Varsha Kalam
DESCRIPTION
The south west monsoons that hit the coromandel coast during late October and November bring most weaving to a standstill. Fear of rust stain from the reed stops weavers from using zari. Mixing the lace border with leftover ikat yarns from neighboring clusters is a common practice in weaving household, as they make sarees for the family members. Varsha Kalam draws from this practice to make the textiles - combining ikat, fine cotton weaving and kalamkari hand painting.
/ ORIGIN
thiri handlooms, venkatagiri
madhavi kalamkari, sri kalahasti
/ TECHNIQUES
fine cotton weaving
natural dyes
/ COUNT
100S Cotton
/ ZARI
1gm Gold
/ TIMELINE
4 weeks (please read our shipment section to understand our delicate process)
* Color and weave inconsistencies in handwoven and hand painted textiles is a testament to the many human hands that worked on it.
CARE
Hand wash separately in cold water, dry in shade.
Iron with warm heat.
Dry clean safe.
* Color bleeds for the first few washes in hand painted textiles.
* Natural dyes fade with usage and time.
SIZE & FIT
LENGTH : 248 INCHES
WIDTH : 45 INCHES
SHIPMENT TIME (DIFFERS BY BRAND)
Once an order is placed, the textile is washed and then hand-painted with colour, dried under the sun. It is then carefully pressed with a charcoal iron, hemmed and folded.
This process takes anywhere between 2 - 5 weeks to complete as it is sensitive to seasonal and environmental factors.
If you would like a piece by a specific date, please email us at hello@avte-bardo.com so we can accommodate your needs.
Store exchanges are accepted unless the piece is custom made to order.
ABOUT SARASA
South India has a cotton culture that is intertwined with the land & the people. Sarasa seeks to tell stories of their softness & strength.
The textiles featured in this document are woven under the leadership of Mr. Patnam Subramnyam in Venkatagiri. His relentless efforts in preserving the fine cotton weaving tradition in Venkatagiri enabled the materialisation of this study.
Ms.Madhavi appini infused her 20 years of expertise in kalamkari hand painting to add colour to these fine cotton textiles.
Our textiles are a result of the coming together of two craft practices. Fine cotton fresh off the loom in Venkatagiri is sent to Sri Kalahasti. Here, it is washed and treated with milk and myrobalan. After, colours and patterns are painted by Kalamkari artisans.
After a final wash and boil, the resulting cotton is transformed into a cloud of softness.
