Friends,
The month of March which is actually my birthday month but this year March had totally moved me. It gave a shock of my mother's demise. At the time, we all sisters and my brother were with her in Bangalore at my brother's place where she was living since two and half year. We saw her breaths slowing down and down. She was bed ridden since one month, her age was 85 still her demise made us orphan.
Mother is always special in every one's life. Every one has lots of memories about her / his mother. I also have number of memories, out of which I will share one memory with you.
My parents wanted me to be a singer as I had already mentioned in my post of "Music: the divine art". They always wished to hear me (songs by me), both classical as well as light music. After the death of my father my mom lived in Amravati with my younger sister Sadhana, I used to go there frequently, many times she asked me to sing a song and I used to sing also; but this was only in the last month when I realized that how much my mom used to be delighted on hearing my songs, when Aparna (wife of my brother) told me this incident.
My mom's Sodium level was reduced, she used to talk irrelevant since last one month.
One day she said," Alka sing 2-3 songs". (though I was not at my brother's place at that time)
After some time she said to the wife of my brother,"Aparna, today I am really so satisfied as Alka sung 4-5 melodious songs".
Hearing this I could not control my tears ðŸ˜.
She was very efficient manager. She managed the business of my father "Liberty Art Service", a business of painting, the movie advertising boards. It was very hard core business due to it's dependency on the working artists. Big banners like 60 ft x 20 ft, 100 ft x 20 ft size were painted in the studio for talkies decorations. Some of the photos of talkies decorations made in our studio (Fig 2, 3 and 4),
Fig 2
Fig 3
Trade mark of our studio
Fig 4
As I have already written in "About me" of this blog, she was (and will be always) the only inspiration behind all my arts. Though she never did knitting or crochet work but she was interested in every new creative thing she forced us to learn that.
Not only she inspired us but she herself creates number of things based on various arts. But I had very few photos of her creations. So to share them with you I have devoted this post to "My Mom's Creations".
She had worked some cross stitch embroidery on table cloths, mats etc. only one photo of cross stitch work done by her with embroidery threads on Jute square is available. (see fig 5) This is a small mat used while worshiping God.
Fig 5 Fig 6
Fig 7
Another beautiful embroidery work made by her was the baby blanket with knot stitch (Fig 6,7 ). She made it at the time of her first grand daughter that is my daughter. After 36 years also, today we are using it as a washing machine cover.
She made patch work dolls, animals on the baby blankets of all of her seven grand children. I have photo of only one of the classic patch work embroidery which a small baby's photo (Fig 1).
Fig 8
She had done much of bead work. Beaded rangolies around the lunch plates. Each design was different (Fig 8). Some more rangolies were there but I don't have photo of them.
She made many articles by using white beads (we call it pearls) on velvet cloth. I had two photos, one of Toran, a strip used to put on the door. Blue velvet strip was decorated by bead flowers and small bells. See fig 9.
Another photo was of pair of peacocks which mom made as a rangoli but later on we used it for decorating any thing. (Fig 10)
Fig 9
Fig 10
Fig 11
One more special creation of my mother was "Halvyache Dagine", the jewelry made by halva. Halva (Fig 11)is the special Maharashtrian recipe made from suger and sesamum or suger and poppy seeds. In Maharashtra jewelry of this halva is made for newly married ladies and newly born babies on the eve of Makar Sankrant. Fig 12 shows the complete Halva Jewelry set made by my mom which content crown, necklace, earrings, mangalsutra ( a special kind of necklace with black beads only married ladies wear it) different types of bangles, rings for hand and leg fingers etc In fig 13 my cute little brother and in fig 14 my beautiful sister wearing all Halva jewelry made by mom.
Fig 12
Fig 13
Fig 14
She also used to sew big banners required for our studio. She sewed her own blouse, our frocks etc.
At the time of arrival of every grand son / daughter she sewed many small dresses again I missed all those photos.
She also used to do quilting. Number of baby blankets she made by quilting and used small pieces of cloths she had.
I have only one photo of naming ceremony of my daughter (Fig 15) in which some of her creations in quilting can be seen and that knot stitch blanket (shown in fig 7) can also be seen.
Fig 15
She drew beautiful rangolies but again I don't have any photo.
Her affection about new thing and her creativity can be seen in her last few days also. She saw one soap case in TV advertisement. It was made of sponge, she explained that when the soap finished some stuff remained in the soap case which can be used from the sponge case to wash legs 😛. She ordered my brother and described him how to make that and her obedient son and my loving brother made it and the result was (it remains unfinished and she left us) ......
Fig 16
Monday, March 2, 2020
Crochet Bird Applique, Patchwork Piece 1
Fig 1
Hello friends,
Here I made a very special item first time in my art life, APPLIQUE. We generally call it patchwork. Actually patch work is an art of forming design by joining the pieces of fabrics different in colors, different in designs. See my following post, https://alkaandart.blogspot.com/search?q=mom+creation
In India it is very usual to make applique worked baby blankets for new born. Today this art has special name Quilting.
The word APPLIQUE is from French Latin words which means to join or to apply which we do in applique or in patchwork.
I always like to make kid's favorite pictures on their sweater, jacket etc. I made them with embroidery on knitted work. See fig 2, 3. On knitted sweaters it's OK to make hand embroidery but on crochet sweater (?) there is no possibility to hand embroidery. In that case sewing APPLIQUE is the only way to decorate it or to make it kid's favorite. Hence I made this bird applique. Before that I made simple fish applique and car applique but they are actually very simple.
Fig 2
Fig 3
PATTERN:
Face: In a magic loop make ch 3, dc 11, close by sl
st in third ch. Bind off. Fig 4.
Body: R1: In a magic loop make semi circle by making
ch 1, sc 4, close loosely to form semi circle.
Fig 4
Fig 5
R2: ch 1 turn, sc 2 in each st, (8 sts). Fig 4.
R3: ch 3, dc 1 in first st, dc 2 in each st (16 sts)
R4: ch 3, dc 1 in same st, dc 1 in next st, (dc 2 in next, dc 1 in next) repeat till 2 sts remain to end, tr 2 in next, tr 1 in last st. Continue for tail, fig 6.
Fig 6
Tail: ch 10, fig 7, from second ch, 2 sl st, 2 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc,
then dc 4 on tr, hdc 1 in next 2 sts, bind off.
Fig 7
Fig 8
Fig 9
Wing: Ch 14+1, sc 1 in next 5 sts, hdc 3, dc 2, hdc 2, sc 1, sc 4
in last corner st, fig 9, then on other side, sc 2 in each of the first 2 sts, hdc 1
in next 2 sts, dc 2 in next st, tr 2 in next st, dc 1 in next 4 sts, hdc 2, sc
2, bind off. Fig 10.
Assemble these parts by sewing with tapestry needle as shown in fig 11.
Make ch
3, dc 2 at under neck st, join third ch and last dc to the body of the bird.
Leg: Ch 5, sl st in second and third ch from hook, ch
3, sl st on second and third ch from hook, sl st in the remaining 2 sts of leg
(out of initial 5 sts)
Skip 2 sts of the body, join the red yarn and make one more leg similarly. Fig 12.
Fig 10
Fig 11
Fig 12
Beak: Join yellow yarn, ch 2, incomplete dc 1 in same st, incomplete dc 1 in next st, YO and pass through all the three sts. Bind off. Fig 13.
Fig 13
Fig 14
Sew one black bead as an eye. As black bead is not with me teperarily I put black bindi but I will replace it by bead soon.
Finally the bird will look as in fig 14.
The following video may hellp you to make this applique.
I am back on my blog nearly after two months. These 2 months are really crazy. My channel "Kalopasak" is selected for the Bonus Program run by youtube and I participated in that. So in May, June July I decided to post 3 videos per week, instead of 2 which usually I did. In between I had to go to USA for 5 months hence so much necessary work to complete in India. Also I planned to sheduled videos upto 20 July since my grandkids had vaccation till 19th and once in USA, I wanted to spend full time with them. In between one week passed in some marriage ceremony. So very much hectic shedule and I could not write my blog.
Now I am back to my routine. In this post I am showing you not my creation but creation of some one else.
My first crochet video on my channel is "Introduction to crochet and how to make chains".
I remember this because,
When I came here, my grand daughter, 7 years old wanted to learn crochet from me. I tought them how to make chain and also how to join to form a ring. Then she wanted to give some handmade chrochet thing to her teacher on the first day of school. I just gave her an idea of making flower of those chain and she made really nice flower. I just help to join chains for petal two times, rest she completed. Then my grand son also tried and make second one.
But next day I was wonder-struck seeing her imagination power, when she showed me and say, "Aaji, (Grand mom) see, I made a man!!!"
Then she understood that Aaji was very happy by her creation, she made a girl also and shwed me.
Totally she made it herself, I didn't help her for even 1%. It was really wonderful!!
I have never shown her any of my video. Even she don't understand Marathi (language of my channel)
That day only I taught her how to make chains and she also told me it's uses that, "Aaji you can use it as a Book mark or as a Keychain or you can play with it".
I was so happy and I really felt that these arts are being transfered to next generation. This is exactly what I wanted or what is my intension to start with my Youtube channel.
Thanks that you read my feelings....
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Knitted Prayer Rug:
Fig 1
Hi friends,
Making Prayer rug (Aasan) is a common thing in India. I have posted a simple prayer rug made on Jute cloth by embroidery threads with cross stitch, see fig 2, by my Mom. See the post https://alkaandart.blogspot.com/search?q=My+mom%27s+creation
The first prayer rug I made was just sewing lace on red velvet cloth. Fig 3
Fig 2
Fig 3
This prayer rug shown is fig 1 is my first knitted rug. When I saw Metered stitch I liked it and I decided to make Prayer rug.
This was made in a thick yarn (6ply) with UK 9 number knitting needles.
I made four parts and then they are sewed together to form a rug.
Fig 4
Fig 5
Add caption
First I made a sample which I can use as a table mat see fig 5. This table mat started by casting 40 stitches.
R1: All knit and place the marker in the centre.
R2 Knit till 2 sts to marker, K2tog, slip the marker, SSK (Slip slip knit means slip two sts one by one as if to knit then take them on left needle and knit two together from back side, K remaining sts.
Repeat Row 1 and 2 till 2 sts remain, then K2tog.
I have also changed the colour after 2 rows for getting 5 strips of black colour.
I made such four pieces and join them.
Table mat will be ready.
For Prayer rug I have started with 100 sts and the same thick yarn.
You can also make Baby blanket with colourful square pieces and joining them.
The following video may help you to see Mitered stitch.
Generally when we invite any one for lunch or dinner, we decorate our dinning area means dinning table and near by. In Indian culture Paat (wooden sitting device) are arranged and people sit on them and take their lunch or dinner. Many times dinning plate is also placed on these paat. Now a days most of the people use Dinning Table still occassionally or for functions this type of arrangement is made.
This was the beautiful Dinning arrangement made in my daughter's marriage.
So the traditional way of decorating the dinning area is drawing beautiful and colourful Rangolies around the plate and also around the Paat.
At that time we have placed Beads Rangolis around the lunch plate which are made by my mother. I have shown it in my post,
Other than dinner arrangements the main use of Square Paat (Chourang) is in many rituals and every time Rangoli has to be made around Chourang.
Now a days we don't have much time to draw the rangoli and colour it so if we get instant rangoli then it will be so far so good. Hence I made three crochet Rangolies around Paat / Chourang in last two weeks. I have already made the rangolies around plates (which is called Meherap), here is it's link on my blog,
Now for those we don't have this use of Rangoli around paat, can use it as a best Lace Design which you may use for baby frock with rectangular neck or Towel border or Curtain border etc.
Pattern: Rangoli Around Paat Design 1
Measurement of the Paat around which we are making Rangolil is 18" x 12".
Yarn Orange and Green, 4 ply and hook 3.5 mm
We want multiple of 16+4 sts for the design. Start with Green yarn.
For 12” we need 52 chs, for 18” we need 84 chs again for 12” we take 52 chs. That is 188 chs, plus ch2 for corner means 190 chs. Make ch3 as first dc.
R1: dc1 in each ch starting from 4th ch till there are 52 dcs, then (dc1, ch3, dc1) in next ch, dc 1 in next 84 sts, (dc1, ch3, dc1) in next, dc1 in last 52 sts.
Note that first dc means ch3.
R2: [(dc1, ch3, skip 3 sts) rep till corner, at corner dc on
dc-st, ch2, dc1 in ch3-sp, ch2, dc on dc-st] 2 times, [(dc1, ch3, skip 3 sts)
rep till end.
R3: dc1,[
(dc3 in ch3-sp, dc 1 on next dc, ch3 skip this window, dc 1 on next dc-st) rep
till corner, at corner, (ch3, dc1 in ch2-sp) twice, ch3] twice, (dc3 in ch3-sp, dc 1 on next dc, ch3 skip this
window, dc 1 on next dc-st) rep till end. BO.
R4: Join Orange yarn at first st as to work on right side. Ch1,
[sc1 in each of the 5
dc-sts, sc3 in ch3-sp, sc1 in first dc-st, ch6, sc1 on dc-st, sc3 in ch3-sp] 3 times,
R5: ch1 turn, [sc 1 on 5 sc-sts, (ch1, extended dc 1) 5
times in ch6-sp, ch5, (ext dc1, ch1) 5 times in same ch6-sp] 3 times, sc 1 in
last 5 sts.
R6: sc1 in 4 sts, then from the ch1-gap after first ext dc
make (sc 2 in ch1-sp, ch4) 3 times, then
in ch5-sp make ( hdc1, dc2, ext dc 1, ch4-picot by sl st, ext dc1, dc 2, hdc1)
then make (sc 2 in ch1-sp, ch4) 3 times, lastly sc1 in 4 sts, BO.
For corners,
In a magic loop make dc 16,with white, attach green tassels at three times on one side. Make two such pieces.
Make sc 6 in a magic loop, cl. Make two one with yellow and other with red as Haldi Kumkum which we used to place on any rangoli.
Sew these two pieces on two white tassels. Lastly sew them at two corners of our Rangoli.
The following video with English subtitles may help you.