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Khadi in natural dyes
Zari Border Mangalgiri Dupattas
Missing thread dupattas without borders
Hand Block Printed (pigment colors) from Sanganeer, Rajasthan
Hand Block Printed (natural colors) from Bhuj, Gujurat
Mud Resist (dabu) Hand Block Printed(natural/chemical colors) from Kaladera, Rajasthan
Crushed dupattas in various colors
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Kanchipuram Pattu Sarees

Kanchipuram Pattu sarees from Vasanthi Kalyansundar’s Sri Sai Creations, Chennai

• July 23 – 28, 2009

- Silk and silk-cotton handloom sarees with traditional motifs like the peacock, hamsam, rudraksham and the classic gold temple borders.
- Saris in vibrant oranges, midnight blues, toned oranges and mehendi greens.
- A collection that integrates block printing and handloom weaving

COLOURING COTTON SAFELY

COLOURING COTTON SAFELY

In September last year, dāram conducted a day long workshop where dyers and block printers from across Andhra Pradesh demonstrated various techniques of dyeing yarn and printing hand woven cotton fabric using natural and safe dye materials.

Following is a short note we had prepared at that time on natural and safe dyeing:

NATURAL DYEING

Cotton yarn in natural dyes

Dyeing cotton yarn and fabric with natural materials like indigo, pomegranate, ratanjyot, katha, and areca, has been an age old practise across India and a vibrant palette has always existed. With the advent of chemical dyes, however, the technology of natural dyeing was badly affected and has been slowly disappearing.
One of Dastkar Andhra's key interventions over the last fifteen years has been to revitalise natural dyeing processes and to standardize a set of colours. Natural dyeing and the natural dyeing process has also received a new thrust with an increased focus on the environment and on being environment friendly.
The flow of colour from natural materials to cotton yarn is a fascinating process to watch. Our dyeing experts including Mohd. Saleem and Odelu will demonstrate the process.

REACTIVE DYEING
The invention of chemical dyes in Europe in the 1950s has taken the textile world by storm. The colours that we are familiar with come from these chemicals and the harm that some of them cause to the user and to the environment indirectly has been well documented. Reactive dyes are the closest to the natural dyes but they are yet to establish themselves in our domestic market. Reactive dyes are low ¨C impact synthetic dyes that are characterised by improved fixation rate, heavy metal free property, and good color fastness. Dastkar Andhra has initiated a process to move to reactive dyes recently and this is also linked to d¨¡ram's effort to spearhead the move towards more eco friendly dyes. Our event will include a demonstration of the reactive dyeing process.

HAND BLOCK PRINTING

Handblock printing, Machlipatnam

dāram is the only store in the country that promotes hand block printing on hand woven fabric. We have a range of garments with handloom fabric printed in the well known hand block printing centres of the country like Bagru and Kaladera (Rajasthan), Bhuj (Gujarat) and Machlipatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
Printing on powerloom / mill woven (mechanical looms) is the usual way that is followed by printers across the length of the country. We believe that linking hand weaving to hand block printing preserves the integrity of the process. It is an added advantage that the prints show up much better on hand woven fabric.

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Also see
'Chemical colours are carcinogenic'
http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/08/stories/2008090860350400.htm
for a report in 'The Hindu' on the workshop

Weaving a success story

D.V.L. Padma Priya
http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/12/stories/2009011251040200.htm

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Eight youths from the weaver community, employed in odd jobs, find a viable vocation after training in weaving and dyeing

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New skills: Youths from Kolluru village in Adilabad district attending a design workshop.

HYDERABAD: It was a skill that literally ran in their blood. But it was an opportunity that was missing for a good 20 years. For these eight rural youth from Kolluru village in Adilabad District, weaving might not have been a natural livelihood choice, but it surely paved a way out of their poverty.

For D. Bhaskar, A. Suresh, D. Damodar, D. Mahesh, D. Chandrashekar, D. Sampath. V. Nagesh and R. Srinivas, the wheel of fortune turned in their favour when they were identified by Dastkar Andhra (DA), a city-based NGO. Aged between 20 and 24, the eight hailing from the weaver community were living in abject poverty. Many had dropped out of school and had been employed in odd jobs.

Motivation

Their condition was brought to the notice of DA in 2006 when an older group of weavers in nearby Chennur informed them. A year’s training in weaving and dyeing, and the youth were all set to weave their own fortunes. “They were quick in grasping what was taught,” says V. Dharmender, in-charge, DA Production & Design, DA. Apart from appointing a master weaver to train them, DA also paid them a monthly stipend of Rs.1,000. “What motivated us to take up weaving was the fact that we didn’t have to work under anybody,” says D. Chandrasekhar.

Even after graduation, D. Sampath, a former teacher at a government school, finds weaving a sustainable livelihood optionHere to participate in a DA design workshop, they swear by their new found profession. Now named ‘Individual Weavers Co-operative Society’ as a group, they now earn anything between Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 9,000 individually per month.

“They are very confident now and have even paid back their bank loans,” says Ravinder of DA. He said they were identifying similar youngsters from backward regions of Andhra Pradesh. “As long as they are interested in learning weaving, DA is ready to assist them,” he says.”

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Also see

http://www.dastkarandhra.org/

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com/2008/10/plight-of-indias-unskilled-weavers.html

Kurtas in Gold (Khari) prints

New Winter introductions at dāram

dāram brings to Hyderabad a special range of Woolens and BodyCare products from the Himalayas this winter.

1) Pure wool handwoven shawls and stoles from ‘KUMAON GRAMEEN UDYOG’ from Uttarakhand

The products have been woven in a small weaving centre at village Buribana near Mukteshwar as part of KGU’s income generation programme.

2) Pure wool, hand knitted sweaters, mufflers and caps from ‘KULLU KARISHMA’, Himachal Pradesh

Kullu Karishma has worked over a decade to revive and revitalize spinning, knitting and weaving with local angora wool and develop livelihoods in the process.

3) Natural soaps, face wash and scrubs from ‘SUNDARAM’, Uttarakhand

Sundaram products are made from a range of natural products like rhododendron flowers, honey, goats milk, almonds, etc.
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dāram, Hyderabad’s exclusive cotton handloom garment store works towards strengthening traditional weavers and small farmers.
In continuation of this effort, the store has, in collaboration with traditional craftspeople and groups from different parts of the Himalayas, brought to Hyderabad a limited, but select range of products for winter. Produced with natural materials and by using minimal energy, the products contribute to local livelihoods with minimal impact on the environment.

Dhebariya shepherds with their flock of sheep, Kutch, Gujarat

Spinning wool into yarn, Kullu Karishma, Himachal

On the loom...

10th June 2007 - when dāram began

dāram

Dastkar Andhra's new retail initiative

Handloom Garments & other handcrafted products

THE INAUGURATION - 10th June

Chief Guest, Nandita Das inaugurating the store

Lighting the lamp

At the inauguration - A full house

An evening with Kabir - A recital by Sagari Ramdas

BUT, BEFORE IT ALL
putting it together...