A Woven sunrise (2)

Part (2) of Sehar - Experimental Jamdani Saris.

After the first round of sampling, it was now time to develop the collection of saris. Studying the layout of the sari and the sample, I began to narrow the colour palette down even more. Side by side, the designs of the saris were also developed.

The original colour palette and the final one were developed by dying small swatches of yarn to make sure the colours translated perfectly onto the yarns.

The yarns were dyed in Nutan Phulia but the weaving happened in another village, Ghoranash.

Drawing from the sample (above) various rhythms and patterns, potential starting points for sari layouts were extracted. These would guide me in the process of making the final layouts, motifs and pieces.
(below) mix and matched, multiple samples were juxtaposed onto each other so as to visualise how different patterns, colours and textures would look good together.

The home of Kartik, Krishna and Ganesh Das, in Ghoranash, who helped develop the prototypes of the saris. I worked with them on the designs while they prepared the yarns and the warps simultaneously.

(below)The earliest iterations of the saris. I was slowly narrowing the colour palette down, while playing around with minimal, graphic motifs. Certain elements of these are visible in the final pieces but in a very different form.

The second stage of Iterations. The saris were each designed to depict a specific stage of sunrise from between the break of dawn till a bright morning sky. Here the forms and colours have been simplified a flow has started to develop. It is starting to look like saris from a single collection, each with its own unique identity.

I selected the China silk warp for this collection and eliminated borders entirely. The transparent warp allowed me to play with any designs and colours of my choosing in the weft, being able to lend a different look to each sari despite the entire collection being made on a single warp.

(Below) The final collection, depicting the rising of the sun from the first light over the horizon till a bright 10am sky.

Some were to be made in cotton silk and some in Matka silk, with some designs being made in both.

(above) (below) the evolution and tweaking of a design till it was just right.

(above) Ganesh Das weaving a sample on the loom before starting the final.
(below) the inspiration behind the sari and the final product.

(above) Because of the rhythm of the stripes was very complex, to make it easier for the weavers, I made long strips of paper painted with the rhythm in 1:1 ratio. So the weaver need only keep the paper along his warp and weave accordingly. It also mentioned corresponding colour names.

(above) reference images of the final pieces that were used during the production process. After 2 months of production, the papers were in terrible shape and the designs were also changed and tweaked some more along the way.

(below) A specification sheet of a sari. The specification sheet also included the long strip of paper mentioned above and a detail shot of the motifs that were to be used in the sari. All of this information ensures that the weavers or any weaver is able to recreate the sari exactly even if the designer isn't present.