PIPLIQUE A journey of stitches.
All material featured in this COFFEE TABLE BOOK is the sole property and authentic collection of PIPLIQUE. All material contained in this issue is based on the hardworks of the fifth semester fashion communication students assigned to the craft cluster of Pipili as part of the craft promotion initiative. The views, opinions, ideas & comments expressed in this book are solely part of the research conducted by the group and are first hand observations. However, no attempt has been made to taint the image and character of any person, place or thing. Copyright @NIFTBHUBANESWAR. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited. All disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts and forums in India/ India only. NIFT BHUBANESWAR doesnot take any responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. National Institute Of Fashion Technology Chandaka Industrial Estate, Opposite KIIT School Of Management, Patia, Bhubaneswar Odisha- 751024, India |Ph: +91 674 2305700]
CERTIFICATE This is to certify that this Coffee table book has been the team effort of the students of fifth semester of the batch 2015-2019 from the Department of Fashion Communication . All the content presented in this book are known to the best of my knowledge. This book is made as part of the craft promotion initiative and not for any commercial purpose. All the members engaged in the making of this book have contributed to the best of their individual skill set.
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Signature of the department mentor
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our gratitude to all those people who gave us guidance throughout the process of developing this book. We would like to give a special thanks to our mentors Mr Amit Das and Ms Supriya Munda, who supported and encouraged us from time to time. Their constant critic and guidance helps us to edit and refine this book more effectively.Last but not the least, we would like to give a special thanks to the people of Pipli who has not only given us the necessary information but also welcomed us to cherish and be a part of their lifestyle. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Textile, Goverenment of India for sponsoring this initiative through which we hope to educate the world about this wonderful craft. Thank you everyone !
PIPLIQUE A journey of stitches.
OUR TEAM Siddhartha Sengupta Layout, Graphics & Editing Revaa Pathak Content Writing Gunjan Illustrations & Photography Sonal Khushalani Content writing Shruti Singh Photography & Graphics Ujjwal Chaudhary Content writing & Proofreading Suraj Sahoo Photography
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Because Some Stitches are worth showing
PIPLIQUE A journey of stitches.
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Introduction
About the world of applique, pipli : about the people, the lifestyle and their work and our understanding upon it.
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O r i g i n
How pipli got established as the hub of applique and how it a began. The story of the start of thiscraft.
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Their story
The story of the town and the people who’ve made it known for its skilled craftsmanship and how it became the story of their lives and their culture.
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M a r k e t
The journey of the craft from start to finish. The evolution in the style and presentation of the age old craft.
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P r o d u c t s
The elegant products at the bustling markets of Pipili attracts buyers from around the world.We have presented a few coveted products from the markets of Pipili.
CONTENTS
P r e f a c e “ Some carve their future and some embrace to their past to strive for a better future. ” Applique is the craft which is passed down from one generation to another, from a father to his son/ daughter and is successfully been carried forward in the village of Pipli which is located in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. The craft which is born with stitches and famous for it’s beautiful colours have successfully been able to spread it’s wings all across the world.
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Abstract c Although the Indian Government has since then implemented many comprehensive plans to secure this sector, the threat of industrialisation and globalisation continues to affect the art. Today, technological advancement has systematically reduced handicrafts and machine-made cheap and popular products have brought most of these work of arts to the verge of extinction. This has effected the dexterity of the artisans into daily waged factory works. Indian folk art and craft like, the applique of Pipili are in high demand among the western consumers. Again, foreign fashion industry borrows a great deal from India. Applique is one of the major textile technique which has found its way in almost every section of the fashion industry, from luxury design products to regular craft expo. goodies which sits in every Indian households, the wall hangings to the bedsheets. A YSL leather applique bag for 300$ to an applique artisan’s house in the cluster of Pipili, the contrast has been dramatic.
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CHAPTER
The artisans of these crafts carry the legacy of their land.
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01
INTRODUCTION
The applique work of Pipili is probably the most well-known handicraft in Puri and surrounding areas. Almost each and every family living in Pipili is engaged in this craft. This craft is the livelihood of most people here.
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Odisha is one of the 29 states of India, located in the
eastern coast of India. The Indian state of Odisha has a rich cultural and artistic heritage. Odisha has 485 kilometres
of coastline along the Bay of Bengal on its east, from Balasore to Malkangiri. Due to the reign of many different
rulers in the past, art and craft in Odisha underwent many changes giving an artistic diversity today in the forms of traditional handicrafts, painting and carving, dance and music.
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It takes about 37 minutes to travel to Pipili from Bhubaneswar via Puri Road
It is thirty-six kilometers from Puri, at the junction where the Konark road branches from the Bhubaneswar to Puri road.
The Pipili village is the main center of appliqué work. Rows of shops in Pipili flaunt appliquéd handbags, bed sheets, wall hangings, purses, cushion covers, letter cases, pillow covers, canopies and garden umbrellas. Patronized by kings and nobility of Orissa, appliqué work at one time had reached the artistic heights of excellence. Patronized by kings and nobility of Orissa, appliqué work at one time had reached the artistic heights of excellence.
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02 ORIGIN CHAPTER
Travelling down through generations, AppliquĂŠ has developed its own unique identity when it comes to talking about stitches. When it is in terms of stitches, they are best when visible is the concept by which this craft works. Applique came to be in Puri and, eventually, Pipli. The king of puri ordered a darji (professional tailor) to create two pillows. The darji finished the first and found his creation to be so beautiful that he thought them only befitting for use by Lord Jagannath. When the darji returned the next morning to complete his handiwork, one of the pillows was found to be missing.
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&
lord Jagannath
Applique
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Upon learning this, Badshah imprisoned the darji for the crime of stealing. However, that night, Lord Jagannath came to Badshah in his dreams to tell him that it was he himself who transported the pillow to Puri. The darji was released the following day. After he had completed the remaining pillow, he travelled to Pipli where he taught the art of applique to those of his caste. Thus, only the most skilled artisans were chosen to produce the finest creations for Lord Jagannath. The Muslim population of Pipli played an influential part in applique’s later designs and its commercialisation.
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The kings of Puri engaged craftsmen in the service of Lord Jagannath and set up the village of Pipili for them to live in.
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lifestyle of these humble craftsmen
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CH AP TE R
03 THEIR Lifestyle
STORY
X
culture
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In our interaction, we came to know about lot of problems that the craftsmen are facing these days and some changes that he might want to happen so that some of people like could be benefitted.
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Trying to be a voice not an echo
COURAGE TO BATTLE STRRUGLE TO SURVIVE We had interaction with many craftsmen, one of them was “Md. Riyaz” also known as “Kuna”.
He told that not every craftsmen are getting the benefits of the schemes that are there by the government. The craftsmen are having a real tough time and if this continues then the day is not far when Pipili will lose its identity and hardly there would be any craftsmen left.
The government is trying its best to help these people and keep the craft going.
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A large section of the artisan population in Pipili is illiterate and is devoid of formal education. Poverty again makes them become more vulnerable. As a result, most of the artists are now a day choosing to shift to other professions such as manual labour rather than to stick into their hereditary occupation. Mukundaspur is a small village near the outskirts of Pipili from where many artisans and famlies come to work for the craftsman in Pipili and take up the daily orders.
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The children of Mukundaspur at their daily chores.
The coming generation in the cluster is no more inclined towards this craft, and the reason behind this is better living standards that other trades provide. Everyone wish to live a content life and it seems practicing craft is not working for these people. They constantly get paid low for their hard work. These days people who are or were in this craft do not want their child to continue this trade as they don’t want their child to suffer disappointment.
Seasonal unemployment is one of the major problems in appliqe. The artisans get orders from time to time but not on a regular basis. As per our interview with them they are most active during the time of the Rath Yatra and Toshali, the crafts fair. Other than that business during the rest of the year is dull. The artisans to focus on attracting the major part of the indian population, the youth. These artisans of Pipili need to start developing products which would be cheap yet attractive so that they attract the youth of the region. Having a diverse range of products would be beneficial in having a market that would cater to a wider audience.
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SCENARIO OF THE
LIFESTYLE
LIFE AT
MUKUNDASPUR STORIES BEYOND PIPILI
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u
&
h u
m
r
a l
dr e a m s
Reality
The distance between
R
b l
e
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V i b r
y
a
o
n
u
t
t h f Closely related to nature
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u l
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There is lack of trained craftsman. Workshops are organised very occasionally and in long gaps by government and NGO’s. Hence, these training camps see very little participation. Those who do participate have to wait a long time for the next training camp to further their skills or learn something new. These irregularities in organising the training camps creates disinterest within peopleand hence they quit most the time. The upcoming generation is ready to forward the age old craft.
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Life is not a problem to be solved but, a reality to be experienced. This is a fact that the people of pipli have learned by their hearts. Eventhough they have a bizillion problems, from arrangement of food and clothes to everyday work and chores, they have learned to handle themselves well. They are hopeful that the next day will be better than the last and they work hard every day to make it a reality.Providing better oppourtunities in the trade of this craft and bringing a sense of premium and richness in the products by ensuring the quality of the craft is how we can help better their lives.
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Bali
Culture
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influences
art
& craft
Yatra
devottees
Culture
& festivities in
odisha
Every part of our beloved India will wish you with high spirits of festivity. The vibrant culture, rich customs, feeling of celebration, a plate full of exquisite meal. After all, this what India- the festival of land is known for. One such part of India where festivals run the happy lives of people is Odisha. Being a land of various religions and tribe, you will find numerous festivals being celebrated by the people throughout the year.
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Aesthetics
pipili
CULTURE Culture
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influences
art
& craft
Bali Jatra is celebrated to mark the voyages made by ancient sea traders from Odisha to Bali. It falls on the day of Kartik Purnima. On this day, miniatures of the boats called boitas are released in ponds, rivers and the sea.Festival is celebrated for a week. A major annual trade fair is also held in Cuttack.
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A blend of art & culture
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The applique craft is closely connected with religious traditions. A canopy and flag are essential for every temple. In many villages during festivals, the images of Devi Radha and Lord Krishna are led in procession, the divine chariots are covered with applique work, and ritual umbrellas, trash (fans), etc. are also carried before the deities. The temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri sees many festivals around the year, during which images of the archa (representative deities) are often taken out in procession. The taking out of the deities is caned mulabera and is especially associated with this temple. The most important festival where applique items are required is Rath Yatra which is the most auspicious festival of Odisha.
Three chariots richly decorated with applique works are pulled through the streets of Puri to commemorate the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra. The Chhatris are a common takeaway from this festival and is sold on almost every street during this festival.
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04 Markets
The growth in applique products amounts to increasing demand for ethnic and culture-specific goods as a result of growth in world tourism. There is an increasing global trend of spending on home furnishing and an increasing global reaction to the homogenization of mass-produced goods, not to speak of the growing preference for substituting goods based on synthetic materials with goods based on environment friendly natural raw materials. Applique has become are part of a much larger home accessory market, which includes handcrafted, semi handcrafted, and machine-made goods. The home accessory market is strongly influenced by fashion trends, consumer-purchasing patterns, and economic conditions in end markets.
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elegance in the market
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“ The bustling markets of Pipili
Customers want the products to be cheaper and attractive. Artisans go for more profit, at times ignoring the quality.
The traditional products like Chhati (large umbrella used during religious ceremonies), Batua (special type small bag to carry betel leaf and other accessories), Bana (flag) etc are fast disappearing from the appliquĂŠ market and instead wall hangs, garden umbrellas, lamp sheds, cushion covers and letter bags are now prepared as they are very much in demand by the tourists.
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WHO ARE THEY
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This craft is beautifully handy crafted by the local people of Pipli. They work in small groups showcase their work for sale in their self owned shops. Social Life Cultural Side Artistic Skills Festivals
THE LOCAL
SHOPS
T h e h u b o f c o l o r s .
A n e x u s o f f o r e i g n fo o t f a l l
Rows of shops in Pipli flaunt appliquÊd handbags, bed sheets, wall hangings, purses, cushion covers, letter cases, pillow covers, canopies and garden umbrellas. Though the art became popular after the construction of the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri, its origins go far beyond. In the old days, Pipli craftsmen used to make canopies, banners, umbrellas and fans for festivals held in Puri’s famous temple.
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Fabrics.
stitches.
colours. 49
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Fabrics doesnot make exquisite products, its the stitches.
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Stitching is a art that only the m o s t s k i l l e d h a n d s c a n d o.
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the integrity of the finest stitches simplicity of the craft The beautiful craft popular for it’s colorful stiches is something which have a charm to graps the attention of the viewer. Everyday hundrerds of craftmen sit for hours to provide the world with a masterpiece they can posses for pass to their dear ones.
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a j o u r n e y f r o m thread t o c l o t h
PROCESS
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The
craft consists of cutting intricate floral, animal, religious and geometrical patterns and then they are sewn together by hand,over the base fabric. A thick fabric is used for a strong and durable base and a thinner fabric for the upper layer, which is cut, folded and stitched together. Cotton, and velvet which are used as the base material is procured from Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Using any other fabric may present a challenge as they are hard to fold. Designs are first drawn on a tracing paper and then etched over the base fabric. Designs are based on what is currently selling largely in the market, but sometimes special orders also come which requires special designs.
Fabrics are the lifeline of this craft
Desired patterns are then either individually cut on the thinner fabric (in case it is a new design) or they are starched and then ironed to make them crisp and then cut together in a stack, running a rolling blade tool over the entire stack.
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Desired patterns are then either individually cut on the thinner fabric (in case it is a new design) or they are starched and then ironed to make them crisp and then cut together in a stack, running a rolling blade tool over the entire stack. These layers are then separated and sandwiched with the thick count fabric at the base. 10-12 craftsmen work on a single product. Motifs are cut by men and the stitching part is done by the women. Applique done by hand requires and extra ¼” seam allowance all around the outer edges of the shape.
Once this shape or pattern is cut out, a row of stitches from the outer edges of the shape or design is made using the ¼” seam allowance. In case of machine or fusible applique, the designs are just cut without the extra ¼” seam allowance and just stitched but then in such applique work mostly flat designs are achieved.
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The inside curves are clipped and the outside curves are notched. The edges are pressed under so that the stitch is not seen. To create a fluffy look cotton batting or polyester fibrefill is inserted in between the base fabric and the upper layer before sewing. Embroidery threads are used for stitching.
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RAW
Materials
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To create this beautiful piece of craft, some products are essential. A Needle: it is very fine slender piece of polished metal with a point at one end and a hole or eye for thread at the other, used in sewing. A long, thin strand of cotton, nylon, or other fibres used in sewing or weaving.Different types of cloths are used to make an applique cloth such as Scissors which is used for cutting paper, cloth etc. A Sewing Machine with a mechanically driven needle for sewing or stitching cloth. A Marker is used to draw the design patterns on cloth. Mirrors are used in process of embroidering of applique work. Metal Pieces are used in process of embroidering of applique work.
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Women at work in Mukundaspur
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HARDSHIP TRIUMPS ALL CHALLENGES
Applique generally uses a colour palette that comprises of colours such as red, purple, black, yellow, green and white. Once the design is fixed on top of the base fabric embroidery design is made with different coloured embroidery threads and sometimes mirror work. This is done by these hardworking women of Mukundaspur.
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5
C H A P T E R
ELEGANT P R O D U C T S
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Applique work forms a major part of the handicrafts of Orissa. The applique work is a piece of art that is done by cutting beautiful pattern on a piece of cloth. Patterns depicting flowers, animals, etc. are made, which are then stitched beautifully on another piece of cloth. In Pipli, one can come across rows of shops flaunting the applique work. The applique work includes bed covers, letter cases, cushion covers, wall hangings, pillow covers, bed sheets, hand bags, canopies, garden and umbrellas. The price starts from INR.100. And varies according to the size and design adapted in the applique work.
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Lanterns Available in different sizes Raw Material - Fabric
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Lanterns Available in different sizes Raw Material - Fabric
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Umbrella
Raw materials: Polyester & Fabric
Available in different sizes
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Raw materials: Fabric
Umbrella Available in different sizes
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Umbrella
Raw materials: Polyester & Fabric
Available in different sizes
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Umbrella Raw materials: Fabric Available in different sizes
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Wall
Hangings
Raw materials: Fabric
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Available in different sizes
Wall
Hangings 71
Why Should You Visit Pipili?
Patchwork and appliquĂŠ wall hangings bedspreads, tablecloths, cushion covers, bolster covers and quilts have become quite popular of the Pipli market. The work is functional and decorative at the same time. Patchwork designs are timeless; they grace any setting - traditional, modern or Art Deco. Most of the patchwork products are produced in bulk for the international and domestic markets. For the international market exporters use more contemporary designs (usually geometric patterns) and pastel colours (favorites are white on white, or cream on white). Similar trends are seen in the domestic market as far as urban consumers are concerned. Designs like trees, birds, and animal motifs are also popular in the domestic market. Explore and purchase the most authentic Applique products because few stiches are worth showing.
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