It’s my birthday so I made my dream outfit: A Bat Girl Sari

Seriously. What is it with people who do nothing on their birthday? It astonishes me when friends claim they ‘don’t bother anymore’, ‘they are too old’, blah, blah, blah. The day you were born is an essential celebration in my books, after all; we’ve survived another year. If we honestly care about ourselves, then birthdays are the time to show it.

Creating a ‘birthday suit’ is something I love doing. In previous years I’ve sewn new dresses, but this year I wanted something a little bit different. So I thought about all the things I love. Batman is high up on the list. My favourite superhero, I’ve long wanted to be Bat Girl. And that’s when it clicked; I’d create my own Bat Girl Suit…but not a conventional one. I designed an ensemble that  represents me and my story: my very own Bat Sari. Keep reading to see how I created it…

Make-up, styling and photography: Halima @MakeUpSurgery

CHOOSING MY DESIGN
Clothing is a form of self-expression though not everyone takes advantage of the possibilities. Designing my own sari was a chance to play with six whole metres of fabric so I opted to tell my own story through the design.

It starts from the bottom: my very own pink Bat Girl logo. Every super hero has their own logo and a pink bat was exactly what I wanted: fierce yet unashamedly kitsch. I then created a border of a Gothamesque city but it’s not a crime ridden fictional town, it’s infact a silhouette of the Taj Mahal: built in India to commemorate the Mughal Empress Mumtaz after her death, who I’m named after. I mounted it on a photograph of a sunset I took one Christmas in Brighton, where I was a student. It looks like a painted backdrop but it’s an untouched actual photograph of a magical horizon.

Sunset in Brighton (no filters or re-touching!) just Mother Nature

I’m a sunset chaser, every time I travel seeing the sunset is my number one priority so seeing one on my sari makes me happy and proud, knowing it’s my phoneography skills.

Collage samples & embroideries I created

The main visible section of the sari is called the pallu, this is the area that gets styled over the shoulder and this was the area I couldn’t wait to create. As a crafter I’m most comfortable when I’m sewing and collaging so that’s what I did.

Materials from my stash

I gathered all my fabrics, beads, sequins, gemstones, broken jewellery, made some handmade paper, raided my trim stash and used these items to create a pattern that depicts my love for colour and appreciate of textiles and texture and were all sourced from different times of my life, including a beaded trim I bought in Kenya and a sample from a handbag I made back in 2001.

DIGITAL PRINT FABRIC

Visiting Fashion Formula HQ

I am utterly obsessed with digital print. If I was Graphic Designer I would be translating all my ideas onto fabric…hang on a minute. Should it stop me just because I don’t have the skills? Hell no. I may not be a dab hand with Illustrator, In-Design or Photoshop (or whatever other packages designers use) but I do know how to sew and craft things. And I know designers – a perfect excuse to collaborate. So that’s what I did. Of course there was also the question of printing fabric. My friend Tree who knows about these things suggested I check out Fashion Formula who allow you to print your own designs onto fabric and wallpaper and then sell your designs via their website.

OOH. So much lovey fabric at Fashion Formula to choose from

They have over 50 fabrics to choose from, from craft felt (imagine the possibilities) to luxury velvet and waterproof shower curtain material. It’s mind-blowing when you think about the potential but I had to reign myself in. I was looking for the perfect sari fabric, that had to be light and floaty. I had no idea where to start so I popped into their West London office to have a good feel of their fabrics. Oh my. It was like being in fabric heaven. Seeing so many different textures lined up isn’t something you can witness in normal fabric shops. You don’t need to trek to West London though, Fashion Formula send out sample books. They are only £1 and they help you compare the feel and weight of the fabric before you choose.

I knew I wanted something floaty and light to give my sari a touch of Bollywood romance (I’m a sucker for watching those) so I asked the Fashion Formula team what they recommended and they suggested a silky soft, light crinkle chiffon lurex which has a natural glistening stripe to it and is new on their fabric list. As I knew my sari would feature images of shimmering, glittering stones it was perfect.

DESIGNING MY SARI

The design for my pallu

My sari is a collaboration piece, I knew I couldn’t do it all myself to I had a think about all the awesome people I know and Graphic Designer & Stylist Sally Hughson came to mind. She designs the fliers for the Craft Night I co-run with my friend Mia, The Make Escape and her ideas are always so imaginative. Sal helped me turn my collages into a digital design while my friend Tree also assisted with creating the patterned section on the main body of the sari. The three of us constructed the design of my dreams, and it was great to have their support rather than me spend hours alone trying to figure out how to cut out and blow up photos of giant jewels.

SARI STORY

It took Fashion Formula just a couple of days to print my sari and though they post out nationally and internationally I was too excited to wait, so I went to collect it.

First look at my printed sari fabric at Fashion Formula

When I arrived the sari was wound around a cardboard pole, I actually couldn’t believe my vision was alive. Alex from Fashion Formula unwound the fabric to show me the pattern and I was utterly amazed, the finished print surpassed all my expectations. The material printed faultlessly and the patterns were so clear and beautiful.

BIRTHDAY PHOTOSHOOT

Checking into the MakeUp Surgery

Again collaboration was in order. I teamed up with Halima @MakeUpSurgery who shares a similar vision to me about fashion and styling: that it’s a form of art and expression and that there is absolutely no reason to conform to any ideals other than your own.

We spent an afternoon at her East London ‘creative surgery’ where she did my make-up, styled me for the shoot and did the photography – with this much skill, she’s clearly a Wonder Woman herself. Halima opted for purple lashes and a gorgeous white shimmer on my skin and dressed me in Adidas tracksuit bottoms and white gloves. I felt like I could conquer the world. We took over 1000 photos and all of them were incredible.

I felt so proud wearing a sari that represents me: a British, Bangladeshi, South Asian, Muslim, Londoner, Colour Addict, Craft Queen, Batman loving, Urban Warrioress who is a firm believer in freedom – freedom to be who you want, live where you want, love who you want, go where you want and do what you want as long as it makes you happy. Life is precious and short. Sieze it, do it, say it, be it. And as my friend Karen Arthur says ‘wear your happy.’

Oh and I’ve decided Birthday Photoshoots should be A Thing so celebrate being alive and do one too.

VOILA!

Happy Birthday me!
It’s my birthday today and my sari is the ultimate present to myself. Making it was one of the best uses of my time all year. Every second I spent on it made me happy so I’ve decided not to stop here. In 2018 I’ll be launching my own range of sarees, designed for the modern woman who loves dressing up. I’m also keen to collaborate with other designers and artists so if you want to work with me on a sari, get in touch.
Now where’s the cake…

My birthday sari was a collaboration with these awesome people:
Fabric printing: Fashion Formula
Make-Up, Styling & Photography: Halima @MakeUpSurgery
Digital/Graphic Design: Sally Hughson Additional design: Tree @StitchlessTV Re-touching: Richard Elsley.
THANK YOU!

 

 

 

Stitch & The City: Interview with Tapestry Artist Hannah Bass

Put down Google Maps and start appreciating the beauty of a real one. Contemporary Tapestry Artist Hannah Bass has a lifelong appreciation for maps and colour, so after a decade spent in a day job being surrounded by neutral shades, she gave into her passion and launched a tapestry kit company where she designs colourful kits based on maps of the world’s major cities. Each one is accurately drawn and can be turned into a cushion, allowing you to bring some crafty city chic into your home.
Hannah tells CraftandTravel about her how she got into this stitchuation…

What are your earliest memories of stitching?
I come from a big family and I remember stitching away with my cousins one summer. It was a way to keep us quiet and occupied. My first ever kit was of a teddy bear holding a big, bright yellow sunflower.

How did you make the move into becoming a tapestry artist?
I love colour and I love making things with my hands. I spent 10 years as an Interior Designer but found that my clients mainly opted for neutral colours, which wasn’t really me. I thought that if I started designing tapestries, I could be as colourful as I liked, just like when I did my student projects. I pondered with the idea for a while, then I just decided to take the leap, I quit my job and started designing tapestries.

What is tapestry and how does it differ to other types of embroidery?
It’s the simplest form of needlepoint. It is ‘half’ a cross-stitch. So basically a running stitch – you make just a single diagonal line. With tapestry you mostly work with chunky 4-ply wool rather than cotton or silk, so it is not as fiddly or straining on the eyes. The simplicity of the stitch is the joy to me, it’s incredibly relaxing. Just like in yoga, you turn your brain off and let the flow of the stitch take over.

Sounds perfect, how can we try it out?
I design tapestry kits based on city maps which you can buy from my online shop or my stand at craft fairs. I love to travel and I love maps because they are both a functional tool and a piece of art. They can look quite abstract as patterns so I thought they leant themselves well to tapestry. I’m from London, so for my first design, I created a tapestry map of the capital. It was a success and people asked for other cities. Initially I sold my kits at a very small local market. The first market wasn’t a great success, but I had confidence in the product, so I went back the next weekend and tried again.

How may tapestry kits do you currently have? 
25 at present. I hope to make another 10 this year. Everyone has a connection with a different city. I get a lot of requests for different cities.

How accurate are the designs in terms of geography?
Very. I couldn’t have them inaccurate, they wouldn’t be maps then. They do take quite a while to design for this reason, but it’s worth it. I love it when customers look at my tapestries and work out where they travelled and stayed from them. They get so excited if they fit on the map, as do I.

The designs are very colourful how do you choose the colour schemes? 
Each design has a theme. Some are more obvious than others, i.e. Moscow is Soviet, San Francisco is the Rainbow.The colouring is very important though. Some people won’t buy the city they want because they can’t relate to the colours and others buy a city they have no connection to just because they want to stitch those colours.

Have you visited all the cities you have made kits for and what cities are still in the pipeline that you’d like to design?
I’ve been to most of them. Not Moscow though, and oddly not to Barcelona – I must fit that in this year. I’d love to see the Gaudi buildings. This year will be Cardiff, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Melbourne, Toronto, Hong Kong, Stockholm and Copenhagen. I always choose the most requested cities.

Where do you like to do your stitching?
It’s usually one of three places; in front of the TV, in the conservatory listening to Radio 4, or in my bedroom listening to an audio book. They are a good holiday activity too!

How long would it take for someone to make one of your tapestry for cushions kits?
Well mastering the stitch is very easy anyone can do it. If I’m in rush to finish a design, it will take me five working days to complete one but the kits aren’t designed to be stitched like this – they are relaxing hobbies to pick and a put down like a book.

 What has been the highlight so far in your journey of selling your tapestry kits?
Gosh, that’s a tricky one. I don’t think there is one specific moment, rather an inward feeling of self satisfaction of coming up with a concept and having the determination to see it through to fruition, and that from my own efforts and creativity I can financially support myself. It’s not been easy, but it has definitely been worth it.

Fancy stitching a city? Check out Hannah’s website to order one and follow her on social media to see kit creation stories.

www.hannahbass.com
Facebook: hannahbasscontemporaryneedlepoint
Instagram: @hannahbassneedlepoint
Twitter: @hbneedlepoint
Pinterest: hbneedlepoint

 

Scarf Stories – How Yogi Joshi Gets Design Inspiration From The Himalayas

Growing up amidst the snow clad mountains of the Himalayas which inspired Kipling to write the classicJungle Book, Yogi Joshi the designer of luxury silk scarves Yogy Ramaused the picturesque memories from her home town as her muse. She recalls with a distant, wandering expression: ‘I grew up surrounded by beauty in its rawest and most natural form – farms, rolling hills covered in snow. What more inspiration could one need? Every scarf tells a story, and these stories have been expressed through my artwork which is presented on each scarf.’

What makes Yogy Rama so unique, is that each distinct scarf has been tirelessly designed by herself, which is why she only designs an exclusive eight pieces per collection. Impressively, the entire design and production process takes one month per scarf. She enthusiastically explains: ‘When I start drawing, it takes me to another world. Once the concept is envisioned, it goes onto a canvas which takes almost a month.’ As an artist, Yogi also experiences her fair share of frustrated moments: ‘I have those artistic tendencies when I think, I just want to throw it away. I’m one of those people who can start in the morning at 6am and carry on until the night – I don’t even stop to eat!’ We all have our favourite cravings to help us sustain during all-nighters and so does Yogi as she exclaims, ’I live on green tea!’

Although Yogi has been living in London for the past six years, her designs are created using an 2,500 year old ancient art technique called Madhubaani, which Yogi cites as ‘a very authentic art form, when art was created using simple shapes. ‘Madhu’ means honey and ‘baan’ means jungle or forest, meaning ‘sweet forest’. With real Madhubaani art, everything is covered in different patterns with no space and a lot of colour. There is no real structure to it, unlike modern painting. Madhubaani is very exaggerated and colourful. Yogi explains: ‘This is what makes my designs very enhanced, ornate and striking. Things don’t have to be in their real proportion, so you can go crazy with your imagination.’ Together with her vivid reflections and distinct art techniques, Yogy Rama’s collection is nothing like any other scarf line out there, as she clarifies: ‘my designs are very niche, because of the art forms. There are very few artists who are hand drawing their designs. They are my memories and they are unique to me. They have no structure or connection to reality. I’ve tried to depict them in a contemporary way. There is nothing out there that is as detailed and intricate.’

Yogi developed her artistic flair from her mum, as she reveals: ‘my mum taught me these ancient art forms. I wanted to incorporate Rama into the branding and logo as a tribute to her, since to me she is the foundation of any art form because I learnt from her. My mum is the root and I am the baby flower. She still gives me feedback and she is my biggest critic!’

Although art seems to be in her blood, Yogi only adopted art full time recently as she discloses: ‘I did my degree in civil engineering and completed my masters from Rutgers in America, after which I was a structural designer where I worked with bridges and industrial structures. I shifted my work from structural engineering to management. But then three years ago, I quit my job as I decided to do what I always loved. I started drawing again, but I really didn’t know what to do with them, until my husband saw some of them and said I should take this further.’

However, despite her husband’s identification of true talent in his wife, Yogi continued to pursue her passion as a hobby rather than a career, she continued: ‘I started making jewellery out of silver, gold and precious stones. I realised I loved high-end fashion and got the idea to utilise my unique knowledge and expertise of ancient art forms. The satisfaction I get as an artist is like no other, as there are no boundaries. With a content look on her face, Yogi muses: ‘It feels rewarding, like I have achieved something when I am painting. It’s like these scarves are because of me. You get that feeling that you can create something – this is you.’

In order to reach women from all backgrounds and to suit every individual persona, Yogi details the versatility of her scarves: ‘I wanted to design for women who want to feel elegant and be confident. The scarves really make a statement, as each design goes with a different personality. They are feminine, free and comfortable. I have met so many women who love colours but are afraid of being flamboyant. Women of any ethnicity can look good with a scarf, as you can style it as you wish. Many of my clients are African women who wear the scarves around their heads, since the colours go well with their cultural dress. You can go for the sassy look by tying it around your waist or you can become an Arabian princess by wrapping it like a decadent headpiece. The best thing is, when you wear a scarf, you don’t need accessories. When you’re in a rush, you don’t have time to find and wear your jewels. You can just grab your scarf and it completes an outfit.’

Following the success of her sumptuous scarf collection, Yogi plans to further expand her colony of designs, as she divulges: ‘Due to popular demand, I hope to introduce kaftans and sarongs. Staying true to my brand, my designs will always represent the beauty of the Himalayas and my nostalgic memoirs, assisted by the use of the treasured Madhubaani methods.’

To buy Yogy Rama luxury silk hand-made scarves and to keep up-to-date with her latest collections go to:

Yogy Rama
Twitter
Facebook

Interview by Fariha Sabir