Last month I did a guest post for The Handmade Co about my process and experience of working for Aham Bhumika - an NGO in Bhopal. Here is the link for the post.
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Aham Bhumika is an NGO based in Bhopal - working on
education and women empowerment for over 3 years. They have skill trained 40+
women in hand embroidery in the outskirts of Bhopal. Embroidery as a skill and
a method of making; requires least investment. Wonders are embroidered with a
single needle, thread and a piece of cloth.
Two years ago when I crossed path with the founder of
Aham Bhumika, I was overwhelmed by the quality of embroidery and dedication
towards the “handmade” concept. They were looking for design inputs to enhance
their product line.
Design is not a discipline; it is a way of life – is what
I followed while working on project Aham Bhumika.
My idea of a good product is – good material, proper process,
right detailing, optimum design and colour. Textile design is more of what you
touch and feel than what you see.
Streamlining fabric sourcing and pre-processes of
embroidery and utilizing existing fabric is what I started with. The result of
this was a small collection of zipper pouches named EYE CANDY.
Ranging from local inspiration of Gond Art to global
inspiration like Sashiko and Otomi embroideries, I made sure that design is
process driven and is as cohesive as possible. It is a need of hour for craft
design to have global aspirations along with a strong local foundation.
The fun part of working with crafts is the hands-on approach it demands to achieve desired outcome.
