making Snowflakes

Happy Thanksgiving

Maple and oak leaves, they are such wonderful forms and superb colors! There is some beauty in their hindi names too, chinar and saigun.
I have seen them just in pictures. Not available in my part of the world *sigh*
I keep asking my friends to get me some maple and oak leaves while coming from Kashmir, US or Germany! But they think I'm crazy and they never make it a point! *sigh sigh*
But I never miss to use them as favorite fall motifs!

Sunday Sunflowers

Last Sunday, on my way back to Solapur from Belgaum, there were fields of sunflowers to add cheer. Sunflower being the favorite flower of Van Gogh *(I love Van Gogh)* and also a favorite motif for patterns, I did not miss to take few pictures.
I always prefer self-shot images, firstly because the photographs are shot according to my ticking thought and then I can use them with a lot of freedom :)
More sunflowers here and here.

Tatte Idli

I love all south Indian food. Idlis are common. We make it at home. Button idlis are also somewhat common. These are small and coin sized, hence called button idlis. What about tatte idlis? Not common! Right?!!

'Tatte' is 'plate' in kannada. And these idlis are called tatte idlis because they are as big as a small plate and are made in plate size molds.
A tatte idli is double the size of a vada. Here the vada itself is bigger than the regular size :)
Idli being a south Indian dish, I'm not sure whether tatte idlis are common there. I have had many idlis and many varieties of them at many places in the south of India, but found these for the first time! Visually different but yummy to taste, provided you like street food! *(I love it)*

TUMKUR TATTE IDLI CORNER, near KLE campus in Belgaum, as the name suggests makes no other but only tatte idlis. The menu is limited with tatte idli-vada, double tatte idli, double vada and masala dosa for Rs 20/- each served with unlimited coconut chutney and sambar.
Tumkur is a place in Karnataka. I guess the owner hails from there and thence the name. Did not get a chance to talk to the people there as everyone was busy serving on the Sunday morning. Crowded on all days and super crowded on Sundays, Tumkur tatti idli corner is a very famous idli corner in Belgaum.
It is a no smoking zone with self service and walls decorated with divine images and ceilings with colorful paper garlands! I had one tatte idli-vada as my Sunday morning breakfast. If I would have had a double tatte idli, I'm sure I would have had to skip lunch for the day ;)
Captured a south Indian man dressed in typical south Indian attire of mundu and a shirt having double tatte idli!
The next time you are in Belgaum, Thumkur Tatte Idli Corner - a must visit place for Sunday breakfast!

PS: Tatte idli molds are available in Belgaum market. I got one for myself :)

more kirigami snowflakes

C for Christmas>

S for Snowflakes>
K for Kirigami Snowflakes

Last year my kirigami snowflakes were octagonal. This year they are hexagonal and perfect!

Kolhapuri Chappals

Kolhapur is my grand-parents place and I have been there 101 times. Since childhood I've enjoyed wearing the well known handmade Kolhapuri leather chappals. Many times I have shot these chappals, but I always shot them in the evening and hence the pictures were never good to post. But this time I went to the market of Chambar Galli during the day time and got some unshaken and focused pictures which make this post.

Natural palette

I like the natural palette these chappals make. Inspired from the color and design patterns made on the chappals, a superb collection of home textiles can come up! (my next inspiration ;)
Over the years, Kolhapuri chappals have taken various turns in terms of design and look. But I always have loved the very basic and traditional looking chappals and especially I love the red pom-pom (gonda in marathi). Now-a-days the chappals are made without the gonda, but whenever I buy, I insist to put a gonda for me! It looks more authentic :)

The traditional chappal with the gonda (pom-pom)

Fancy and modern Kolhapuri

Kolhapurai chappals are available in Mumbai and other places, but a very few of them are authentic. Regular chappals are also sold as Kolhapuri.. so one who doesn't know how and what they are might buy something else but Kolhapuri!

Jaya Jaitley has written a beautiful chapter on Kolhapuri chappals and its craft-persons in her book 'Vishwakarma's Childern'. A must read book for those who keep interest in Indian crafts.

Lace Love

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Ric-Rac Ric-Rac /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Four and half meter of lace! Whoaa!! Super colorful and super cool!

I'm using it on a cushion. Will get back as soon as I finish the work on the cushion :)

PS: Thank you Kate for this lovely tutorial. Found the ric-racking here..

crocheting..

I was in Kolhapur/Belgaum for last four days for a family get-together! A lot many interesting things I came across which are going to make few awesome posts... plus, I also did some work!
Regular design work + some reading + some fun work like like winding some fancy colored cord and crocheting it into a funky lace...
I spent all the time on my way to Kolhapur winding this colorful cord. It was in a hank form when I purchased and it really got all messed up in process!! But yea finally I could get three balls with no knots :)

PS: The lovely lace is coming up in the next post.

Rockstar Besan laddus

Who says laddu has to be spherical? Why should only Christmas and Halloween sweets have all the fun?! Diwali sweets will also have fun! And laddus will take a different shape!!

My friend Vaishali sent me a box full of sweets yesterday. Apart from the regular stuff there were these interesting besan laddu (or ladu called in marathi), I took pictures before I could taste them! I'm sure they would be as yummy as they look! I would call them Rockstar Laddus ;)PS: My mom is also equally excited and says that she would decorate her besan laddus in similar way for next Diwali!
Thanks Vaishali for such wonderful laddus!

Macrame Bag

I love bags! And old bags; I love them even more!!
Recently found this macrame bag which my mom knotted 30 years ago, before her marriage. It has just faded color from bright green to a dull yellow. But its knots are still intact and firm.

Mom is expert in embroidery! She has beautifully embroidered many things,but all before her marriage! <"sigh"> I'm sure I have got my design and textile genes from her :) Moreover, my grand-mom was a super expert in embroidery, macrame, quilting, knitting, stitching and what not. And more importantly, she consistently continued it after her marriage! I have some textile pieces which she has made, will post them some day.

As of now, I'm going to flaunt this bag all around. And I like when people ask me when I carry some out-fashioned old bags, similarly when I carry the Solapur bag!!! :)

Diwali diya

Shubha Dipawali!!

>Ps: I so so want a DSLR to shoot more dramatic pictures <"sigh">...

Happy Diwali

Its Diwali, time for colors, lights, joy and cheer! Also time for colorful rangoli...
This is the rangoli I made today in my porch. Currently, I'm working on some traditional Jaipur patterns and the same influences my rangoli pattern too :)

May this Diwali bring you lot of new business and success..
Wish you a very happy and colorful Diwali!