My weekend started yesterday with a wonderful party for a close friend's 9th wedding anniversary.

Winter Solstice 2010

The first finish of the new year - Winter Solstice 2010. A tea and rust dyed silk and cotton scarf embroidered with circles.

Unusual name wouldn't you say. It was around the time of the Winter Solstice in2010 that I dyed this piece of silk cotton and it reminded me of the appearance of the moon that night of the total lunar eclipse.
Circles embroidered with running stitch cover the surface of the scarf.
To add a hint of sparkle a single red sequin has been attached somewhere along the outer edge of of the small circles embroidered in red like the one at the lower right hand corner in the above image. Can you spot the sequin?

I need to figure out a way to show you how the scarf appears in its entirety and not just the details, will do that with the next couple of scarves which are going to be pashmina. Quite excited because its the first time I'll be working with this fibre. For now if you'd like to see this scarf or any of the others featured in the last couple of posts visit Plantation House at the Leela Galleria, Bangalore.