Kala Gouda Arts Festival : Craft Melas for Indian NGOs, new work caring for the earth, we see Stree Shakti

(above: signage in MESH's fair trade shop showcasing India's new national Fair Trade brand - this weaver produces the Awaz Table Linen Collection in a Leprosy Colony outside of Delhi)

Every time I go to India I’m often moving around a lot visiting organizations, collecting stories and so busy spending time with people and  that I don’t have much time to share those stories with you, our supporters.

There are so many beautiful community development programs we are connected to here, learning from, supporting, nurturing and building upon that this time, it is about the stories. It is about documenting and sharing the social change that’s happening on the ground here, the life and culture of the people and more about the work we do here in India so that you too can learn, live through our experiences and find more ways that you too can be more involved.

I commit to you to share one blog a week of the Awaz 3-month work in India.

It was a beautiful blessing that this time my arrival was routed through Mumbai in Southern India as the annual Kala Gouda Arts Festival was happening.  I was most excited to know that I could see one of our artisan partners, Stree Shakti, at this exhibition. 

From the beginning, it was my work with Stree Shakti in 2008 in Purkal Village in the Himalayas that inspired me to start Awaz. I spent 6 months working with Mr. and Mrs. Swamy from the early beginnings of this income generation program for widowed and marginalized women helping to grow and expand their work. From a crowded home filled with women stitching and quilting, Stree Shakti (meaning Women’s Power) now boasts 100 women organized into 10 Self Help Groups who now have their own production center and on-site day care center to host their work. 

I spear headed a Capital Campaign for their Production Center in 2008 and with great joy, we found a donor who made a kind donation to fund the building in honor of their son who past away. 

They now are struggling to keep up with production and are seeking funding for a new training program for 50 new women. 

While I’m here, I intend to help garner support for this program and use any donations to Awaz to provide a grant to the new training program. Please consider a small donation through our website to help lift more women out of poverty in India.

I met Maneet, Vicky and Akash representing Stree Shakti at their stall. Their beautiful handcrafted quilts, pillow covers and fashion accessories stand out amongst all other stalls. When there are so many groups doing weaving and blockprinting and every other traditional craft, they’re one of the only doing hand quilted products. They’ve now achieved the Craftmark, authentic Indian handcraft labeling for their quilting and their work is renown throughout India.

The Growth with Fair Trade for Stree Shakti

They’ve been sourcing better quality fabrics and working hard on quality control over the years that have improved the look of their products  - instantly I can see the growth in their work.

This is truly one of the best feelings experiencing the growth and success of a group you’ve worked so closely with.

After I finally convinced Mr. and Mrs. Swamy to join the Fair Trade movement in India in 2010, the women and the organization are benefiting so much more.

They’re store on site has become part of the new national Fair Trade branded shops and is bringing more customers on a daily basis.

They’re staff have undergone more trainings, they’re part of annual fair trade celebrations, they’re invited to more product development workshops and are now part of this larger network filled with resources and experience to help them grow.

We sponsored a design training from Jaya, an experienced textile designer who works with artisan groups, to help the organization develop Production Plans, implement better management and controls and develop new products with better quality fabrics and prints.

Read more about this workshop from Jaya her self here.

At their stall, I got to catch up on their latest designs and work.

Their Baby Quilts are one of their key products we offer and I saw many new themes we’ll start offering to our customers, including this new fabulous Birthday theme.

Their pillow covers were decorated with intricate hand embroidery of elephants and kalamkari block print fabrics and other modern themes that looked fabulous.  We have a custom order from a store in Portland to implement some designs on pillows with this group while we’re here.

The scarves or “stoles” that Jaya developed with Maneet, their new Designer, were displayed nicely with beautiful embroidery and prints. They’re a unique accessory that showcases the best of India’s craft that I think we’ll order a few of this time. For the last few years, Jaya has been in touch with our groups sharing her knowledge and experience to guide them in whatever way she can and we’re very thankful.

Nowadays Stree Shakti, like many of the groups we work with, are attending some 10-15 exhibitions a year to sell their work in some of the biggest cities all over India. These art and craft exhibitions or “melas” as they are called in India serve as platform for NGOs and craft organizations to get exposure and showcase their work.  “Mela” is a Sanskrit word meaning “gathering,” and it’s used to describe all kinds of get-togethers in India. Many buyers interested in Indian craft come specifically for these melas to source their goods and make connections. Dastkar, whom we learned about during our first visit to India in 2005, has been one of the core organizations in India working to preserve and promote traditional craft for a long time - they now organize great craft melas all over India.

Most of all though, I love these melas because they serve as great opportunities for the women to travel outside of their communities and interact with the customers about their work. They get the feedback and feel the praise for what they do. This in itself is empowering for the women. The women can’t travel all the time, but many times they do. Sadhna, another group we work with, sponsors annual Exposure Trips for women to go outside and visit other women’s organizations to learn and experience their work.

This mela was very exciting and fresh. It’s been two years since my last trip to India and the country has grown so much, not to mention the inflation.

There were many NGOs and also individual artisans and small businesses, like Farmer’s Markets in the U.S., displaying their new, cutting edge, handcrafted work.

In addition to many works of art like this addressing different social issues, as more and more young people are getting involved in activism.

From organizations promoting environmental conservation and recycling to eco-friendly kids toys and games, it was great to see all the good work and people thinking in new ways.

 

Beautiful New Products at Awaz Shop!

Awaz is proud to offer some beautiful new products this spring!  Make sure to visit our Shop or come down to the Market every weekend to see it for yourself! The booth at the Market is open every weekend, 10-5:30 on Saturdays and 11-5 on Sundays. We look forward to seeing you there!

Some of these items are only available at the market, so be sure to stop by! At the very least, come by to sample the

Jewelry

All through the month of June, we are having a SALE! To showcase the great new jewelry we have in stock, we're offering a 10% discount on ALL jewelry, both online and at the market! Come by and see great pieces like these earrings, the perfect addition to any wardrobe. for work or a night on the town:

These wonderful earrings are only $8! We have several colors to choose from.

These rings are only $6! These are funky and sure to add a unique sense of style to any outfit!

Headbands

Headbands are all the rage these days, so why not buy Fair Trade when you can? We have lots of great colors and patterns to choose from, and the're only $6!

Show off your style and your commitment to fair trade! These are perfect for the warmer weather.

Bags

We have some lovely new bags in from MESH. These are 100% cotton, hand-woven bags that showcase the extraordinary traditional craftsmanship of working a loom! These gorgeous bags are only $26. The sunburst style bags come in a lovely orange or green, and the blue bag features great large buttons on the side; the perfect accent to such a gorgeous bag! The bag is wonderful for a night on the town! It is sophisticated, and showcases wonderful, beautiful hand-embroidery work!

$26 MARKET ONLY

$26 MARKET ONLY

$26 MARKET ONLY

A detail of the embroidery work. Amazing, and remember, it's ALL done by HAND!

See more of the lovely things we sell at the market on our facebook page!

Natural Dyes, Weaving, Block Printing: Sustaining communities and craft traditions in India

Handloom Weaving

Handloom weaving is a strong tradition practiced across India that is often passed down through family. Largely a household enterprise, as well as being predominantly a rural activity, handloom weaving provides employment to the largest number of people next only to agriculture.

Our Table linen and Kitchen Collection features high quality, 100%, handwoven cotton threads from disabled artisan communities. The weavers use large traditional looms to ensure a sturdy, eco-friendly, machine washable product that makes consumers and workers happy. They earn dignity and self respect for their work and help sustain one of India’s dying craft traditions.

The cotton yarns are hand dyed, wound on a bobbin and then warped according to the design onto the loom to create various patterns. Warping the loom can take up to a day by two people. The spun yarn is then used to weave the fabric on basic 2-4 shaft looms by the weavers. Each weaver is able to weave about 5-8 meters a day depending on the weave type. Spinning and dying are usually a women’s job, where as weaving is done by the male counterpart in most of the regions in India.

Our handloom products are also khadi fabrics which are made from hand spun and hand woven threads. Khadi is a slightly coarse yet comfortable cotton fabric hand spun on a hand wheel spindle or a “charkha”. During the British rule, Mahatma Gandhi inspired the country to weave their own clothing and be free from British imports. Khadi is not just a piece of cloth it is a symbol of self reliance!!

Woven fabrics are highly absorbent and easy to wash and maintain. We offer a Table Linen Collection of handloom fabrics handmade by disabled artisan weavers and their dependents from The Physically Handicapped Rehabilitation and Training Centre (PHRTC), Maharashtra and Bharat Mata Kusht Ashram (BMKA), Haryana.

Block Printing

Hand-block printing is an ancient surface embellishment technique on fabric, which finds mention in the oldest of civilizations. The technique consists of a design or pattern engraved on a wooden or metal block dipped in a tray of color pigments and then placed on the fabric surface, thus creating an impression. Indian royalty famously wore the finest block-printed fabrics with beautiful paisley and floral prints that denoted marital status and caste.

These exquisite fabrics are a trademark Indian craft tradition that traditionally are produced with natural dyes. The fabrics adorn royal robes, religious cloths, clothing and flowing skirts throughout India.

Printing with blocks requires accuracy and practice. The entire fabric is printed in the similar manner, matching the block edges every time and with equal pressure. The outline printer is usually an expert because he is the one who leads the process, followed behind a second or third printer if it is a multiple color design. Wood carving takes a wood block carver nearly 10 days to carve a large and intricate floral block.

Some of our products feature block printed and kalamkari fabric. Kalamkari refers to the Indian craft of painting Natural Dyes on cotton or silk fabric using a bamboo pen. It’s a fine craft brought over from Persian traders on the silk route.

Our Kalamkari Handbag Collection is 100% cotton and features beautiful, vegetable dyed block printed fabric from South India. The bags are sewn by the ladies of Stree Shakti in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains with fabric made from small family traditional block printers.

Hand Embroidery

Embroidery has been an integral part of most cultures in India and holds a unique identity from region to region originating from ancient times. Elaborately embroidered items are traditionally given to a girl at the time of her marriage when the skill is then passed down to younger generations. The threads are dyed in natural vibrant colors and the embroidery is done using a variety of unique stitches. Simple running stitch of kantha or the satin and chain of Kashmiri Kashidakari depict the passion and life of the people of the state inspired by their natural surroundings.

Gujarat and Rajasthan are two states famous for its folk embroidery traditions. Apart from the usual gifts of jewelry and household utensils, the bride brings to her husband’s home a wealth of richly embroidered textiles carefully worked by herself and the women of her family. Embroidery from these states is typically highlighted by the sparkle of shishas (small mirrors), otherwise known as Mirror Embroidery. This embroidery decorates clothing, torans (doorway hangings), household shrines, curtains and rumals (cloth wrappings).

We partner with a collective of more than 650 women members from villages in Rajasthan who specialize in kantha-running stitch embroidery that adorns our clothing, home décor and fashion products.

Natural Dyeing

Over the centuries, Indian craftsmen have used natural dyes made from plants, seeds, leaves, bark and fruits on mulmul (muslin), cotton, wool and silk textiles which are known all over the world today. These are non-harmful to human beings, and many of them are found in Ayurvedic medicine recipes, another ancient tradition. When conscious consumers choose naturally dyed products over those with cheaper, stronger chemical dyes, they ensure the survival of natural dyes which represent centuries of wisdom, art and craftsmanship.

Folk paintings are created with natural dyes, for example, Kalamkari, Block Prints and Madhubani Paintings. Indian natural dyed fabrics fall into three categories - yarn dyed in natural colours and woven; materials block printed with natural dyes and Kalamkari where the "Kalam" or pen is used to draw beautiful designs on the cloth.

The easy availability of chemical dyes has meant a decline in the traditional use of natural dyes. One of the chief objectives of Himalayan Weavers, our artisan partner, is to reverse this trend. All of their beautiful handspun and woven scarves and shawls are colored with natural dyes obtained from roots, bark and flowers. They use only alum as a mordant, which is eco-friendly.

The dyeing of the fibers are done in-house at room temperature, which results in low energy consumption and carbon emission. They also make a special effort to conserve water by using a dye bath for a number of dyeing sessions. The waste water is recycled and used for irrigation in their garden.

These traditional colors include: madder, tesu, indigo, pomegranate, harada, henna and lac. The dyed fibers are then blended to produce a wide variety of beautiful natural shades.