Eri Silk stole with Sashiko drawings

Param came to Mumma in 2020 as a shy, very timid woman who earned her livelihood by doing daily wage work in factories or as a road construction labourer. Somehow, some Karma brought her to our home, and she started her training with Mumma to do beadwork for Mora. That was the time I came home during the Covid lockdown to visit my parents, and as my fortunate would have it, I stayed with Mumma at my parent’s home up until 2022. During this time, Mumma, Param and I bloomed with creative experiments. Param did not know how to hold a needle; my Mumma patiently trained her stitch by stitch, knot by knot, bead by bead. Mumma sat supervising her every move, like a surgeon to her trainee. After the first year passed, Param was beginning to show some signs of creative agency.

This was the time we started throwing creativity in the pool of craft. We got a chalk out and also a plate and drew circles and crossed them over each other on a Myrobalan dyed Eri silk panel. Param had already started practising Sashiko-like Kantha stitches by then. This panel was given to her to embroider. Every time Param accidentally skipped the rows, and the circles lost their concentric flow, a new spiral appeared. Over weeks, Param wove her craft into this panel.

Then came the moment of judgment, to use or not to use. Param was 100% sure this piece was a waste of time as she reflected on her guilt of “messing it up” often. We played along for a few days and let her believe it was really so. Gurmel, Mumma and I were already working through the creation of this stole called Param, without her knowing anything of it.

A few days later, Param, the stole was ready for Param, the embroiderer to see.

Param shed a tear. She said, “Mainu sui fadni vi nahin aandi si, aj main kadhai waali ban gayi”, I did not know how to hold a needle and now I am an embroiderer.”

This is the reward we are after. This is why this stole is Param.

Once the Stole was meticulously stitched together with the rest of the panels, Param gave it a beautiful hand-embroidered edging. For that edging, Mumma and I did many video calls to find the perfect sizing of the edging loops, and then Mumma trained Param in making those perfect loops at the edges.

Param evokes heart. A labour that turns a craft into love.

Param is worn by Kobe. She is the only one who could allow Param’s energy to shine more than hers. Kobe allowed Param to be all Param, not an ounce of Kobe. That is what Kobe can do even at 9 years of life. Here’s to Kobe, who is shining the light on Param.

Param is a one-of-a-kind textile designed to highlight a unique coming together of various techniques and creativity of handcraft. This design will not be recreated.