As many of you know, Chan and I are spending six months in India. The place we reside is Sidhbari, which is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the city of Dharamshala, close to the home of the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Dali Lama.
I couldn’t go to India or anywhere for that matter for this length of time without my sewing machine … there’s no way I could survive without this lifeline to home. So, I packed it up and spent $100 to get it here.
I love to work with batiks, but I've found that the quality of batiks here is lacking.
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| Shopping for batiks in Dehli. You sit, while shop owners shows you the fabric. |
The fabric is too thin, and is difficult to work with and the colors are too muddy for my tastes.. I did make a set of place mats, but it was not easy. I am quickly learning how I have taken for granted the tools and fabrics that we have to work with in the USA.
Sewing- The thread of life
Sewing is so much part of the traditions and day-to-day living here. For instance, while ready made clothes are available (especially in Western styles) many people purchase and bring fabric to the tailor and within a couple days -at the most - you have a new suit or dress. The area where we are staying - because it gets cold - is known for its wool and it is like nothing I have touched (I don't think I'm the only one who gets joy from feeling up fabrics). Yak wool, angora, pashmina,
It is amazing the work that people turn out here with such rudimentary equipment. I am ashamed at how little I pay for their products here and at home.
I will be helping six women hone their sewing skills as they develop a niche market for the bags they create and sell to westerners who visit the area. The project is run by a dedicated woman who has created Nishtha Trust. Dr. Barbara, an Austrian, established the nonprofit decades ago and raises funds to support the various ventures that have been developed, of which the Women’s Sewing Cooperative is one.
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