As the Himalayas gather, many women handcraft quilts, giving them a touch of warmth and affection before they are sent out to people. They are the quilters from ‘Purkal Stree Shakti’ living in the serene vibes of Uttarakhand. This organisation has provided women with the means of living and ensured that they work to give their best in hand quilting. From ‘memory quilts’ and ‘toy pillows’ to embroidered bags and ‘feel-good journals’ , the women here fill life in the products they touch. Even if a quilt takes around 150 hours to be completed, it becomes a “must-have” as soon as it’s done. They also make pet products, apron sets, and tea cozies, the colourful ones to cover the teapots.
Cushion covers are in standard sizes and are designed both with a western or Indian customer in mind. Whimsical designs and colourways give Stree Shakti’s hand embroidered products a special edge. Cushion covers using colour co-ordinated patchwork and running stitches to create texture on the surface of the base cloth demonstrate the careful planning of a design.
Small purses, or mobile covers are made for quick selling to a younger age group who visit craft bazaars. In colder climates as in Uttarakhand in winter, a teapot cover is a useful table accessory that evokes nostalgia of times in the hills when tea drinking was a leisurely activity. A handy washbag serves as a useful article for travel.
A special range for children is made, the product range produced depends largely, on the selection of prints, and colours used in the design. A wide range of children’s room décor is a favourite that is not very easily available in handwork. The quality of work is so high that all the products are very competitive in the international market. The designs of quilts range from eclectic to traditional to geometric.
The soft toys are whimsical and fun. Perky notebooks for children have embroidered cloth covers that serve as good birthday gifts. Wide range of quilts are available for kids.
‘Purkal’ is now aiming to re-employ as many women as possible. They are also focusing on the online presence that helped them a lot in surviving during COVID. The organisation is planning to focus on the global market as it also took a major hit. In a nutshell, women of ‘Purkal’ are all set to disseminate colourful cheers again!
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