Throughout this time, I was caring for my 3-year-old, and living in Mumbai made it difficult to take up an animation job due to the time-consuming commute. I realized that getting to work would be more challenging than the work itself, so I decided to pursue a one-year fashion design course. During that year, I worked hard to master skills in patternmaking, embroidery, stitching, fashion illustration, and more.
After completing the course with distinction, the next question was, what now?
A friend of mine, who was participating in a trade exhibition, invited me to share a stall with her. Without hesitation, I agreed, though it soon dawned on me—I had only three days to prepare, and no products on hand! After some quick brainstorming, I decided to create Ganapati designs using the Batik technique, framing them in wooden frames to present at the exhibition.
By then, I was well aware that Batik is a meticulous process. You can't just start with one design—you need to work on multiple pieces at once to make efficient use of time and materials. The process begins with preparing the fabric: removing the starch, drying it completely, ironing out the wrinkles, and sketching the designs. Then, I would decide on the color schemes, stretch the fabric on a frame, and heat the wax pot to begin applying wax to the areas that would remain white before dyeing the fabric.
This process needs to be repeated for each color you want to include in the final piece. (I'll write a separate blog post detailing the entire process if you'd like to know more.)
In the end, I managed to create 15 Batik Ganapatis and frame them just in time for the exhibition. It turned out to be a successful venture and a rewarding experience overall!
Throughout this time, I was caring for my 3-year-old, and living in Mumbai made it difficult to take up an animation job due to the time-consuming commute. I realized that getting to work would be more challenging than the work itself, so I decided to pursue a one-year fashion design course. During that year, I worked hard to master skills in patternmaking, embroidery, stitching, fashion illustration, and more.
