Carpet Weavers in India

The wool yarn is wrapped, knotted & cut in one quick motion.

Naturally dyed yarns from Ibyx goats, sheep and silk worms are used in the carpets.

Dyed skeins are wound into sausage-shaped balls.

The finished carpet is washed with water & salt then left out in the sun to dry for up to 2 weeks.

Paper Makers in Jaipur

We spent a wonderful morning touring Kagzi Industries, paper makers in Jaipur. I was so interested to see the range of papers they made, particularly because I had previously purchased a large amount of their paper from Costco in Canada. Understanding how the paper was made makes it so much more interesting when I work with it.

By the time our tour group was in Jaipur, India was experiencing the coldest temperatures in 40 years. You can see in these images how the paper makers were wrapped in thick shawls, blankets, sweaters & hats to keep warm.

Fresh rose petals are added to the pulp before the sheet is pulled.

This factory makes a vast range of hand made papers and paper products that are exported all over the world.

More Turbans in India

This collection of turbans is in the Cultural Museum in Udaipur. Sorry about the quality of the images. My point 'n' shoot camera couldn't handle the low light or the shiny display cases.

Turbans in India

In India it is amazing what a length of cloth says about it's wearer

Tanvi Kant, Textile Jeweller

Tanvi Kant, a textile jeweller, makes neck art out of old saris having started with one of her mother's. Her parents were born in India but Tanvi has lived all her life in England. We met up with her in Ahmedabad where she was about to begin an 8-week artist residency to develop her designs, meet local crafts people and make connections. It is a UK Art Council programme that plans to develop exchanges with Indian artists & crafts people going to the UK.

We sat on the verandah of the Darbargadh Poshina heritage hotel we were staying in while Tanvi talked about her work and showed us some samples.

Rope making in Patan

Mashru Cloth, Patan, India

Our tour group watched as Mashru cloth was woven with a pit loom

Skeining the hand dyed rayon & cotton thread

The double woven cloth is starched to make it smooth & shiny

Patan Patola, India

I didn't finish telling you about the master weavers who make double ikat silk textiles. Here father and son (an architect) work side by side ...

on a traditional silk sari pattern that they can weave 8" to 9" per day.

This sari took 5 people 6 months to make. No wonder the family members travel all over the world to demonstrate their amazing skill, www.patanpatola.com