Friday, May 27, 2011

...some more Silai work

Hey everyone, I am back, and this time with a Silai Kadai post - Silai (sewing) and Kadai (embroidery). You must have read my love for Silai Kadai here,...they are my stress busters! The monotony in doing the kadai work, numbs the brain and the end result is usually well worth the hours spent in making those dainty stiches. Now this post is specially dedicated to my friend Divya Rajan from the 'Sound Horn Please' blog and to my mom.
Divya and myself usually catch up with each other every 3 - 4 weeks with those long 2 hour phone calls,...and talk about everything under the sun. During one such conversations, she happened to tell me, how she had some projects that were left incomplete from 2-3 years ago, and how she loved them, but was just not in the mood to get back and complete them. My advise to Divya, was not to worry as I had many many projects that were in various stages of progress and that go back to 4 -5 years,... and that I usually put the stuff in a bag and stored them...to be opened, when I would be in the right mood! That consoled her and we moved on to other subjects. Little that I know then, that I was in for a pleasant surprise...
This weekend, while cleaning one of the closets, I found this blue theli [plastic bag] that my mom had got me last year from our Bombay home...it contained bits of silk and cotton material left behind after my kurta's were stiched. Along with the bits of material, were 2 kurta material,... that were partially sewn and embroidered...Both as I recall from 12years ago!! 12 years ago! Fite mou!! So long ago!
I then spent a portion of the weekend sewing together the pieces of one of the kurta's and completed the embroidery. It is a cotton silk red Bandini material, stiched in a typical Angrakha tunic style. I plan to weari t with a black chiffon salwar and a black Bandhini dinchak dupatta...some pictures of the same...

...the Shisha or Abla embroidery...


...the completed kurta...


...dress up with the heavy tribal silver necklace...
...or with a pair of silver Moroccan earrings...


So Divya...hang in there....and take your time to complete your projects. Thanks to my Amma, for keeping the kurta pieces safe...

Ok, I forget to tell you this...the whole reason of searching the closet, was to pull out my Pati's (grandmom) Kanjeevaram saree. Now, this saree is about 50 years old and is my next project. It is a triple shaded [yellow, green and orange] mango colored saree,...so soft that it feels like muslin silk. The zari border is worn out, but the body is strong and I love the saree and the color so much, that I have kept it safetly for the last couple of years....I have a lovely idea in mind,...and hopefully will have it ready in a couple of weeks

....my Pati's 'Mambalam' coloured saree...



...Some silk pieces and borders that I plan to attach with the saree body...



Hope you enjoyed the post...Adios until Wednesday...For my friends in the US...hope you are enjoying the Memorial day long weekend...