Steamy

We really are a sweat shop today.
I like to make jokes about it because we are so un-used to humidity, but a few showers of rain and we are all wilting.
Not enough rain to ensure a crop but it is a start and we all hope the Gods will be kind, break this drought, please!
My glasses keep steaming up.
Our artist-in-residence, Anna Reynolds is a tough cookie, she keeps on going and is working up a storm, piles of samples, raiding the offcuts piles transforming sari silk offcuts into spectacular jacket, shrug type things.... playing with her new wood blocks, a very happy visitor.
Lots of fun and laughs abound.

 We've been out to see our old mate Om-ji and order some handmade shoes, it has been ages, in fact not since our Indian Inspiration Creative Camp When we work it out we say " Tthhhhhaaattttt Looooonnnnggg- doesn't time fly?"

Madly, madly working, new samples need to be made...I am trying to bring an element of handstitch into our khadi work, it is an extra little touch, I love the texture and lift it gives items and most importantly it involves our women and creating work for them.

Got a suggestion from someone who would like to organize trunk shows in the US, like a Tupperware party idea [that is how I would describe it as an Ozzie] we make up a kit of our latest samples, it is purchased by the person who will organize parties- party leader! sounds like a good title. Orders are taken and we then make and send to party leader who delivers.

Do you have experience with such ideas, comments suggestions very much appreciated :)

Praveen is steaming up his glasses sorting out silk for the etsy shop...it has slowed down and when we look that is because it is nearly empty!! Heard back from many who have received our little envelopes of offcuts and such, can't wait now to see what they do with them!

 

Got a new office guy, who seems to be working out well, early days but please, please, please let it be true.

Accurate record keeping is so important but being left to me, I have no time for the juicy, interesting stuff and I must admit I get grumpy and frustrated not following up my ideas and making new things.

 

Funny year, we had so many names on our Rajasthan Tour list for this year at this time last year, yet now the we are not certain we have enough to run- what happened?

Hopefully they all turn up this week or we might have to pull the plug, frustrating for those already on the bus and us who so love the trip and seeing our mates and finding new and interesting things.

Ghana tour is looking healthier but still got a few seats- been blissing out following a Ghana food blog...some tasty things to fuel fabric lust and craft adventures

Praveen nearly has a new pile of pictures to add to etsy so I must be off....

Grrrr pattern making guy, stockroom guy and print guy did not turn up....I so rely on our staff to find things these days....with the rain staff get called out to the fields to help the family plant....my cutting guy is here and making up some new samples for me, so that is a little good.

Stay tuned.

almost a quarter...and

It feels like about 3 years of stuff pushed into this year so far.
The year started off with a bit of a health worry for me, so lots of this and that and resolutions to take it easier....trying to get that to happen
Our Creative Camp was looming and it was to be a time out for me- cook lunch for our guests each day, otherwise see how they were going on the various activities we had lined up and see where they wanted to take it themselves.
3 weeks from the Camp we get a phone call from the family in Delhi, Impetuous nephew has fallen in love and wants a love match marriage- a small scandal!! but it can be coped with as long as the marriage can be arranged fast enough before he elopes! Oh yes he is a dear bubbly boy but we all know he is head strong and impatient.
So it is all agreed- unfortunately it will happen during the camp and Praveen will have to slip away for a few days but there is nothing we can do about it.
1 week later we get a phone call from Delhi Praveen's lovely sister Krishna, the mother of the groom has dropped down dead. How heart sick that makes me.....and Praveen will have to be away longer because more help will be needed to organize things. Once the promises are made and a date set it is bad luck not to go through with a wedding and Krishna would have wanted it.
whew....and we have visitors coming.
Luckily we had made the 2 trips up to Bagru to order blocks for the group and pick them up before this and everything was in place.....
Our group arrive- lovely.
One, who had a pre-existing condition but had thought she was fit enough to travel found out her pre-existing condition did not agree, the camp started off well enough for her but ended with visits to hospital and an anxious wait at the airport to see if her airline had suitable staff to look after on the flight home. I am so thankful now she is home and making a slow recovery I am told....at 1.00am in the morning after a very long day and 10 hr drive to Delhi, waiting anxiously outside to see if she could go or I would need to 'do' something in Delhi I burst into tears when the support staff came out and said they could look after her.
wow what an adventure.
Drama aside many things worked out well and we learnt about a few things we could do differently/ better/ change.
I had thought the Camp was a space to develop one's own ideas with the facilities we had to use. I had set up a number of activities to seed this and make sure there would be some tangible results.
Hence the starting experience with Sanju and her Sujani embroidery, embroidered shoes, the carved blocks, the visit to the indigo guy, and garments stitched by the workshop.
I had invited Dawn specifically to share her experiments with eco dye and her book binding skills. Dijanne was kind enough to show some of her quilts and talk about stitch and texture and building a piece from an idea.
Informally there was much discussion about ideas, developing them into work, moving from one idea to another, developing a body of work with an exhibition in mind....twists and turns with techniques already used, how other things could be included.
Some participants already have ideas for coming back and what they would like to follow up- more indigo, using the workshop as a base for independent projects as being away from home with a studio to work in gives time for focus and experimentation, travel to other areas of  India to see even more indigo and stitch techniques, explorations!
A criticism was that we did not formally sit down and do some of these discussions....though they did happen?
More actual demonstrations should happen? hmmm still up to people to run with it.
I do want to create a space for people to explore...follow their own initiative but can see a little formality might help some to reach that zone.
So I think next time we will start with a 'meeting' of show and tell- perhaps just a brief talk about what one has done and what one would like to achieve during the week.
Make a list for those that need it of what they want to do during the week....I will write a few 'course notes' to seed explorations perhaps that will kick start things if anyone wants to use them....this time though in most cases that happened of its own accord.
We use the train as it is the fastest and easiest way from and to Delhi, it does make a Farwell dinner a little awkward so I think I'll add an activity in Delhi to give us a night at the end to have dinner and say good bye.... a session on discoveries and perhaps where it will lead?? I know I would like to see where some of the things that were started and talked of bare fruit.
Much to learn but a good idea worth developing further.

Mr Om our shoe maker

Zav helping print mud resist for indigo dyeing

ohh indigo...watching it dry is a fine time

hand made paper for journal making

elephants for  Holi

indigo

in the market in Ajmer

slippers embroidered to one's own design

Inspired by Sujani....following anew course 

hmmmmmmm :)

 

welllllll.......

The Story has not changed much....
mad rush here in the studio....good news is our new print person is working out real fine.....learning so much about tweaking the constancy of the ink to improve prints.
Originally block print was done on fine cottons...this week I have been printing onto absorbent cotton knit material...causes a few hiccups- it sops up ink, so is quite wet and takes ages to dry....add that to overcast days and it is a head ache. Slows everything down significantly...
getting there, I have to keep saying to myself....
I'll show you some prints and samples in the next few days- promise.

Today is Sunday and supposedly my day off, I am at the workshop...I have a mountain of saris to keep sorting....but a little time to sit and daydream first.

Our first Indian Inspiration Creative Camp is at the end of February next year....

we intend to create a space for people to come and play- a studio away from your studio type idea, line it with things we can do here in India that are special and create a space and assistance for our guests to work that into what they like or want to do.

So there is pre-planning to do

• draw up a design to get made into Indian slippers....the village just up the road...very bumpy road to be truthful is home to many skilled shoe makers, so if we take a cartoon to them within a week or so they will be able to return a pair of hand embroidered leather slippers.

•  I have a trunk of bits and pieces that might be interesting to use in stitching....for myself I am thinking textile broaches...wonder what will inspire others.

•  we have a weekend planned in Jaipur, based around visiting and experimenting in Rambabu-ji's indigo vat....

• Part of the Pre-trip planning revolves around designing a block for printing [and taking home later]....we'll get it carved and oiled ready to go. I know if I was a visitor I would jump at being able to print a mountain of cloth...I have always been that type of crazy though

 

 

 

 

• Our friend Sanju will be joining the group for a few days....she will share ideas/ skills to do with her Sujani embroidery....I want to be able to show her some of my ideas inspired by Toile de Jouy ...I am plan to have made a block based on a machine embroidered sketch I did of Pushkar....it would be cool to stitch back into the print. I tried this out a few years ago now and never had time to follow the idea up...I figure this will be my chance....
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This is a picture I found on the web [sorry not sure who] I must admit to a small obsession with Toile de Joule for a while and my June visit to Paris just fuelled it!

My mate Dawn is coming along to help....she is that type of crazy too, but much more into eco dyeing and journal making....so more skill sets to share. Part of the Jaipur week end will include a visit to a paper mill and supplies for journals, dyeing...we will see where inspiration travels.

We have some lovely guests signed in and still room for more, you're welcome to join us.
I will still be at the workshop should they need me but plan to schedule myself off production work altogether so I can work with our visitors and sit around a play on ideas as well.
Can't wait to get onto that block design, I have more than enough hand embroidered shoes already...it is raaaaaatttthhhhhherrrrrrr exciting commissioning a pair.
I have a page on Pinterest dedicated to the camp...but a lot of my other boards overlap a lot, the one about indigo, the one about dreaming blocks...our latest print board...lots

off to sort saris now....

 

Buzzing along like usual

Hiya,
I have been going along quite happily, enjoyed the long week end we had over Diwali, managed to run away from the workshop for a few hours the other day with Praveen to buy new jooti shoes at the camel fair, AND have afternoon tea at a local café!!
Yippee a whole few hours off.

 Had time to be silly and take selfies with my mate Dawn as we whiled away the hours on the train to Delhi for her to head back to Oz....

 admire my Baba with his new nose ring...

and learnt how to make silly pictures of Praveen with some gizmo on my phone...

Yesterday I went home tired but pleased, we have got the tour "France- the Mirrabelle Trail" all sorted and bookings open and ideas for "Indian Inspiration Creative Camp" bubbling along nicely.

So busy but things looking fine....madly sorting block printing for new samples for trade show, making stitching samples and etc.

Today I woke up feeling majorly stressed out...been making a joke of it but really I was ready to bite Praveen's head off before I realised I am probably having another hormone surge!! Menopause can be nasty....it actually takes the edge off it being able to identify the source of the tension but it is only 9.00am and my shoulders are aching....I just want to go and bite someone. Horrible isn't it??

 

Ohh well onto a day of trying to manage my behaviour and get more stitching happening...surely the pleasure of that will dilute the hormone induced ggggrrrrrrrrr.

unexpected visitors and ...

 We have been blessed with unexpected visitors of late....John and Jane from England found us through an ex-student of mine in the UK and dropped in for chai when they were in Pushkar....they tagged along with us on a village visit and then we went out to see our shoes' guy .We really had a lovely time meeting them.
Here they are modeeling some of our jackets- I think John epitamises the conecpt of a dapper English gentleman in the one above. He has a handloom khadi shirt on underneath and one of our stitched Diamond jackets on top- reaaly cool.

 Not to be out done his wife Jane looks just as nice. It is so good to see our clothes on people to get an idea of how they fit, what effect they produce and we are greatful to be able to nab passing people as models and appreciate the oppotunity.

 We had a long awaited finishing party for our staff last Sunday....we just finished a big order for Blackwattle Designs of Canberra Australia and this year our new workshop brought a wonderful quality to the work. It is so great now we have our own workshop- we can control quality, know what is happening with production and so get the results we want. Our guys really derserve the treat of mutton curry and a drink.

 Yoga Mary has swirled into town with a group of beautiful girlies on a yoga retreat. I say girlies because everyone got along so nicely and there was such a good atmosphere when hanging out with everyone it reminded me of my students on school camp....lots of good fun.
In betweeen their yoga we had time to take some of the ladies out for shoes at Om-ji's, everyone printed their own scarves at Nandu's our block print lady and they all came to our place for cooking class and camel meeting. And we played dress ups with Tasty Old Chooks range of clothes- great to see them on people.

 Chapiti king Praveen with our visitors

 Look what was sitting on my desk at work this morning- absoluetly yummy silks, patchworked together and soon to be hand stitched and then assembled into kimonos.

 Here is the sample, I have snatched it and am wearing it before it even gets handstitch....never mind it feels fabulous....production numbers will be 2" longer otherwise about the same. should they have a pocket on them? Useful isn't it? Pukka Desirables will have another lovely item in their range.

 And finally after a lot of fiddling around, me staying hidden so the price does not go up and Praveen having to run this way and that greasing palms we have finally been able to buy our own workshop space and it is FANTASTIC!!. a big yard with lovely neem tree, 4 big rooms and a small kitchen....needs a spot of work but not too much and we will be able to start working from here in a week or so.
Will ease a lot of the problems we have had at the present place with lack of space and difficult neighbours.

 Isn't the gate fabulous- Praveen will be itching to get rid of it I am sure but i hope we can some how use the saw blades in the new gate.

 Big yard, lovely tree to set painting tables under....

Door to my new office.....it will be so nice to have everything in one space....at the moment I carry things from home to workshop daily and one us is always forgetting something and our house is submerged under stuff and, and , and.... a million reasons having everything in one place.
big new beginnings to expand on where we have got ot so far.

gentle anarchy

Life has been flowing along at warp speed even though most things seem to happen here in SSSSSLLLOOoooWW motion.....hard to get your head around- you should try living here!!

We have just had the Pushkar Camel Fair- truley amazing and so welcome to have our peaceful home just 3 km away.

Early morning and sunset ballon flights have seen some nearly land on our roof top- what a wonderful view they must have had!

 My mate Maree was visiting and this is an early morning ambush of her showing off her new shoes from Om-ji- so yummy I think I need more in this colour combination!

Been madly painting again and finally making head way on Watts Wright Designs graffitti inspired hoodies and tshirts....

 Praveen is the proud Papa to 14 little chicks and hen number 2 should hatch more in the next few days. This is such a pleasure for us....one I have spent my whole life experiencing because I have always kept chooks [chickens in non-Aussie english]..for Praveen a new pleasure as he is a city boy who has always longed for country life....at the moment I am lucky to get a quick morning kiss before he is out the door to check on his girls!

 Nandu our blockprint lady has overcome a huge nervousness to work on our non-traditional printing for Watts Wright Designs grafitti inspired works....her lovey little Radhi is always present and such a joy to all. Praveen and I still fabtacise about taking him home with us....

 Radhi quality checking on some discharge prints...nearly 15months old, starting to talk and ssssoooo gorgeous!

 Some of the travllers to the Fair had their blankets up on the railway line fence to air....rather lovely.
Our small village swelled to about half a milllion people here for the Camel Fair and important the Brahma temple festival it grew up around

 Prveiwing the new Hoodies...sooo happy with them. Available sson in Australian and via the internet world wide.

Shanti, shanti  or peace, peace be with you.

OOOHHHH and a big, big excitment for today- we have put a deposit down on our own property to house our workshop in. A place to develop for our work and a  step away of some of the workshop stresses we have been going through of late.
Really a long story !- most of the people working for us are easy to get along with...one or 2 are worth keeping but into power plays...working in OUR space will sort all that out and let us fly free-er and develop more of our ideas..... much has happened in a simple week or two....really worth a whole book in itself....
May the new week bring you expansion in your experience of the world and much joy :)