Swing by through the day, through the night - Banna Creations brings you the perfect weave of life!

A few weeks ago, I was musing on how Banna Creations could add its bit of creativity to Diwali – those days just before and after. I’ve always loved the colors of nature – their mood swings and attitude to life. When I started researching on colors for weaves and natural prints, I simply decided that it was going to be on nature’s patterns and life.

A thousand lamps light up the season; small diyas adorn households; the colors of rangoli form fine art, adorning homes.  Festivity and fusion warm up a chill night. It’s also a time for smiles, exchange of gifts, sweets, new clothes and definitely the season for generosity. It’s a season when one looks up to the skies to see the magic in the skies, that seems like a thousand fireflies waltzing.

I chose Tussar to form expressions of life, love and life during Diwali.

 

Have you smelt the earth, just after a rain? It does something unexplainable to your senses. It makes it come alive with the sounds of nature. For my first creation, I chose the color of earth, expressed in Tussar silks. The feel of tussar and the slight lift it gives you, when you drape it around, gives you a feeling of being close to nature. As the weaves are quite simple, I’ve chosen heavy stringed pearls for the ear and neck pieces.

 

The next color chosen is neither gray, nor black. That’s the color most visible when you look towards the skies to see the magic in the skies. With self threadwork, the design elements are minimal. A great saree to be worn while visiting or distributing sweets, or just attending a party this season. The heavy jhumkis lend a festive look to the otherwise sombre ensemble.

Moving on to green – that’s a big Wow! As the lights light up the evening, if you are one of those who love to tread another path, just go ahead and do it! Who wouldn’t love to drive out of your regular surroundings out into the open. Who wouldn’t love to catch up with friends, all dressed in silks. And while the silks and sarees share their secrets, you have yours too! Of dreams, hopes and aspirations, of love and sadness, of emotions that catch up with time.  Yet again, pearls give it a heavy accentuated appearance. Three strings to be precise, with a gold clasp!

And for the final ensemble, this fusion red  does look smart with a few bold strokes. It’s silk alright, but one does need to be bold and bright too. The heavy ear-rings add to the sparkle. As the silks rustle, make sure that the ear-rings too swing in step.

 

As you dream of a lovely day when you hold your presence on the stage, take a peep into the recesses of your collection. Imagine yourself in a tussar, on stage, with a sitar, playing gently, while the audience soaks in those musical notes.

Swing by through the day, through the night

The season’s perfect for secrets and desires

It’s not just another day, as today and tomorrow are never the same!

As the silks and pearls, silver and beads play out their roles in harmony

Life becomes another stage, where you live out patterns of life.

Some of them find their way to the artisans silken weaves

Weave gently oh dreamer, take care not to tread on my dreams

For I need them for tomorrow!

Banna Creations lights up Diwali with Tussar stoles woven with the colors of light and life

Scripting a golden bond, Diwali or Deepavali opens up every year with the promise of life and light. It’s a time for festivities and celebrations, warmth and magic. Diwali is really an ode to food, flavors, relationships, colors, light and life. Banna Creations comes softly treading right into the season, with its gossamer stoles set in the warmth of rich colors and flames. I work with artisans and artists as they weave their magic into soft and silken fabrics. Let me talk about Tussar skills – that soft and natural silken fabric that’s trending today. Tussar has a universal appeal, lending its charm to the wearer. Tussar fabric has found its way as stoles, that helps you carry it off in style – be it with casuals, formals or party wear.

Working on traditional weaves and prints, I often feel a surge of happiness around Diwali time. The sweets, dances, exchange of gifts, the friendship, travels – they all add to the beauty that’s limitless under the glow-lit skies. Fireflies at work, magic in the skies, the soft rustle of skills, great food – all these and much more add to the warmth. I believe that it’s this very warmth that translates itself into expressions of work through silken threads and weaves.Tussar has a universal appeal, lending its charm to the wearer. Weaving  magic with  looms, the artist brings to the market, exquisite patterns in tussar silks in all the colors of life. There’s so much humanity and warmth that Diwali stands for, reflecting in a real style statement in fabric, attire, accessories and interiors. Visual associations in silks, threads and prints find their way in stoles, worn by the woman across different age groups today.

A whiff of chill cuts through the night. Houses are lit and decorated with light, flowers and colors. In wafts SHE, in a rich black kurta, darker than the darkest night. She’s carefully chosen a Tussar printed with gold, motifs. Just watch the way she has carelessly thrown it around, yet carefully wrapped it around her neck. Her face lights up the night, lending its flame to the motis around her neck. Traditionally fashionable. Need we say more!

Another woman of today is engaged in applying last minute touches to her ensemble. Shocking pink elegance – the threads of which drew inspiration from the moods of the sky one Diwali night many years ago. Watch the magic adorn her neck.

Have you made paper boats and floated them in little puddle pools? Have you felt the

soft touch of tussar silk, colored in wine red? Have you pasted traditional paisleys in soft reds?

If you love nature, pick up this green stole with motifs tied in a loose know. The green colored motifs set against soft tussar against your black kurta stands out striking and vivid.

Tread softly oh dreamer, for you fly on the wings of dreams

Moving silently within the spaces of light and life, earth and heavens

Weaving magic through the looms of life

Hush, hush – what could be that glow?

Is it the flame of life or the strokes of my heartbeat

Or the sparkle on my stoles! Or that soft  touch

Tell me more! 

Watch out for Banna Creations’ Diwali special stoles. Choose the ones that will make heads turn!

The Traditional Art of Making Lac Jewellery

Rajasthan in western India is home to several ancient and traditional Handcraft forms. 

The making of Lac jewellery is also one such Handcraft tradition that has been handed down the ages.

These exquisite pieces are made all over the state and it is known that this art form was initially developed by the Tribal people of the state. 

The many small lanes and bylanes in the pink city of Jaipur are home to several traditional lac artisans. Each one of them have tremendous skill and carry forward age old craft traditions. 

 Lac jewelry is available in versatile designs, which add to its beauty. Among the various items in lac jewelry, the bangles have always found a special mention and have been a tremendous source of attraction.  Bangles made of Lac are bright in colour and glass work done on them makes them very very attractive. 

Artians have today taken a step forward and are not only making bangles but also Neckpieces, Earings, Jhumkas, Bracelets, Anklets etc. 

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The process of making lac jewelry is complex. Glass beads and pieces of mirror in different shapes and sizes and decorative wire are also used to add beauty to these pieces of jewellery.  

All lac Jewellery consist of an inner-core that has a covering of thin layer of superior quality lac. Core lac, when mixed with a material similar to white clay, strengthens the piece . The Dry ingredients are heated, mixed  and hammered  repeatedly until a dough like mass is formed. 

Once this mass is heated, the lac expands further and can be worked into any desired shape and size. Further, a tool (flat-shaped) is used to roll the piece on a flat surface to give it uniformity and the right amount of thickness in the desired shape. 

In some cases where the designs are simple  the lac is moulded by hand and in other cases where designs are more complex metal moulds are kept ready for each unique design. 

In case moulds are used The shaping is done by suppressing the length of lac into grooves (colored) on every side of the mould. The lac takes the shape of the groove into which it is forced. 

This process, which requires great precision, produces the most beautiful pieces of jewelry.

As part of the finishing process, Rhinestones are pressed in and set in the wax at the required places. The final work involves attaching beads and and sequins to complete the piece. 

Each piece of jewellery takes a few days to make with Great precision and skill. 

Visit 

http://www.bannacreations.com/lac-jewellery/192

To take a look at some beautiful pieces of lac Jewellery 

The Special Kanth Stitch ! All the Way from Assam !!

The Kantha Stitch which is a patterned Running Stitch is essentially known to find its home in West Bengal and Orissa. It is a type of embroidery that uses a patterned running stitch which was originally and Essentially done  on Sarees and Quilts.

Kantha today Finds Several Different applications.

At Banna. We work very closely with a cluster of women for whom their kantha embroidery is not only a source of livelihood but also a source of joy and purpose.

This cluster in  upper Assam ( North East India ) is  home to an enterprising group of young and old Ladies for whom Kantha work is not just a skill , but is part of their culture and everyday lives .. they don’t go to workshops and classes to learn Kantha .. They Just know it ! Kantha is a passion and something that has been handed down through the ages !

There are  several patterns and designs to the Kantha Stitch. While it is essentially a running stitch , the difference comes in , in the layout of the stitch and also its applications.

Our Kantha Designs are such that the running stitch patterns are done very close together to give the overall piece an Embossed look…

There are several instances where this specialized hand embroidery has been mistaken for machine embroidery because of  its layout and the closeness of the Stitch ! This Difference we are told is essentially a regional influence.

The ladies we work with are all home makers with Families to look after and support. They look after their children, husbands, Extended Families, Homes and  efficiently multi- task to create these beautiful embroidered Designs and products. Income generated from the work they do works out as an additional source of  livelihood…. Something that is very welcome.

Our work with this cluster stands out as an example of our every increasing reach across different parts of the country , working with a variety of Different Hand Craft forms.

A key point to note here is that this kantha work from Assam is done on different textiles and hand woven Fabrics sourced from different parts of the country… and stand out as a true amalgamation of different craft forms and Styles.  The in house designs only serve to enhance the Hand craft and its Style ..

Starting this week Banna Will be putting out a special promotion of our Kantha work from the North East as part of our Craft promo month initiative.

To take a look at our Exclusive kantha work and to buy click here: 

http://www.bannacreations.com/craft-promo-month-/161

Meet Shipra and Pushpa Mallick from our Kantha Cluster in Assam ! 

And here is a look at  some of the beautiful pieces they have Created ! 

Threads of life ! – A Story about our partner North Karnataka Cluster

Banna Started three years ago with a dream to work with Traditional Artisans and their clusters from different parts of the country ! We decided to start closer home and thus came upon the crafts and skills in North Karnataka and the people behind them.

Sheila Patil is one such enterprising and leading artisan from a small Town called Shirhatti in North Karnataka.  

Shirhatti in Gadag District is a 3 hour drive from Hubli – the main Bustling Industrial town in the region. It is home to Sheila and her Ladies and all the beautiful work they continuously create.

Sheila ji is the main energy behind this group of women and is single handedly responsible for successfully creating a sustainable livelihood mechanism for a large number of women from this Region.

 The main Skill used here is traditional embroidery. Kasuti and Negi work are two age old forms of embroidery that are native to this region and are also known to many women from a young age.  They are taught this embroidery just like they are taught their lessons in school or important aspects of house work to ready them for their future lives.  Having learnt these forms of embroidery from her Grandmother, Sheila Patil initially used to simply embroider clothes and apparel for people at home, her children or to give them as gifts.  She also taught herself over 3000 different types of embroidery and styles.

Being naturally enterprising and a person with immense talent, she also used this skill to generate an income and support her family and her childrens education when her husband ( being the only Breadwinner in the family ) was bedridden some years ago because of a road accident. 

And through this the seeds of an idea were sown . “ Why not use this skill to teach and train other women in need so that she can support herself she thought ? “ .  “ Why not form a Self help group that befits all ? “ .. “ Why not help women who know the embroidery but don’t have the means to bring in orders and generate an income ? “ ….

And so her  NGO “ Shishir Mahila Kadali Vedika “ Was born. It is through this NGO that she conducts training programs to teach women different types of hand embroidery all over the District. Travel of even 2 hours each way to training locations far an wide is not a deterrant for Sheila who also has a lot of support from her  family.  Sheila Ji is also a resource person for Government co- operatives and conducts training programs through these cooperatives as well.

Of the several ladies she has trained she also directly works with about 50 -100 women to fulfill embroidery orders generated from clients across the country. Not only does this help to generate livelihood or an additional source of income for the women, it also helps the ladies earn this money from their homes – all the order work is distributed with design instruction and picked up when ready.

This Traditional Embroidery work is a life- source for these ladies. It gives them a chance to breathe life into their families and children .. In some cases a chance to live better.

Banna works extensively with Sheila and her group. There is always a desire to learn more and they rise up to any challenge  - be it design, colour, material type etc. The Ladies not only work on Kasuti and Negi work  but also Kutch work, Kamal kadai, Sequins work, Mirror work, Ari and Zardosi work, Pearl and bead work etc 

We will be Focussing on Sheila patil and her work as part of our Craft promotion series this month.

To buy some of our specially designed embroidered textiles;click here

http://www.bannacreations.com/craft-promo-month-/161

All these textiles are a true reflecting of Hand craft and Classic Style – Designed in- house and brought to life with exquisite hand embroidery

The Fine Kota Weave from Rajasthan !

The Kota Weave is a Well known and popular Weave  that finds its origins in Kota, Rajasthan ( Western India ) and some parts of Uttar Pradesh in the north.

The Specialty of this weave is its light Chequered pattern and these textiles are made from cotton or silk Yarn also known as Kota Doria.

The Textiles made which are mainly Sarees are very light because of this chequered pattern and almost weightless.

An interesting fact about the origin of this weave that is such a popular handloom from Rajasthan is that it actually originated in the Earstwhile mysore state which is now in Karnataka.  It is said that a general in the Mughal army who was also a Patron of this Craft took weavers from Mysore to the small village of Kaithoon in Kota District to weave elegant Items of clothing for well placed people from Royal families.

Traditional Headdressed worn by these people including the Pagdi and Safaa were all woven in Fine Kota Style.

The loose checks on this fabric are called “ Khats “ and this fabric is woven with utmost care using pit looms.

While the “ Khats “ give this fabric a very delicate and almost ethereal look, the yarn itself is treated with utmost care and Brushed with onion and rice paste to make to Strong and durable.

Depending upon Design Requirements the Yarn is also sometimes dyed and the Final Ensemble is also Block printed using Traditional Dabu printing Techniques which is another unique Hand craft form Local to Rajasthan.

Kaithoon in  Kota district is that largest producer of Kota Fabric be it Sarees or other accessories with over 2500 looms in this town alone.

As part of our Craft promotions at Banna  We are offering a direct 12.5 percent discount on  a select Range of Kota Sarees.

 Visit www.bannacreations.com; and Click on http://www.bannacreations.com/kota/82

to avail these Discounts !