Nantonaku なんとなく
MR23115
Matchbox patchwork | Weaves from Tai Khampti looms
Spoken for
This Sari was conceived somehow, without much trying. Somehow just kept becoming.
Part 1:
Mind and seasoned hands: To make matchbox patchwork, the stitching craftsmen must assume single mind focus. Our tailor, Gurmel Singh blocks out all other distractions and carefully engages in picking each tiniest piece of fabric and aligning into the desired geometry. He then engages with it through cutting, ironing, aligning, joining, recutting, ironing, aligning, joining each box to construct new boxes. Over few days of meticulously joining each of these tiny scraps, a matchbox form of patches takes shape.
Part 2
Heart and untrained hands: The base textile of the sari is composed of plain and check textiles woven by Tai Khampti weavers from Arunachal Pradesh. We had brought about 500 kgs of cotton yarn to Arunachal Pradesh and took it as a drive to sensitise weavers towards using cotton over easily available synthetic yarns. This initiative brought livelihood to untrained weavers, single mothers, and older women to engage in weaving plain, checks and striped fabrics.
Nantonaku is 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. Nantonaku comes with a blouse fabric designed to encourage mora fireflies to bring their own authentic spirit to the fabrication of blouse fit, usage of borders and edgings.
Blouse worn by me is not included.
Part 1:
Mind and seasoned hands: To make matchbox patchwork, the stitching craftsmen must assume single mind focus. Our tailor, Gurmel Singh blocks out all other distractions and carefully engages in picking each tiniest piece of fabric and aligning into the desired geometry. He then engages with it through cutting, ironing, aligning, joining, recutting, ironing, aligning, joining each box to construct new boxes. Over few days of meticulously joining each of these tiny scraps, a matchbox form of patches takes shape.
Part 2
Heart and untrained hands: The base textile of the sari is composed of plain and check textiles woven by Tai Khampti weavers from Arunachal Pradesh. We had brought about 500 kgs of cotton yarn to Arunachal Pradesh and took it as a drive to sensitise weavers towards using cotton over easily available synthetic yarns. This initiative brought livelihood to untrained weavers, single mothers, and older women to engage in weaving plain, checks and striped fabrics.
Nantonaku is 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. Nantonaku comes with a blouse fabric designed to encourage mora fireflies to bring their own authentic spirit to the fabrication of blouse fit, usage of borders and edgings.
Blouse worn by me is not included.
Buyer Empowerments
Intrinsic
Value
Value
Involves precision stitching skills and understanding of geometry for desired placements.
Creative
Aspect
Aspect
Intricate patchwork set in contrast with the solids. The choice of colours is as deliberate as intuitional. To bring in various weaves, textures, stitching style together into a one side-endless mechanism was a challenging feat yet extremely rewarding when we put the final stroke and said it’s done now!
Heft-Feel
Moderate
Weather/
Mood
Pleasant- okay for summers to nippy evenings
Longevity
Not fragile
Care
Dry Clean only; Needs “Airing” in shadow, not direct sun. Do not wring.
State
Sari is ready to wear. All saris come with blouse fabric(s). No fall/beading required. The blouse used in photoshoot is for representation only and may not be the same blouse available with the sari. The blouse fabric given with the sari will be more in alignment with the aesthetics intended.
Soul
Patchwork includes many handloom woven cotton- not natural dyed. Tai khampti wove plain fabrics woven with azo-free dyed yarn.
Drape
Celebratory, vibrant, traditional translated to modern
Concerns
Addressed
Addressed
Supports non-industrial tailoring skills.
Faith in up-skilling unskilled artisans.
Fabric scrap re-purposing.
Slow production of weaves that are made by artisan at home in available time- supporting farming lifestyle.
Livelihood opportunity for amateur weavers, single mothers, older women who cannot farm.
Design handling leadership training, inventory keeping, costing and parcel handling collaboration with Amla
Awareness drive to choose natural yarns over easily available synthetic yarns.
Faith in up-skilling unskilled artisans.
Fabric scrap re-purposing.
Slow production of weaves that are made by artisan at home in available time- supporting farming lifestyle.
Livelihood opportunity for amateur weavers, single mothers, older women who cannot farm.
Design handling leadership training, inventory keeping, costing and parcel handling collaboration with Amla
Awareness drive to choose natural yarns over easily available synthetic yarns.
Solid colour base woven in Arunachal with Nang Amlavati’s supervision.
Fabric scrap management by Madhu Mittal.
Cotton yarn from Salem, Tamil Nadu.
Patchwork and Stitching by Gurmel Singh, Jalalabad, Punjab.
Beadwork by Param, Bathinda, Punjab.
Fabric scrap management by Madhu Mittal.
Cotton yarn from Salem, Tamil Nadu.
Patchwork and Stitching by Gurmel Singh, Jalalabad, Punjab.
Beadwork by Param, Bathinda, Punjab.
Disclaimer:
Imperfections in the weaves reflect handmade
Irregularity in the dyes reflect natural process
Innocent spots in the textiles reflect being homemade
A work of nature cannot be sterile and error-free
A choice to still buy what we make is a step
Towards supporting original culture
Of people
Of nature
Of craft
A celebration of humanness.
Imperfections in the weaves reflect handmade
Irregularity in the dyes reflect natural process
Innocent spots in the textiles reflect being homemade
A work of nature cannot be sterile and error-free
A choice to still buy what we make is a step
Towards supporting original culture
Of people
Of nature
Of craft
A celebration of humanness.
Mora Collective 2024
designed by: MIDTOAN