My Friend

Friends I would like you to meet one of my friends...a stray dog.

I seem to befriend animals and birds easily than humans. As a child when I used to read the fairy tales, wherein it was mentioned that the handsome Prince had so many skills including the skill of understanding and able to converse with birds and animals in their language, I used to be so fascinated. But later on when I had  my own pets I understood how easy it was. One just had to have a kind and compassionate heart. How do mothers understand what their babies want?

Mind you-animals, birds and children have the instinct to recognise good human beings. One cannot fool them. They just become friends quickly with such individuals. Its no joke.

Now here is the stray which became my friend.I don't remember how we met or became friends. Every day early in the morning when I sweep and clean my front yard, she used to come on dot and persuade me to play with it. I used to oblige her or else she would not budge an inch from my front door. After playing for ten minutes or so, she used to go and sleep under the cars parked in the road.

I used to feed her when ever I could. But she  wasn't much interested in the vegetarian fare I used to give her accept for milk. She used to be so thin, I tried my level best to feed her. But no, she  would not accept much. She was so playful and energetic. One more thing was the moment I used to leave for my work she used suddenly appear from no where and give me a send off.

Seeing me playing with her, the children of my street used to play too. For she was very friendly and used to protect them from any outsiders. Here are the photos which I managed to click once with her litter. But she no more now and we don't know what happened to her litter. I feel its loss but then that's the way of life....

A proud mama with her litter

 

 Always playful especially with her kids

 

I am fond of kids, even when they are little puppies or kittens or even piglets.....So cute...

 

Feeding her little ones standing at my door step.

Batik Once Again

I just love Batik. So every time I go shopping though I think this time I don't want to buy cottons. But I do end up buying cottons and Batiks or Kalamkaris and the likes. First of all Love natural fibers, be it Khadi (hand spun), or jute or cottons or silks. Secondly I do like hand made products, be it Batiks or Kalamkaris or block prints. I have a very special liking for Batiks though. They fascinate me like the Kalamkaris.

This is a pink coloured fabric that I bought for my Kurtha or tunic. But haven't had the time to stitch it.

I love the slanted lines of the design very simple but cool. I also love this shade of pink.

This is a very unique combination of brown with light yellow and coral orange or should I say pinkish orange? The colour has not been properly shown in the picture. I wonder why? Any way this fabric I am going to use for the pants and teem it with a Coral coloured Tunic. All these I need to sew. I don't when I will the time for it?

Here is the matching dupatta or the stole to go with the dress. Note the bead embroidery on the edges of the stole. These days beads or some other sort of material is used as danglers from the edges of the sari or dupattas.

Now here is a sari which is one of my favourites. This is from Bengal. It is very famous for its great Batiks.This one is done on a very fine cotton known as Mull or rather Muslin. The cloth is very soft and feels like satin. This is the Pallu, the portion of sari which draped over the shoulder. The designs on Pallu of the Sari is one of the main attractions for the sari apart from the design on the borders and the main sari itself. Many a time we are tempted to buy the sari by the design on its pallu. Any way here it is. You can see two Hamsa-the traditional swan motifs with their long tails.This is surrounded by the floral vines. I love the combination white and black with a little red and yellow.

This is how the sari looks. That is the entire sari has the design of the swans, and flowers.

This is the border on both sides of the sari.

Another look at the swans on the pallu.

A closer look of the swans.

A closer Look at the flowers on the borders.

So isn't it beautiful? And that too for a very measly sum. I bought it cheap considering the amount of work involved in its creation.

Mixed Embroideries

I wanted to share with you some of doodling in embroidery. You know it takes some time for any one to pick up the rhythm either in knitting or in embroidery. Unless we practice the stitch on a doodling cloth first, we cannot actually go for the project. At least for me its true. Because I don't get often to pursue my hobbies. When ever I embark on big embroidery projects or even any other art like fabric painting etc, I need to practice for some time first. When I am satisfied that have achieved that correct rhythm, I take up the project.

Here was one of my doodles, when I took up the needle after a very long time. I just practiced on small hand napkins and presented to my mother. You can see that they are not perfect, but then it was fun in doing them any way.

Here I have used applique, lazy daisy, buttonhole, bullion, herring bone, stem stitch etc

 

This is applique using small pieces of cloth from my stash.

 

Here I have used applique for butterfly, bullion for flowers, lazy daisy and stem for leaves and foliage.

 

 This is again applique

 

This is herring bone using two different colours of threads.

Some of the designs were taken from my four year old niece's drawings..like the butterfly...All the embroidery is hand work only......Do leave your comments  please.....