Beadwork on Skirt

This is my first work using beads, pipes and Zardosi. Think this was done in 2001. It was a frilled skirt and the entire border was worked. Think I completed it in 2 days (I was too excited to see the finished effect).

My First Post - For the Grannies

Whenever I think about embroidery, I picture sweet looking grannies, sitting outside their homes, in the mild evening sun with a needle, threads and a cloth to work on. Personally, I have never seen my granny embroider (she was old and eyes were weak to embroider), but I have seen my granny's works - though few with a moderate number of colors - she was very neat.

But I have come across other grannies too - Sharvari's granny (that's my sis's friend's granny). She was a perfectionist. I'll get some snaps sometime to post. I literally adore her. I can't imagine in just one lifetime she created boxes full of crochet, embroidery, tatting, knitting..... and many more beautiful works. She made me realize how little I know and there's so much to learn. And you never know it till you do it yourself. Also that things look too time consuming.... but the results are worth it. I often hear people say "You have a lot of patience" when I say "I embroider". But this granny's work, she worked stitches that were 2 or 3 millimeters long and completed works with more than a foot of embroidery work. Shravari's granny inspired me to quit being lazy & to use whatever time I can spare to work on my hobbies and also to take up everything that looks complicated!

I thought my first post should be for The Grannies Who Embroider because I came across the snap at the start of this blog. I've seen this granny just a couple of times - but I didn't know she embroiders. This work is by Dr Jayant Antani's mother. During my last visit to Dr Antani's home in Dharwad, I saw this pillow cover. That's machine embroidery and those stitches were so tiny - this granny must have been the one for minute details too!