Cotton Sari with strip patchwork

Befikri, not of carelessness. Befikri of wise selfishness.

Befikri is joined as a steadfast stitch of many panels. Each panel highlights the intricate stitching involved in binding textiles of various textures and densities together. While retaining the light-hearted appeal of the sari, I played with colours of earth, soil, moss, leaves and mulch to pay homage to the natural fertility of the land.

About Stitching of Saris:

In 2009, when I was acquainting myself with textiles across the country, I realised how much textile waste is created as “damaged or injured” saris. While the handloom industry endeavours to support the weavers and the traditional weaves, one has to make rather very small human errors in the weaves for them to be discarded as damaged. This bothered me very much. So, the beginning of Mora was based on the decision to create a design solution that could accommodate any shape and size of textiles that would otherwise make it to waste hills. This decision gave me the confidence that the purpose of textile waste management is an essential aspect of Mora design.

How steadfast is the stitch?
Will it hold the gravity and tension?
How straight is the line of stitch? How many waves?
How many overlaps and slips in the stitch?
Is the colour of the thread in sync with the stitch? In a patchwork, how many times the colour of the thread is changed?
How pointed are the corners?
How aligned are the stripes?
What would be the most secure way to bind two textiles together?
How well do the textiles of different densities and weights bind together? Are there bulging stitches? Or are they all well settled? How well are they interacting with gravity?

Befikri 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. Befikri comes with a blouse fabric designed to encourage Mora fireflies to bring their authentic spirit to the fabrication of blouse fit, usage of borders and edgings. The blouse worn by me is not included.

Param did the beadwork

Gurmail, the tailor

Most of the cotton fabrics are woven with Amlawati, Arunachal Pradesh

Mumma, Madhu, patchwork technical eyes and segregating hands

Midtoan.com, the photographer

Designed by Ritika