Chinmaya Mission Hall, 89,Lodhi Road,New Delhi

16-18^th Dec, 2011. Time -10am -8pm

The Re: Show brought by Khamir is a confluence of the rich diversities of Kachchh craft. It is about the changing environment and the changing conditions of our traditional craft practices. It is about the bold new experiments and successes of the younger generation of artisans but also about the questions regarding their futures and the sustainability of craft traditions.

Re: is about reveling in the beauty of our vibrant traditions while asking questions about their future sustainability in the race of scale and economics. Re: examines what could be the values of craft products and the lessons from craft communities.

Re: brings group presentations by Kachchh artisans from the weaving, block printing, tie-dyeing, pottery, leatherwork, metal bells, turned lacquer wood, silverwork and Rogan painting crafts. Workshops with selected crafts for co-creating products with artisans in leather, silver and painting would be special experiences for the more adventurous.

It is a kaleidoscopic world encapsulating most of the major crafts of Kachchh other than embroidery.

Khamir is introducing Kala cotton, a product that is made from the old world cotton type believed to be in existence sinceMohenjo-daro. This cotton is locally grown in Kachchh and has now been converted to handspun yarn, naturally dyed and hand woven in Kachchh. This cotton thrives in arid areas unlike most other cottons and is grown naturally without any fertilizers or pesticides.

This unique regional value chain created by Khamir from farmers, ginners, hand spinners, natural dyers and weavers also benefits the pastoralist communities by providing them with organic cattle feed from the handpicked calyx of the cotton. The fabrics reflect this spirit of connection as they ‘whisper with life’.

A similar initiative in linking the camel cattle herders to more value-generating local economies will present ice cream and milkshakes made from the local camel milk. These are certified for their nutritive values as well as suitability for diabetics.

Re: is a whole new way of re-looking…..

Product Range

1. 1.     Garments and accessories.
2. 2.     Fabrics.
3. 3.     Footwear.
4. 4.     Bags/Diaries, etc.
5. 5.     Metal bells/chimes, sound instruments.
6. 6.     Pottery.
7. 7.     Lacquer wood kitchenware.
8. 8.     Wall Art.
9. 9.     Silverware.

10. Camel milk ice cream & milkshakes.

Khamir Curates Re:

Retelling the stories of Kachchh Artisans and their Craft

At the Chinmaya Mission Hall, 89,Lodhi Road,New Delhi.

From 16-18^th Dec, 2011 Timing 10 am – 8 pm.

Contact: + 9825321082/ + 9979450131

Email: khamir.doc@gmail.com, Web: www.khamir.org

An Archaeology of Cotton

Until the middle of the 18th century, only the indigenous Arboreum and Herbaceum varieties of cotton were grown in different regions of the country. Archaeological evidence shows that the cotton samples retrieved from Mohenjodaro (like Dholavira) made around 3000 BC, were produced from a cotton plant closely related to the present day G.Arboreum types.

What is Kala Cotton?

Kala (pronounced kah-lah) Cotton is an old-world cotton of the type G.Herbaceum. Its main features are short to medium staple length and closed to semi opened boll type which is picked along with its calyx. It is suitable for rainfed cultivation. It is mainly grown in the districts of Kachchh (Rapar and Bhachau blocks) and Surendranagar (Patdi, Dasada and Mandal blocks) inGujarat.

Why Kala Cotton ?

1. 1.     PURE: Varieties of Kala Cotton are developed by Pedigree and/or Back Cross breeding method. In both methods no inter-specific hybridization or modern genetic engineering is used. This makes Kala Cotton genetically very pure. In current conventional agriculture, majority of the cotton grown inIndia is Bt Cotton which is a genetically modified hybrid.

1. 2.     WATER EFFICIENT: Kala Cotton is among the most water efficient cottons in the world. It grows easily in rainfed conditions— even in areas with less than 40cm rainfall which are considered drought prone. Its drought tolerance (i.e. moisture stress level) is so amazing that it does not require additional watering (i.e. irrigation) to complete its life cycle. Studies show that approx 1400 liters of irrigated ground water is needed to cultivate 1 kg of cotton as against Kala Cotton which is completely rain-fed.

1. 3.     ALMOST CARBON NEUTRAL: For the most part, Kala Cotton is grown in Kachchh without use of irrigation, chemical fertilizers and pesticide. Irrigation requires electrical or diesel energy to lift and supply water. Manufacturing and transporting chemical fertilizer requires energy, and produces greenhouse gases after usage. Use of pesticides poisons the environment, soil and water.

Thus, the ecological footprint of Kala Cotton is very low as compared to other cottons, and we can claim with a fair degree of certainty that Kala Cotton production in Kachchh is among the most energy efficient and carbon neutral in the world. While irrigated cotton in Gujarat generates 0.63% of greenhouse gases, other rain fed hybrids inGujaratgenerate 0.58%. In comparison, Kala Cotton in Kachchh generates 0.11%.

KHAMIR’s organic cotton initiative

Khamir is partnering with Satvik to reintroduce a holistic approach to cotton textile production in harmony with the ecology of Kachchh, by facilitating the linkages of a sustainable local production chain—thus providing income for small and marginal farmers, spinners, ginners and weavers.

Cultivating the BT hybrid requires high inputs that carry high risks. Farmer suicides are an unfortunate result of small farmers’ inability to absorb high-stake failures. The Kala Cotton chain requires very low inputs and almost zero risk. It is accessible to small farmers while servicing other communities like the pastoralists who use the calyx of the plant as cattle feed. The cotton lint, the seeds, the calyx, all provide the farmer with an income.

Khamir’s initiative takes this a step further by bringing together hand spinners, dyers and weavers to create products that celebrate the plurality and robustness of localized economies in the face of mass homogenization and environmental degradation.

Khamir Curates Re:

Retelling the stories of Kachchh Artisans and their Craft

At the Chinmaya Mission Hall, 89,Lodhi Road,New Delhi.

From 16-18^th Dec, 2011 Timing 10 am – 8 pm.

Contact: + 9825321082/ + 9979450131

Email: khamir.doc@gmail.com, Web: www.khamir.org

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  Training - 1st Day

  Women Learning how to setup a loom

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  Preparing Bobbins

  Women Learning how to prepare bobbins before weaving

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  Weaving

  Women learning how to weave recycled plastic on a pit loom

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  Weaving

  Newly skilled feet at work

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  Shopping Bag

  Product Name: Shopping Bag Code: PWShoppingBag-1 Size:16inch x 16inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  File Folder

  Product Name: File Folder Code: PWFileFolder Size:10inch x 13inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  Embroidery Pouch

  Product Name: Embroidery Pouch Code: PWEmbPch Size:4.5inch x 6inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  Shopping Bag-2

  Product Name: Shopping Bag-2 Code: PWShoppingBag-2 Size:17inch x 20inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  Cheque Book Holder

  Product Name: Cheque Book Holder Code: PWCHB-1 Size:5inch x 10inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  Fumka Bag

  Product Name: Fumka Bag Code: PWFumkaBag Size:17inch x 17inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  Flap Bag

  Product Name: Flap Bag Code: PWFlapBag Size:17inch x 14inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  Table Mat

  Product Name: Table Mat Code: PWTableMat Size:13.5inch x 19inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

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  Shopping Bag-3

  Product Name: Shopping Bag-3 Code: PWShoppingBag-3 Size:16inch x 16inch Craft: Recycled Plastic Weaving

During this seminar the president of Kachchh Weavers Association Mr.Gabhubhai Vankar, Vice President Parbatbhai Vankar, Govindbhai Vankar, Secretary Kantilal Vankar, Arjan Ciju, Premji Mangariya, Danabhai Bagda have participated in and presented application made for the GI recognition for famous Kachchhi Shawls.

Shri S. S. Gupta of D. C. Handicraft inaugurated this Seminar.  Managing Director of Gurjari, Mr. A.K. Jha requested to invited guests of Textile Ministry to register Kachhhi Shawls under GI.

• Method of determining proportion of Indigo while dyeing
• Changes in color shades by changing proportion of indigo while dyeing
• What will be the change in proportions of auxiliary Dyeing materials (Caustic,  Hydro) if the proportion of Indigo is changed while preparing dye bath
• Proper Color fixing methods

Results of experiments were shared with Weavers of Kachchh with hands on practical through a workshop. Again knowledge available with team on woolen & cotton fiber was also shared with artisans group in the said workshop. Below are some of the glimpses of the workshop.

Every year KHAMIR Craft Resource Centre organizes Craft Demonstration/Workshops for various interested groups & schools. Nationally renowned schools like Valley School from Bangalore &  Shishuvan School from Mumbai sends their young primary & high school students to Kachchh for rural & other exposures every year. KHAMIR facilitates the Craft Workshops for these students where these students gets exposure to craft communities & history of their craft and the craft process with practical hands on exercise.

Same as schools  We also receive requests of facilitation to Craft Workshops with artisans from various national & foreign visitors to Kachchh. In January 2011 a group from Canada, Mr. Russ Mason  & his group were facilitated for workshop on “Felting with Wool (Namda Craft)” & “Leather Craft” at KHAMIR campus.

Such workshops not only support artisans economically but also gives Artisans an opportunity to spread the traditional knowledge of centuries to the nation & the world.

The colouring process on TC leather in the entire kutchchh region was assessed as not the best option available. Moreover the dyes were restricted to just four colours. Again the dye used by the artisans currently is actually meant for drum dyeing in industrial process and not for surface application. The colours gave problems wherein they lost fastness just by rubbing hand on its surface.

So to improve Artisans Skill and to introduce new colors for surface application two expert from Mumbai were called to conduct the workshop between 13th & 14th December 2010 where the best options available to colour TC leather were introduced by these experts who visited from Mumbai. The new colours gave better fastness, more variety in terms of shades, easy options to blend and formulate new colours.

Apart from this, the artisans were exposed to the traditional process of dyeing leather using natural ingredients like bark of trees, cooking oil, spices etc. the process was developed at the Khamir textile laboratory by our textile experts. Samples were preserved at every step of the dyeing process and shown to the artisans along with end results.

KHAMIR’s Textile Laboratory was inaugurated by senior artisans from the textile sector on 10th October 2010.  All the tests available at the laboratory were demonstrated to the artisans with promotional offers. A lively discussion on problems related to quality control took place between experts & artisans invited by KHAMIR. It was suggested that the texlab should proactively work with artisans to create a manual of standards for natural & chemical dyeing, wet & rub fastness, shrinkage, etc as best practices from the textile sector of Kachchh. This would work as a guideline for buyers and artisans to interact professionally and with clear expectations of the textile products keeping in mind its unique character. This will become one of the tasks that the texlab will undertake shortly.

Here are some of the glimpses from inaugural event: