Kantha Covers

I rarely buy sewn objects, preferring to custom fit my own, even if they are just curtains or cushion covers. Even rarer is my buying an embroidered piece. Lately, however, i have been indulging in a few heavily-worked beauties. Done in the Kantha style by the traditional indian craftsmen, these are exquisite creations.

As i was unpacking my linen the other day, i came across a pair of these cushion covers. They had been neatly packed away in a loft, having been acquired during my cushionless interlude. I decided that now was as good a time to have their debut.


A single strand of silk worked on on midnight blue satin-knit. The stitches are tiny and carefully worked. It would be difficult and time consuming to match the mastery of these craftsmen, most of them having practiced this trade since they were 6-7 years old.

And btw, i found one on the floor yesterday under no.2 son's head as he watched TV :( sigh !!!

Summer Blooms

Mr Lee's class was off for the summer too. The scheduled break for the month of May, however, spilled over into June as well, and now the gang is slowly reassembling on Sunday afternoons, with a couple of new faces.

The first week, Mr Lee had seven sheets of the following for each of us, but i was the only one who showed up.


And here is my version -

The next week started badly - i guess i was tired, and it showed. It took a few chiding words from Mr Lee to put me back on track. He didnt pen his words on it at first, but then deigned to do so.

Back Again, Hopefully to Stay!

Oh boy, has this been a loooong summer! Apart from the usual summer madness, add in two young men finishing up college and getting set to start work, one kid training to row at the subjunior nationals, and one home to be moved. Yes, it was hectic, but now hopefully it's all passed, and now armed with a brand new internet connection ( good old Bsnl came thru when a private provider let me down miserably ! ), I'm back :).

As ever, tuesday was my lucky day yesterday. I was online after 10 days, and took my sewing machine out for the first time in my new home. The first job was a good old hem on new sheets for my brand new bed.

The next was a bit better - linen holders to hold all our towels. I first made this pattern up from an idea in a magazine, when my eldest was a few weeks old. The diaper hangers not only saved space, they were a boon for carting around all his nappies and burp cloths whenever we travelled to and from the town and the tea estates where we were stationed, which was every week. I would just zip it up, take it off the nail, and put it into the car, and at the destination it would go straight up on its nail - no packing and unpacking, or hunting for baby sized bits of cloth.



As the boys grew, i realized that these things could hold other stuff as well, and more conveniently. And so they have been a fixture in my home ever since.

These two were made to hold towels. And after making more than a dozen, I finally thought to overlap the fronts so the bag stays closed.

A Pair Done

My sock knitting has been drawing a lot of attention wherever I go. And now that i have a second pair on the needles, many of my friends are enquiring after the first.




Yes, they are done, and rather nicely, if i may say so myself. Magic loop, toe-up, two at a time, starting with Judy Becker's magic cast on, and short row heels with a gusset. Grumperina's favorite bind-off has worked well too. But I am finding the bound off edge of the cuff to be a little skimpy for my taste, so am contemplating frogging and trying Techknitter's tubular cast off. That's why the working yarn is still hanging on to the socks!

Summer Bouquet

Many times, when i find a precious cotton print that i really love, i save it for a quilt... i figure it will last for much longer. But this time i couldn't resist making up this lovely fabric into a cool sleeveless shell for the summer. And of course, in my usual way, to embellish it with a bit of embroidery.


Brilliant red satin ribbon flowers with orange french knot centers, with a sprinkling of focal floral beads on some of the pattern segments. You can see an unworked segment at upper right.

Bamboos and Color

Now that he has us all busy with plum trees, Mr Lee has decided to do a series of bamboo as a gift to his talented students! Madhukrishna, our in-house expert on art, has acquired a bundle of the most wonderful rice paper, which Mr Lee has pronounced so fine that it needs no mounting.

Here are the first two in the gift series.


Madhu has also been playing with the chinese water colors, and offers us these delightful pink blooms.


I really like the way he has used the pigment. Not transparent, yet light with great clarity. Exactly like the flowers.

The Winning Gentleman

The last few weeks have been all about plum branches and blossoms. The textured trunks and branches, different techniques of executing the blooms, and freedom to experiment with compositions have made this "gentleman" a favorite with all of us!