Nature india documentation by Namrata Singh

CRAFTS KAHANIYAN project 2014 namrata singh

â&#x20AC;&#x153; a women is a full circle . Within her is the power to create , nurture and transform â&#x20AC;&#x153; - diane mariechild

| DECONSTRUCTED | TEXTURED | HANDMADE |

CONTENTS

INSPIRATION MOOD BOARDS COLOR BOARDS SKETCHES TYE AND DYE ITERATIONS TEXTURE BOARDS EMBROIDERY ITERATIONS PRODUCT SKETCHES

INTRODUCTION CLIENT BRIEF DESIGN BRIEF

WHY CRAFTS KAHANIYAN? INITIAL RESEARCH WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CRAFT? MARKET RESEARCH - talk by devika krishnan - talk by neelam chibber - competative matrix 1 - competative matrix 2 - online shopping ERI CULTIVATION DASTKAR REFERENCES

ASSAM AT BIJOYNAGAR - natural dyeing - costing of fabric - mordanting - dyeing with turmeric - dyeing with indigo - dyeing with tumeric +iron - tye and dye with natural dyes - inferences from worshop - color fixing AT ANTS - workshop - inferences after workshop - wallet prototyping - stole prototype production - wallet prototype production - final day exhibition

COST SHEET PHOTOSHOOT 1 PHOTOSHOOT 2 LEARNING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

INTRODUCTION CLIENT BRIEF DESIGN BRIEF

INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN PRODUCTS THAT NURTURE LIVELIHOODS AND NOT ONLY ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF THE TARGET AUDIENCE BUT ALSO COMPEL THEM TO MAKE A SMALL CHANGE .TAKING US A STEP CLOSER TO REVIVING HANDICRAFTS , PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT AND A BETTER FUTURE. Artisans need advice and help to build up their market economy and develop art into something that’s viable in today’s market without losing its soul. Fortunately sophisticated urban markets have welcomed the concepts of traditional crafts. However, traditional work must adapt to the new clientele. In addition since the market has expanded, innovations must now be faster and less subtle. While innovating artisans don’t always have adequate information about the tastes of new markets. For a myriad of reasons including social attitudes, they do not have access to the better markets. Commercialization in this situation has induced a downward spiral of declining quality. In efforts to revive quality it has been recognized that new design is needed to make craft sustainable.

“It is not the craft that is a bearer of tradition. It is Human – beings who are

tradition “

CLIENT BRIEF Wildlife Trust of India is a national conservation organisation committed to effective action for the protection of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural heritage. Their principal objectives include managing or preventing wildlife crises and mitigating threats to individual wild animals, their populations and habitats through holistic strategies and practical interventions. Wildlife trust of India aims at securing the national heritage of India. Their mission is to conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the welfare of individual wild animals, in partnership of communities and government organisation. The IFAW-WTI initiatives to provide green livelihoods to communities under the Greater Manas Conservation Project wanted to go a step further with a three week long training workshop in embroidery techniques to professionally prepare the embroiderers Through a strategic tie up with the Bengaluru based Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology and a fruitful local collaboration with Aagor, an enterprise of the Action Northeast Trust (Ant), the IFAW-WTI team wanted to sharpen the existing embroidery techniques to suit international markets. Embroidery was a value addition for marketting the eri silk exclusively produced in Assam.

RAINBOW PRODUCTS WTI was aiming at a range of rainbow products . • Saving a wildlife specie • Fair trade product • Environment – friendly • Promoting a cultural heritage • Uplifting a conflicting community • Women empowerment • Representing an aspiration for peace and respect for life.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS • To bring about a social change by generating income through handicrafts • To keep the people away from the forests • To support conservation • To tap the international markets • To position products under exclusivity and mainstream markets. • To help create the overall look and feel of nature India •To develop rainbow products through the project • To develop allied products on nature themes • To conduct a market survey • To create processes for production

DESIGN BRIEF Nestled beneath the sub Himalayan range of hills lies the Shangri-La of North east, the land of blue hills and big rivers Assam. A great variety is noticed in Assam’s natural scenery and cultural treasures. History here unites with myths and traditions. The textile industry of Assam encompasses cotton textile, silk textile as well as Khadi cloth which are, in fact, traditional cloth endowing high social and moral value in and outside the state. Rumari, a small village about 190 kms away from Bijoynagar consisted of a settlement of a Muslim community, who were originally immigrants from Bangladesh. This community traditionally practiced kantha – an authentic embroidery technique practiced in West Bengal. Off late there has been a decline in the number of embroiderers as embroidery is no more seen as a “paying proposition”.

CAN WE BLAME THEM? NEED FOR THE PROJECT To prevent the traditions from dying out and to minimise the poverty, unemployment, and human animal conflict and to nurture the livelihood of the communities, branding the craft in a way that it could sell in the market was required.

INSPIRATION “ Two contrasting componenets put together make one great piece of design” Picking inspiration from the existing skills ,culture and creativity of the community and amalgamating them with the contemporary consumer needs ,this project aims at developing products which could be sold in today’s market. A collection inspired by the beautiful paddy fields and rice cultivated in Assam , by picking the stories from the communities ,their symbolism and textures and the conventional needs of modern man , Crafts Kahaniyan is almost about blending together practicality and tradition. Crafts Kahaniyan juxtaposes lifestyle products of our “contemporary class”, an integral part of our economic system with the connatural skills, an integral part of the community’s social system. This project is a reflection of a contrast – fastening together our need for functionality and flamboyance.

AIM • It is not only about solving a problem but helping others solve a problem. • To position the traditional Indian handicrafts in the categories of exclusive premium product trade and sustainable luxury.

WHY CRAFTS KAHANIYAN? Carlessness towards the environment in India will begin to change only when every soul living in our society is satisfied and self sufficient. Taking an initiative and making an effort is our responsibility . We are the future of this country. IIt is upon us to decide what we want our country to be like. Unemployment and poverty have been problems our country has been dealing with since a very long time. They have also been two major milestones that have hampered the growth and development of India. Handicrafts have been a part of our society since ages. However they have been dying out recently due to varied reasons , industralisation being one of them. Creating an awareness about handicrafts can prove to be an iimportant source of income and employment for a major part of our society. A large part of our rural society has been underestimated and ignored.I believe it is important to create a platform to increase the involvement of artisans in the community. The artisans and craftsmen are to a very large extent intimidated by our presence and ideas . Creating an experience for them that evokes their curiousity and imagination and using their knowledge as a design tool is all that will take this country to cross the boundaries and be a space flooded with self sufficiency , creativity and prosperity.

INITIAL RESEARCH SURFING THROUGH LARGE POOLS OF DATA THAT IS AVAILABLE AND FIGURING OUT WHAT IS GOING ON CURRENTLY? WHAT IS THE STATUS OF INDIAN HANDICRAFTS?WHAT DISTINGUISHES TRADITIONAL CRAFT FROM MODERN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN? CRAFTS WOULD COME UNDER THESE THREE CATEGORIES • THE FASHION MODEL - Always new - Always in demand - Crafts could be style -setters and could keep evolving in attractive ways. • THE W.C MODEL - Highly utilitarian everyday objects - Stable in terms of demand - Mature in terms of design - Compete on basis of efficiency rather than originality • THE MUSEUM MODEL - To fund the preservation of dying crafts

Replicas and immitations of authentic products ,being sold at cheap prices ,thus reducing market share for handicrafts

Cannot easily be mass produced

Threats to Indian handicrafts Industrial manufacturers can respond quickly to the changing demands Economics not in favour of Indian handicrafts

Competitors are able to produce high quality goods at low costs using modern infrastructure ,research and management

MODERN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

TRADITIONAL CRAFT

• Obsession with orginality • Remote manufacturing and markets • Distancing from physical environment • Short product lifecycles • Ownership of intellectual property

• Not an innovation • Evolutuinary products • Repetative labout • No originality • Always trying to achieve near perfection

AIMS AS A DESIGNER To create goods that represent status by linking Indian crafts with sustainable luxury

To revitalize traditional skills

To create a sense of exclusitivity

To improve product quality

To position Indian handicrafts in the category of exclusive premium product trade

To solve the production issues

To make artisans participate in the Indian markets

To retain the cultural integrity of the craft

WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CRAFT? Craft used to be what industry is now - the production of everyday utilitarian objects for regular consumption. Mass produced goods often undermine it. Tradition can be historical ,socialogical ,political or literary .The context we are looking at tradition in are the textile and the artisans .Specific regions in India have age -long traditons associated with fabric production . When a craft dies not only do the artisans and their business die , but with it dies an entire , history , legacy ,tradition and knowledge. Tradition is a cultural community in social attitudes and institutions .It must also include culture ,the passing on of cultural meanings from generation to geneartion of artisans.The sustainer of tradition is a community .Community of makers and users give and share the meaning of craft traditions. Artisans are the suppliers ,users are the purchasers, and the product is the connection that brings these two together . The aim is to revitalize traditional skills, improve product quality , solve production issues , and create new products while retaining cultural integrity of crafts production.

MARKET RESEARCH

THE BOMBAY STORE

- Discovering new India - Turning traditional to contemporary by using modern color palletes , modern desiigns and motifs - Crafts - Dokra , madhubani , warli etc

VARNAM

- The focus was on crafts from chennapatna - Objects were very creatively connected to the history , geography ,culture ,traditions etc. - Every object had a story behind it. - The products were creative and logical - Bringing forward a lost craft - Without moving away to a more contemporary style, they focus on material and color and play around with the usibility.

CINNIMON

- Organic forms used in design - Extremely high end products - The products were exquisite - The forms were not very cose to nature.They were highly contemporarised - There is no direct immitation of craft .Just taking the inspiration from the traditional craft and making new products. - Not following the idea of selling a craft or promoting craft for livelihood. - Not much story -telling involved.

ANTS - Sticking to traditional motifs - Slightly tweaking the orginal designs - Aiming at just helping the communities out with design - The communities are intimidated by our presence and do not want to accept our inputs - Its all about helping them make a livelihood - Always design keep in mind mass production and not just to make the product look beautiful - Design to tell a story of the craft and place - If you cannot sell the story , you cannot sell the craft

GOOD EARTH

- More emphasis on design than craft - Direct depiction of inspiration - The focus was on design - It was all about creating and experimenting - Generating an experience - Great advertising and packaging

CAUVERY HANDICRAFTS - Excellent finishing - Affordable prices - To ensure the states rich traditions of craftsmanship

FAB INDIA

- It caters to the general audeince - There is a focus on the story behind the product - Fulfills the need for marketting the vast and diverse craft traditions of India - The products are not very exclusive and are produced on a large scale.

MOTHER EARTH

- The aim is to democratize craft - The main emphasis is on the product - There is a wide range of products - The quality of the products is uneven and looks unfinished - They cater to people with different lifestyles.

JHAR CRAFT

- They have a wide range of affordable fabrics - The products are conventional - Great focus is given to the functionality of the products - The quality of products is good . - The products lack originality.

TALK BY DEVIKA KRISHNAN

TALK BY NEELAM CHIBBER

RANTHAMBORE DASTKAR

MOTHER EARTH

- Use local motifs - Keep the spirit intact - Use the existing skills - Provide and nurture livelihood - Sell a story - Sell the product not the craft - The product should recall - Use the story behind the product - Learn and adapt to the skills - Desing for the quality of the product - Make simple designs - Keep your mind to open to thoughts and ideas - Never decide the product before hand - Handicrafts are time consuming - The entire process needs to be collaborative - Make sure the craft can be mass produced

- Selling the craft must be the main aim - Strongly believe in “Cultural Creative Manufacturing” - Provide a better livelihood and ownership of the craft - Help the artisans/ craftsmen design products - You cannot sell a craft/ technique. You are selling a product - Climatic and geagraphic conditions matter a lot - Craft was all about functionality a few years back - A partnership between the designer and the artisan has to be established.

DEVIKA KRISHNAN

NEELAM CHIBBER

COMPETATIVE MATRIX 1 AFTER THE MARKET SURVEY WAS DONE THE BRANDS WERE CLASSIFIED AND DIVIDED INTO CATEGORIES WITH THE HELP OF A COMPETATIVE MATRIX ON THE BASIS OF QUALITY ,FUNCTIONALITY ,USABILITY ETC.

COMPETATIVE MATRIX 2

COMPETATIVE ANALYSIS

AFTER ALL THE DATA WAS COLLECTED , TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT TO RELATE TO AND FOCUS ON A COMPETATIVE ANALYSIS WAS MADE .THIS HELPED IN RELATING TO THE BRAND CLOSEST TO THE CLIENT NEEDS THAT COULD THEN BE FOCUSSED ON AND RESEARCHED UPON FURTHUR IN THE PROJECT.

ONLINE SHOPPING REQUIREMENTS OF AN ONLINE SHOPPER They shop for convinience ,not for the price They need ideas while shopping for gifts ,toys etc. They need to have simplified information about the products. The need the newest products in the market to be available. They need excellent quality designs. There needs to be a story behind the product that makes it more sellable. People of all age groups can shop online.

AFFORDABLE USER - FRIENDLY EXCELLENT QUALITY FUNCTIONAL INFORMATIVE TELLS A TALE FREE - SIZE ATTRACTIVE

ERI CULTIVATION The fascination towards eri among the folk life of Assam and the North-east can easily be gauged from an old Assamese proverb (“dair päni, erir käni”) which implies that while curd cools the eri clothe warms up a person. The name “Eri” is derived from an assamese word “Era” the castor plant. This originally wild silk-moth in India, the Eri Silkmoth (Samia ricini)is now fully domesticated and used mainly in the north eastern parts of the country. The earliest reference to Eri silk culture in India is documented in 1779, and Eri silk was long called “Assam silk”. The larvae feed mainly on leaves of Castor (Ricinus communis ), but have a number of alternate host plants such as Kesseru (Heteropanax fragrans), Cassava or

Topioca (Manihot exculata) and a few other plants species Eri silk cocoons cannot be reeled because the cocoons are collected only after the moth emerges out, leaving a hole in the cocoon, that breaks the continuity of the silk filament. The cocoons are therefore subjected to spinning either by hand (tuckly) / spinning wheel or by machine (mill-spun). Earlier, most of the eri silk yarns were hand spun, due to which fine quality was not available.

LUSTRE

UNPARALLEL TEXTURES NATURAL SHEEN

EASY AFFINITY TO NATURAL DYE

STRENGTH

LIGHT IN WEIGHT BAFFLING THERMAL PROPERTIES

ETHNIC CULTURE

DRAPE HIGH MOISTURE OBSORBENCY

STAGE 1 - The original wild silkmoth in India, the Eri Silkmoth (Samia ricini) lays eggs after which collapses and dies.

STAGE 2 - The eggs turn brownish in color and hatch in about 7 - 8 days

STAGE 3 - The worm is then left in a bowl full of castor / tapioca leaves to feed on them.

STAGE 4 - The silkworms are left to feed on bigger leaves for them to mature faster

STAGE 5 - Within a couple of weeks the silkworm grows in size and starts maturing

STAGE 6 - This is the final stage where the cacoon is comepletly mature to start spinning the cacoon

DASTKAR Dastkar was a platform for handicrafts from all over India ,where they were well branded and exhibited.The following were the types of people that came to Dastkar. • Families - toys ,crockery , garments , home accesories ,gifts etc • Newly weds - Home accesories • Students - Stationery , garments • Senior citizens - Garments ,gifts

INFERENCES ON THE TEXTILES AT DASTKAR - Traditional prints with contemporary cuts - The color Indigo sells like hot cakes in the market - There is a great deman for soft and simple fabric - The fabrics need to be more affordable - If the fabric is made price worthy people are ready to spend on it. - The fabrics /garments need to have a story behind them - The fabrics/garments need to be visually appealing - The products need to have universal usage. -The fabrics/ garments need to be simple and flattering on all figures and extremely versatile. - It needs to adapt to your lifestyle and mood - It needs to be comfortable while travelling and moving around.

REFERENCES http://www.womenweave.org/ http://www.dastkarranthambhore.org/ http://craftmark.blogspot.in/ http://www.hirumchi.com/ http://www.rrtextilemills.com/ http://www.sashaworld.com/ http://www.dastkarandhra.org/ http://porgai.org/ http://www.shrujan.org/ http://www.bibirussell.org/

INSPIRATION MOOD BOARDS COLOR BOARDS SKETCHES TYE AND DYE ITERATIONS TEXTURE BOARDS EMBROIDERY ITERATIONS PRODUCT SKETCHES

â&#x20AC;&#x153;combining two materials marrying two communitiesâ&#x20AC;?

INSPIRATION On visiting Assam and meeting the communities there we realized that it was easier for the people there and the artisans to relate to nature and their surroundings. They could resonate with it better . Assam is also known as the land of blue hills and big rivers.Rice being the staple food here , its natural beauty consists mainly of paddy fields and rice cultivation. My main inspiration for the patterns and textures used in this project was the rice fields and the rice cultivation.Techniques such as embroidery , using moduling paste and tye and dye have been used to create patterns and textures. The color pallete i chose to work with was also mostly cool natural muted colors like greens ,blues and yellows keeping it organic and close to nature.

MOOD BOARDS

COLOR BOARD

SKETCHES

TIE AND DYE ITERATIONS

TEXTURE BOARDS

EMBROIDERY ITERATIONS

PRODUCT SKETCHES

ASSAM Assam is derived from the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;Assamaâ&#x20AC;? meaning uneven. Assam one of the seven sisters in the North East of India is the most ethically and linguistically diverse state. Its almost like a meeting point of several communities ,faiths and cultures. Its flooded with distinct cultures and traditions. The culture of Assam is a rich tapestry woven with multicolor yarns of distinct heritage of all the races that inhabit there. The perfect fusion of heritage, tradition, faiths, and beliefs of numerous races has resulted in many festivals in the state. It is a matter of great concern that the natural resources of the state are facing a serious threat of destruction. Poaching of wildlife has risen to alarming proportions. Coupled with this ,the rampant felling of trees has given rise to an equally serious threat to the forest resources. Unless positive steps are taken to stop this menace ,the natural beauty and resources of Assam will remain under threat.

“There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it creates hunger and unhappiness” – Mahatma Gandhi

AT BIJOYNAGAR NATURAL DYEING At Bijoynagar , after studying silkworm rearing and Eri cultivation varying types of undyed Eri silk fabrics were available. We had to choose the most appropriate one that would perfectly fit under the criterias of costing and product usability. Narmohan Das , a man well versed with natural dyeing and Eri cultivation helped us with the dyeing processes .It was under his guidance that we worked out natural dyeing on Eri fabric. It was necesarry to see what the possibilities were depending upon the availability of raw material. Narmohan dada sourced the raw material from in and around the place . There were two methods of dyeing that Narmohan dada used : The slow method - Where

the raw material was crushed ,dried and underwent a lot of processes before being used as a dye. The fast method - Where raw material was directly used without being processed as dye. Gobar , henna , iron , Nagarbela leaves , Indigo , Haldi etc were some of the raw materials used for dyeing.

COSTING OF ERI FABRIC

MORDANTING THE FABRIC (BEFORE DYEING)

Eri silk (undyed) also known as Ahimsa silk had a starting price of Rs 850 per meter and it would go upto Rs 2500 per meter depending upon the weave and quality of yarn used .

Natural dyes do not easily adhere to fabrics and so mordants are used.Mordants are used to set the colors while using natural dyes. A mordant is thus a chemical agent which allows a reaction to occur between the dye and the fabric. Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) is the most common mordant used for dyeing silk fabric. Alum does not affect color. It usually helps in evenness and brightens. DIRECTIONS - weigh the alum, using 6% of the weight of dry silk (i.e. for 100g of

silk use 6g of alum. Put the alum in a small container and pour boiling water into the container. Stir it well until the alum has dissolved. Add this mixture to a bigger container ( 10litre container for 100gms of silk) 3/4th filled with warm water and soak the fabric in it for about half an hour before dyeing it.

DYEING WITH TURMERIC (HALDI) TURMERIC IS A TROPICAL PLANT THAT YEILDS AN ORANGE -YELLOW SPICE FROM ITS DRIED ,GROUND ROOT . TURMERIC DYE CREATES A BRIGHT YELLOW . IT NEEDS TO BE DRIED AND CRUSHED BEFORE USING IT AS A DYE COLOR ON FABRICS INGRIDIENTS : Fabric - 2mtrs Haldi powder - 150gms Hot water - 5 litres PROCEDURE : • In a common kadhai boil some water • Add 150gms of Turmeric powder for 2 mtrs of fabric and let it boil • Remove this dye bath in another container .Strain the water to remove the impurities • Let the fabric soak in it comepletly and let it remain submerged in the dye bath for about 20 - 30mins. • Keep stirring the fabric to make sure that the dye is evenly spread • Remove the fabric from the dye bath and let it dry.

DYEING WITH INDIGO INDIGO IS AN ORGANIC COMPOUND WITH A DISTINCTIVE BLUE COLOR. HISTORICALLY INDIGO WAS EXTRACTED FROM PLANTS ,AND THIS PROCESS WAS IMPORTANT ECONOMICALLY BECAUSE BLUE DYES WERE RARE. INGRIDIENTS : Fabric - 2 meters Indigo powder - 16gms Hot water - 1.2 litres Caustic soda - 16gms Sodium hydrosulphate - 12 gms PROCEDURE : • Put the cloth in hot water and let it seep in for 30minutes. It needs to be comepletly soaked. • Mix the indigo powder in hot water and let it dissolve. • Add caustic soda to this mixture • Add sodium hydrosulphate as it helps in fastening the process • Dip the fabric in this dye bath • Make sure that the fabric id dipped comepletly to avoid oxidisation of the portion which is not submerged.

DYEING WITH IRON + TURMERIC(HALDI) DYEING WITH HALDI AND THEN DIPPING IT IN IRON GIVES A DEEP GREEN COLOR .IT FOLLOWS THE SAME PROCESS OF DYEING WITH HALDI FIRST AND THEN WITH IRON. INGRIDIENTS : Fabric - 2mtrs Haldi - 100gms Harda - 1/2kg powdered harda Ferrous sulphate - 25gms PROCEDURE : FOR HALDI • In a common kadhai boil some water • Add 100gms of Turmeric powder for 2 mtrs of fabric and let it boil • Remove this dye bath in another container .Strain the water to remove the impurities • Let the fabric soak in it comepletly and let it remain submerged in the dye bath for about 20 - 30mins. • Keep stirring the fabric to make sure that the dye is evenly spread • Remove the fabric from the dye bath and let it dry. FOR IRON • Take 1/2kg of powdered

harda and boil it in water for about 20 - 30mins • Strain this mixture and add 25gms of ferrous sulphate to it . Mix it thoroughly without boiling it. • Put the fabric in this dye bath and stir well till the dye is evenly spread • Leave the fabric in the dye bath for half an hour. Remove the fabric and let it dry.

TIE AND DYE WITH NATURAL DYES AS A PART OF MY PROCESS , A SHIBORI WORKSHOP WAS CONDUCTED IN BIJOYNAGAR . YOUNG VILLAGE GIRLS WERE A PART OF THIS WORKSHOP WHERE THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO TIE AND DYE WITH NATURAL DYES.

INFERENCES FROM THE TYE AND DYE WORKSHOP Tie and dye with natural dyes on Eri fabric did not work the way it was supposed to. The fabric being thick did not absorb color as the color could not seep in properly. Dip dye did not work as the fabric needed to be saaked in the dye bath for longer hours rather than just being dipped. The patterns faded as the fabric dried . The contours of the patterns were smudged. The eri fabric after drying looked patchy ,uneven and unfinished.The color faded on drying the fabric making it look gray and washed-out

COLOR FIXING TREATMENT OF FABRIC AFTER DYEING Soapnuts are highly-effective and gentle at the same time. It leaves the fabric fresh and clean and compared to other detergents, its mildness keeps colours bright, maintaining fabric structure for longer periods. It can be used on all fabrics and at all temperatures. It is a 100% substitute to normal detergents. After the fabric was dyed and dried it was soaked in reetha (soapnut) water overnight snd then later washed with normal water to make the fabric softer. Shampoos can be used as a substitute or plain water and ironing.

AT ANTS The ant or the action northeast trust, an organization working on development issues of Northeast India (www.theant.org). The ant aims to provide a platform for beautiful handlooms and crafts from the northeast region to reach many parts of the globe. The platform not only generates sustainable livelihoods, but it also tells inspirational and peace-filled stories of this regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many communities. The Ants CafĂŠ Bengaluru Owner:Smitha and Pradeep Murthy The Ants Craft Trust, registered, as a Public Charitable Trust in 2009 at Bangalore is an offshoot of the ant, a voluntary organization working on development issues in the northeast. ANTS headoffice,Bongaigaon,Assam Jenny-co-founder Started in October 2000, the ant is a 13 year old organization based in Rowmari in Lower Assam. It works directly in villages for furthering the pace of development in the areas mainly falling under Chirang District of Bodoland in Lower Assam (around 170 km from Guwahati, the capital of Assam). At another level, it works to build up the voluntary sector in the northeast region

After the natural dyeing workshop in Bijoynagar , the next step was value additioning the dyed Eri fabric. A community of women in Simlabari a small village near Rowmari , were trained and taught several embroidery techniques a couple of years ago by a student from NID for her diploma project .These women knew basic embroidery stitches but due to unemployment and barely any market demands ,they had lost a touch of it. The main aim was to provide employment and nurture the livelihood of this community by reviving the craft of embroidery. A 10 day workshop was planned out for these women. The first two days of the workshop were for engaging them with material and to open up their minds to let their creativity flow. The activities were planned in a way that the women used

several design tools to bring forth varied range of embroidery textures and patterns. In collaboration with the skills and creativity of these women with the latest consumer demands a range of prototypes were developed over the next 8 days of the workshop. The workshop concluded with an exhibition that was put up for the WTI team , the ANTS team and the women to examine the team work done by them.

WORKSHOP INTERACTIVE ICE BREAKER SESSION The women were asked to visualise themselves as a plant, animal, vegetable or fruit and draw on the sheets provided to them. They were then asked to hold it up and introduce themselves explaining and expressing why they chose that particularplant or picture MAPPING EXPECTATIONS Hopes, Fears & Joys What they hoped they were not asked to do in the workshop ? What they wished they got from the workshop ? What they enjoy the most when they work ? TAKING A LINE FOR A WALK The women were asked to draw two points in a room and to walk /skip / hop / run in different ways from point A to B. They were then asked to replicate these lines by drawing them first on large sheets of paper & then in their workbooks.They

then indentified the emotios and feelings with the types of lines they constructed. EMBROIDERY The women then represented and expressed the above exercise, using needle & thread on fabric. They were asked to use any kind of embroidery stitch they knew and were aware of. TEXTURES WITH LINES The women used smaller finer & multiple lines to create textures. They collected rubbings of different textures and stuck them onto their books.

FRAME MY PICTURE The women were given handmade paper frames to look through & draw what they saw,.They were sent to look at the fields, trees, and surroundings. Initually they created an overall image & then detailed it out using lines & textures. MAKING A SHADE CARD The women were sent around to collect leaves (fresh green ,dried or semi dried). They were then asked to arrange them in shades dark to light or vice versa. This was a color pallete the women created for themselves. SHARING AND REFLECTION The women were then asked to share their experience and learning, The women collected fresh leaves and drew out their outlines.They filled up these shapes with lines and textures

LAYOUTS The women were then asked to work out on cushion layouts in boxes of 16â&#x20AC;?x16â&#x20AC;? using elements such as lines, textures, leaf motifs, animal motifs and ideas from Frame my Picture exercises. REFLECTION The women were then asked to share their experiences with us at the end of this two day workshop

INFERENCES AFTER THE WORKSHOP THE TWO DAY WORKSHOP WAS AN EPIPHANY FOR ME WHERE I REALIZED HOW THIS PROJECT COULD NOT NECESSARILY WORK OUT THE WAY IT WAS PLANNED TO BE . I MADE A NOTE OF THINGS THAT I THOUGHT COULD BE WORKED UPON AFTER THE WORKSOP. • Embroidery done by the women was time consuming since they were not in touch with it. • The women knew just basic stitches like running stitch , chain stitch , button - hole etc. • A lot of women were more inclined towards the idea of taking back some money home then actually being enthusiastic about embroidery. • The speed and finishing of the embroidery varied from person to person. • The women were quite comfortable drawing inspirations from the nature around them • They were not quite comfortable with using muted colors due to lack awareness about the new market and consumer

demands. They preffered using striking hues to color co - ordinate. • The women liked working in groups together rather than sitting at home and working alone . They preferred coming together and interacting with each other while working. • The main aim being nurturing the livelihood of the community ,it was a wiser decision to make smaller products that the women could embroider faster rather than focussing on larger products with minimal embroidery.

WALLET PROTOTYPES A RANGE OF WALLET PROTOTYPES OF VARYING SHAPES AND DESIGNS WERE MADE USING KORA FABRIC . A STANDARD MEASURMENT WAS USED IN MAKING THE PROTOTYPES TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE SIZE OF THE LARGEST CURRENCY NOTE .

3INCHES

3.5 INCHES

STOLES PROTOTYPE PRODUCTION

The Eri silk fabric which was naturally dyed was then measured and cut into strips of varying widths. These pieces were joined back together using embroidery stitches .After all the pieces were joined together the entire stole was ready to be embroidered on.

WALLET PROTOTYPE PRODUCTION

A prototype of the wallet was made initially taking into consideration all the appropriate dimensions. The Eri silk fabric was then cut into square pieces using the calculated dimensions and then embroidered on.These patches of embroidered fabrics were later brought to bangalore and stitched into wallets.

FINAL DAY EXHIBITION

COST SHEET PHOTOSHOOT 1 PHOTOSHOOT 2 LEARNING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

COST SHEET NO

DESCRIPTION

ERI SILK COST

EMBROIDERY COST

NO OF SKEINS USED

STOLE 1 - GREEN + YELLOW

2 METRES – RS 1700

3DAYS – RS 450

RS 150

STOLE 2 - GREEN + YELLOW + BUE

2METRES –RS 1700

3 DAYS – RS450

RS 150

WALLET 1 – WHITE + BLUE EMBROIDERY

25CMS BY 15CMS – RS212

2 DAYS – RS 340

RS 300

WALLET 2 – WHITE + GREEN EMBROIDERY

25CMS BY 15CMS – RS 212

1 DAYS – RS 170

RS 300

WALLET 3 - BLUE + BLUE EMBROIDERY

25CMS BY 15CMS – RS 212

1 DAY – RS 170

WALLET 4 – GREEN +YELLOW AND GREEN EMBROIDERY

25CMS BY 15CMS – RS 212

2 DAYS – RS 340

ERI SILK - RS 850 PER METER EMBROIDERY WAGES - RS 150 + RS 20(AUTO) PER DAY TAILORING CHARGES - RS 300 PER WALLET COST PER SKEIN - RS 5.5 PER SKEIN

TAILORING COST

TOTAL COST COST/UNIT OF SKEINS USED

NO OF UNITS

TOTAL COST

RS 2344

RS 2322

RS2322

RS 874

RS 704

RS 300

16.5

RS698.5

RS 698.5

RS 300

27.5

RS 879.5

Art is not a handicraft

it is the transmission of an artists

feeling

PHOTO SHOOT 1

PHOTOSHOOT 2

WALLET 1

FABRIC

ERI SILK

COLOR

NATURAL ERI COLOR

ANCHOR THREADS COST PRICE

1499 (WHITE) , 0920 (BLUE GREY) , 0169 (BLUE) RS 874

WALLET 2

FABRIC

ERI SILK

COLOR

NATURAL ERI COLOR

ANCHOR THREADS

0388 (OFF WHITE) , 1216 (SHADED GREEN) ,0268 (DARK GREEN) RS 704

COST PRICE

WALLET 3

FABRIC

ERI SILK

COLOR

INDIGO BLUE

ANCHOR THREADS COST PRICE

1499 (WHITE) , 0920 (BLUE GREY) , 0169 (BLUE) RS 698.5

WALLET 4

FABRIC

ERI SILK

COLOR

DARK GREEN

ANCHOR THREADS

0856(SAP GREEN) , 0306 (YELLOW) , 0268 (DARK GREEN) , 0388 (OFF WHITE) , 1216 (SHADED GREEN) RS 879.5

COST PRICE

STOLE 1

FABRIC

ERI SILK

COLOR

DARK GREEN ,HALDI YELLOW 0304 (DARK YELLOW) , 0306(YELLOW), 0388 (OFF WHITE) , 0856(SAP GREEN) ,0268 (DARK GREEN)

ANCHOR THREADS

COST PRICE

RS 2344

STOLE 2

FABRIC

ERI SILK

COLOR

DARK GREEN ,HALDI YELLOW , INDIGO BLUE 0388 (OFF WHITE) , 0306 (YELLOW) RS 2322

ANCHOR THREADS COST PRICE

LEARNING IT IS NOT ONY ABOUT SOLVING A PROBLEM ,BUT HELPING OTHERS SOLVE A PROBLEM Primarily ,it was imperative to understand the dilemma being faced by the community and also identifying the client requirements, The challenge was to connect these two elements to my design brief and ideas. The research involved a detailed market survey , user research and understanding the existing skills of the community. Beyond classroom and instructed learning ,this project has enabled me to look at real world problems and to work with real solutions beyond the boundaries of aesthetic appeal . I was able to use design as a tool that one could use for effective problem solving. There was also a sense of application and comepleteness. This project was holistic in that I covered several aspects of design like various service design tools , facilitating workshops ,embroidery techniques , engaging with communities ,natural dyeing ,design for a purpose and various others. Everything else aside ,I found myself involved in a way that I have never experienced before. Engaging with a community full of skill and collectively working as a team made me look beyond personal concept notes . I see myself capable of a lot more today and i put it down to the growth Ive seen in myself through the course of this project.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Swati Maskeri , Naga Nandini and Sampath Kumar - my project facilitators for giving me constructive feed back and guiding me through this project. Oditi - tailoring unit , for helping me with the finishing of the products . Rupa Gandhi and the entire Wti team for being supportive and patient throughout the project . Shravan Nayar and Juhi Agarwal - for helping me with the product photoshoot . Ants and Agor - for all the support and help provided by them in all possible ways. Rajesh Singh and Sangeeta Singh - for being the backbone of this project. Neelam Chibber and Devika Krishnan for sharing their wonderful experiences with us. Narmoham Das for guiding us thriough the entire process of Eri cultivation and natural dyeing .