Sunday, September 1, 2013

publication in Woman's Era magazine

my article got published in WE

Fabric yarn basket numero uno

Lots of beaten up weary clothing, bed-sheets, pillow covers, saris ,lying around....to throw or not to throw? A real crafter...housewife... never throws away anything. Every bit can be used! That’s creativity!

Salwar-Suit basket:In previous life, this fabric was my salwar suit with matching chunni/dupatta, 100% cotton. I’ve transformed it by crocheting into a basket..tearing the textile into strips created a plethora of raw edges and texture, and gives this finely crochet work a coarse look. I made a lid with a button cinch to handle it .Dimensions are 8-1/4 ×4-3/8 inch

I decided to post dedicated to show off her skills. But i don’t know if you can crochet with a fabric? But i myself going to try i’m thinking my solid colour, bed sheet to crochet a big basket.

 

Radha is a refugee from Pakistan. Several Hindus and Sikhs moved to India from Pakistan immediately after Partition. It was the biggest migration ever of the world to which these people bear a raw witness.

Harman her husband says, he left his place in Sialkot (now in Pakistan) for India.”I came along with my mother. We took to whatever work we could lay our hands on(we were earth digger ST’s there), but did not compromise with honesty and integrity,”asserts Harman.showing a sense of content the proud man says that they have shouldered all the responsibilities of a family and now content with their lives in India and completely forgotten Pakistan.

Radha learned to crochet and weaved while in a refugee camp in Hisar. like so many refugees sojoring through life, Radha lived in the camp for 6 long years. As she recalls, she was about 20 years old when someone taught her how to crochet, and I imagine she crocheted through many a tough year of waiting and wondering, loss and heartache.

We find her four years back, during my research work, gracing us with her warm smile and talented hands, which i have come to appreciate more and more as her story unfolds. She is a woman whose life has been seared much loss and pain, yet today at our NGO she was dressed in an array of brilliant maroon from head to toe, a silent yet loud pronouncement of her living in the present...just as she chose to do many years ago in Hisar refugee camp when she took up that crochet needle and made a choice to learn and earn. Also she, taught s slum women to adopt earning skills,to make their living at their home.

Radha asserts ....”now crochet is my life, I crochet clothing of all sorts. This is my passion, my livelihood and I love to make wonderful accessories for babies, kids, and the occasional adult.”

 

Her  ressession experiments

Economic challenges led her to evolve some cheaper ways of yarn. Not able to afford yarn to work with, “I cut fabric into strips making fabric yarn from my fabric stash in the house and borrowed from the relatives. Lightweight cotton like salwar-suits, sheets worked best for my crochet work. The same concept and thicker  fabric  can be used to construct baskets. Previously her work was in hibernation, slowly it got into public and became popular as well.

Those old unused clothes, strips of fabric, unwanted apparel and such stuff can be made useful instead of being thrown away. Equipped with little skill of single crochet only, one can easily crochet, from the cloths that aren't good enough to wear any way, and would have been totally discarded.

Radha has so many great items worthy to display, but I chose to feature this Crocheted Basket for several reasons. First, this crocheted piece is unique. Second, I think it's fabulous that this fabric basket is made from up-cycled salwar=suit. Up-cycling is a great way to help save items that may not be usable for their intended purposes any more, or to give an older item a sort of makeover in to something beautiful and useful again. Third, this Crocheted Basket is gorgeous! The colors are beautiful and would create such a cheerful tone to any room you add this to.

 

Here's the how to of making a crocheted fabric basket.

1. Pick your fabric. This basket takes a lot of fabric to make so be sure to use a very large piece like an old sheet. This particular basket took about 2 or 3 yards of fabric.

2. Cut the fabric into strips 3/4" to 1" wide.

3. Tie the strips together to form a ball of fabric yarn.

4. Crochet a circle  for the base of the basket. Here, 5 mm crochet hook was used.  Stitch using the single crochet. 

5. Crochet the sides as per your fabric or your choice.

6.Crochet a circular like base of the basket for the lid.

7. Crochet a small button with thinner strips and attach in the center of the lid for knob.

8. Show off and impress your friends!

Do you have discarded cloth articles.may  be a salwar-suit a soiled table cloth, or hubby’s t-shirts, bed sheets, outdated curtains, the possibilities are endless! Start cutting them into ½ to 2 inches wide strips to make your stash of rag yarn, and crochet a basket to stack your tit-bits-now!! Yes its cool!!!.

 

my inspiration today 
Happy Berry Crochet:

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