Indian Quilling History

Hello All,

Here I am, facing a question I truly don't know the answer to! And for a change, I am posting it online, hoping that my Indian quiller friends will pitch in with whatever information they have.

I received an interesting e-mail from someone who wishes to write about history of quilling in India. As luck would have it, there doesn't seem to be any consolidated link giving information about this. Or, I didn't find any, so to say.

So, I am taking it upon myself to gather as much information as I can about it, so that we can compile information about:

• When did quilling come to India?
• What were the materials being used earlier?
• Who were the people practising it initially (nuns in Churches used to practice it in Europe/USA)?
• Where does it stand now, as an art and as a profession?
• How many professional quillers are there in India currently?
• Is there a formal body that meets/interacts regarding quilling and its future in India?

If you're a quiller, I'd request you to answer these questions:

1. When did you start quilling?
2. What/Who introduced you to quilling?
3. Did you learn about it from a physical piece seen in India or online?
4. Who all do you know from India who did quilling before you started out?

If we are lucky, we will be able to go back in time and trace who were the first people who started quilling in India and when :)

I'd be VERY glad for any inputs any of you may provide for this...........

Thanks a LOT!

Happy Quilling

Pritesh 

A quilled picture frame - worth a million words

Hello All,

After a big gap, I am back. It has been a manic busy time! And a GOOD manic busy time. After a spurt of illnesses (yet again!), I am back full throttle and making a comeback with  this project that has kept me sleepless for more than a few days :D

The sheer size of the project was a challenge! At 16 inches by 20, it was a "task" to fill this up without clutter or without glaring open spaces, and yet retain the "completeness" look. I pulled it off, or rather, so I think!

Here it goes, a picture frame, made memorable with quilling and punch-craft. I'd like thank the client for having such a clear idea about what she exactly wanted. It makes my life much easier :)

And some close-ups, for details of the amount of work that went in to it.......

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Love to Kyoto

Hello All,

I have been unnaturally silent for a long time but Pune weather decided to be a pendulum between summer and winter and illness took a tight hold of our family. Now that nearly everyone is on recovery path, here comes a long pending post.

Someone said, I like the swooshing sounds deadlines make when they go past you! I must admit, I hate that sound and true enough, there was a pushed in the corner situation here. For past 2 days, I've alientated nearly everything and been working exclusively on the second half of the assignment.

It all started one fine evening when a very soft spoke Japanese gentleman paid me a visit. I couldn't hide my surprised but well, he had seen the sign boards we had delivered to Beaute Naturelle and wanted something on those lines. A brief talk ensued and within an hour and a half, I knew pretty clearly what he wanted. Work started, got stalled, thanks to illnesses. But well, about 1 day shy of the deadline, I've managed to wrap it up! Now, I know what the expression "My blood and sweat went into this" means! :D :D I've been up late nights, early mornings, skipping afternoon naps and working on these pretty much non-stop.

So, here goes:

Musical Tree: The wife of the gentleman who came to see me is a Music teacher and she employs a unique method called Eurhythmics to teach piano to children. Music holds such a sacred part in my life that I was all ears. I must confess, I'd never heard of Eurhythmics before and had to Google it. The name of the school she runs is Music Tree and the gentleman wished something quilled along those lines.

I was honestly at a loss about that but he solved my problem. He provided me with 7 choices (I love it when I can choose!) and well, I was idiotic enough to choose the most difficult of the choices he gave. So, here goes, the Musical tree. The total working time in the piece is close to 24 hrs of work alone. I faced a question about whether I painted the background for the tree 'stem'. Answer is no. I've hand-cut that paper, pasted it on a hand-made blue shimmer paper and then, quilled on it. The original idea was to make the entire tree black but it looked almost ominous that way. I wish I'd saved a photo of that. So, I decided to fill in colours. The G clefs had to stand out, so they automatically were assigned red (ah, I can never let go of my favourite colour, can I?). The leaves were an obvious green. The notes, however, took some work. I settled for red as my husband said, the notes are the cherries on the tree :) A Cherry tree to send to Japan? OH YES! :) So, that is how the colour scheme worked out. The background alone took about 1.5 hrs to prepare. There is a white base to the hand-made paper as the blue paper is quite translucent. So, a double layer background, with drying time and then, allowing the board to straighten out. Phew!

This project nearly killed me but as they say, you can't enjoy water if you haven't a parched throat. And I nearly walked a desert country reaching THIS water! :) Worth it in the end! The project stands 18"x18" - minus the frame.



AND

Attitude towards Sustainability. This project's text was the toughest I've handles so far. It just went on and on! The words were long, the font tricky! It took almost 10 hrs to just do the text. I am almost swearing to never touch this font again! :D :D

The ladybirds in the project are quilled but the leaves as a merger of punching, paper-cutting and 3D outliner (the MOST useful piece of knick knack any crafter should have, in my opinion!). The leaves are punched with hand-drawn veins and distressed edges (I am swearing off distressing as well!). The 'stems' are spirals in brown and the 'berries' are styrofoam balls in peach colour. The flowers are modified daisy punch with a 3D outliner core. The project stands 12"x18" - minus the frame.

And a rare one here, me with the finished projects (will give you an idea how massive these ones truly are)

Well, now that this hurdle is cleared off, we (as in Aadyaa Originals) gear up for our stall at the Pune Wine Festival, the first Wine Tasting experience in India. So, drop by and check out what all Aadyaa has to offer :)

Till the next challenge excites me, I'll sign off. Hopefully, I'll be back with something challenging and striking soon :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Quilled bracelet

Hello All,

Long ago, when meg pointed out that I ought to try quilled charm bracelet, the idea planted itself firmly in my mind. I had thought about it earlier too, but sometimes, it takes a friend to post a challenge in your head. After a long long time,I finally had the time to try one out and I must admit, I am in love with it. All the women out there who have daughter 10-12 yrs old, here is a treat for your princesses! :) I dedicate it to Meg and to Baba (who will always be that wide eyed 5 yr old for me) :)

All the charms are properly water-proofed, a practical and fun bracelet :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Quilled Logo - Mansi's Craftstation

Hello All,

I can't believe that in the middle of the Diwali rush of exhibitions, I managed to pull off a major project. I know I am posting it very late but then, Diwali was MAD this time! I travelled so much, met so many people I hadn't met in years and years! :)

When this order came my way, I was kind of wary about taking it up as it landed bang in the middle of our Diwali preparations at Aadyaa. But well, a challenge is always welcome at Aadyaa! We revel in them! :) So, here goes the logo for Mansi's Craftstation.........

It is so rewarding to hear from your client, "whoever looked at it couldn't take their eyes off it"! Thanks so much for this order dear Vaishali! :) It was a sheer pleasure to meet the time challenge :) Hope the recipient of the piece likes it too :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

I'm tagged, thanks to Kalindi :)

Oooooh the old-fashioned tagging game! :D Haven't done it in a while though.............here goes.......

1. Where is your cellphone?...................... Next to me, getting charged
2. Your hair?...........................................Needs a good round of oil and shampooing after all the crazy Diwali travelling
3. Your Mother?...................................... The genetic and moral source of all my creativity :)
4. Your Father?........................................ My Mom's biggest source of annoyance with his "helping" nature :D
5. Your favourite food?............................. Jackfruit sabji my Mom makes
6. Your dream last night?........................... Someone posted on my FB wall that you've not done any good quilling in a while :D
7. Your favourite drink?............................. Ginger Ale
8. Your dream/goal?..................Ah many, and they are too dynamic to be nailed down.....
9. What room are you in?........................... My bedroom (but I am in the craft corner part of it :D)
10. Your hobby?.........................................Reading.....it beats everything else hands down
11. Your fear?............................................. Losing my eyesight and not being able to craft because of it
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? ............Somewhere where I gain respect for whatever I do
13. Where were you last night?.....................zombied and sleeping! The road trips finally got to me
14. Something that you aren't?........................capable to doing "nothing"! :)
15. Muffins?.................................................. Don't like them much honestly.....
16. Wish list item?......................................... Martha Stewart donating a piece of EVERYTHING to me, out of generosity! :D
17. Where did you grow up?.........................here and there, right now, here, in my chair! It is a forever ongoing process
18. Last thing you did?.................................Replied to long-pending work e-mails
19. What are you wearing?............................ I'd rather not say it! it's a random combination of clothes and I look like a gypsy! :D
20. Your TV?................................................I don't care much for it. Never watch it, so I don't know which one it it! :D
21. Your pets?............................................... don't possess one.
22. Friends?................................................... Life-line
23. Your life?................................................. Makes me smile every single time I look back at it :)
24. Your mood?..............................................Guilty right now, I left Sayali alone to handle all the Diwali madness! :(
25. Missing someone?..................................S'lee
26. Vehicle?........ Splendor Pro. I'd have liked a CBZ or something but well, I'm not 23 anymore :D
27. Something you're not wearing?...................Make-up. Don't miss it though. One thing I wish I was wearing was a lip-balm
28. Your favorite store?................................... Design Torget (I know an oblique one but their designs are out of the world!)
29. Your favorite color?................................ Red........any time
30. When was the last time you laughed?........About half hour ago when my son preferred to concentrate on his pop-corn over his Mom willing to cuddle him! :D
31. Last time you cried?....................can't remember really. Maybe a month ago..
32. Your best friend?...............................husband! ANY DAY! :)
33. One place that I go to over and over?........Venus Traders! Damn, the place is addictive!
34. Facebook?...............Addicted
35. Favourite place to eat?........................None really! I'm too much of a homie. Love to cook! But ya, I do like Mainland China....

Thanks for tagging Kalindi.............and my tags would be - Kate and Suganthi :) Get going girls!

Evolution of the jhumka.......

Hello All,

My last post before I head home for Diwali (IF I tide over this storm of Diwali rush at work!).......the latest addition to the jhumka family, a BIG brother to the previous ones :D

Happy Diwali to you all, be happy and be safe........

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Some more quilled jhumkas

Hello All,

A very very quick post again...........Diwali means madness for us all! :D On personal front, on work front......a quick update on the jhumka series I am on to (and loving!)

I made two of these and the green and red one (though a little Christmasy to look at) is my absolute favourite :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Jhumka gira re

Hello All,

After forever, I am back! With nothing big but something I had been thinking about for ages.......being from Bareilly and not having made jhumka so far was not going down well with me! :D So, I finally made time to try one out. I literally picked up whatever came in front of me to make this one..........feedback welcome :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Making paper quilled/punch jewellery water resistant

Dear All,

I get so many queries about water-proofing paper jewellery (in spite of posting a detailed procedure in Indian Quilling Guild) that I decided to write this post. I would've loved to post a video/photo tutorial but it may have to wait a while.

For quillers in India specially, things like Diamond Glaze are not easy to come by. So, here goes the process (specific to materials available in India, I'm sure quillers in other countries will be able to find analogues easily).

Step 1: Making the jewellery itself. It is an important step for making jewellery sturdy. You'll need to use your judgement in gauging whether the piece is sturdy. I am hopelessly obsessed with the jewellery being able to withstand stress (like my son pulling at my earrings). Make the piece "sturdy" before you think of water-proofing.

Step 2: Give a coating of a "water-soluble glue". It should at least be water soluble when wet. You can use Fevi-Gum (available for Rs. 5 in ANY stationery shop). Make sure you coat all crevices etc properly. Synthetic bristle brush works best, camel hair brush is a little difficult to handle due to variable length of the hair. Allow this to dry properly. I am biased towards Fevicryl Hobby Ideas Fabric Glue. It's more expensive but I prefer its consistency compared to Fevi-Gum (which I find more runny). But it's purely a personal preference.

Only glue coating is not likely to make the jewellery water-resistant as PVA (poly vinyl acetate) glue "swells" when in contact with water. It looks ugly to say the least, and the jewellery will be disfigured forever. Fevicryl Hobby Idea Fabric Glue however, is OK by itself. It still remains "sticky", so I won't recommend glue layer alone (unless you want all your paper jewellery to become ONE single lump, all earrings mating with each other! :D

Step 3: This is a crucial step and takes most time (not for coating, but for drying). Use a good lacquer varnish. My recommendation is Asian Paints Touch Wood. But practically any varnish should do. Again, use a synthetic brush to coat the jewellery. You WILL see some discolouration but don't worry, if you've done the glue coating properly, this discolouration usually vanishes after drying. Varnish needs overnight drying, so plan properly. If you are enthusiastic about a glossy finish, you can put 3-4 layers (which means coating them for 3-4 days). It lends a pretty (not my personal favourite still) glossy finish that is harder as well.

Please prepare properly for handling varnish (gloves if you are particular about not getting your hands smelly, I personally don't care). Work in a well ventilated (preferably with an exhaust fan) fan place. Use some organic solvent to clean the brush (kerosene works fine for me). Keep a scented hand-cream handy, you'll need it to get rid of the strong smell varnish will give to your hands. Try tying a wet cloth over your nose, organic solvents, when inhaled, are BAD for women of reproductive age (please take my word for it, I'm a PhD in Chemistry and I specifically know the side effects)......

I hope this is comprehensive enough. So, if you know someone who wants to how to make the jewellery water-resistant, please share this link. It is very difficult for me to write individually to people who ask. I end up feeling bad not replying........

For those who want images and details of the waterproofing material, here is the link

Happy jewellery making :)

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Some reviews for quillers in India

Hello All,

A disclaimer first, I get nothing financially out of providing these reviews. If you find them objectionable, please write to me. These are just my personal opinions about the craft tools available around us.

1. Fringing scissors by Claro: Reasonably good for fringing and cutting both, the lever looks a little fragile. I am not sure how sturdy it will be for regular and prolonged use. You'll need to try it out. But for 35 rupees, I feel it's a good buy

2. Fringing scissors by Maped: Handy, small, safe and comfortable is how I will describe it. It is no Fiskars but it is good enough for fringing work. The lever looks very sturdy, it has a comfortable grip and I would say, it looks really cute.

3. Pie-Lane slotted quilling tool - Metal: So, I drop in to Venus and spot this quilling took by Pie-Lane and I am pleasantly surprised. It is ergonomically designed and it works well. I've tried it already and it works well. It is no Panduro tool and my hand ached after about an hour of quilling (Panduro is painless even for 7-8 hours of non-stop quilling), but it functions ok. So, if you are not eyeing the BEST quilling tool and are looking to save some money (I am a HUGE Panduro fan, I'll any day recommend that tool for professional quillers), this should work. The metal body will ensure longevity, I suppose and the grip on top is useful. It is priced at, I'd say very reasonably, at 150 rupees.

4. Pie-Lane slotted quilling tool - Plastic: Compared to the metal quilling tool, this pales. But it is still better than the older routine lot available otherwise. The needle in those was lousy and left an ugly nip in the centre of your coils. The lack of grip on top is sorely felt (my hand slipped once I was sweating a bit in my hands) but for 50 rupees, it is a good buy for beginners. Eventually, I'd recommend graduating to the metal tool and for professional work, Panduro has no match.

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Pen away from the artist

Hello All,

I've been a quiller one year now but I've been a painter for as long as I remember! :) You can take the pen out of my hand but not out of my head :) So, this time, here are some quilled+drawn creations that I made recently.........

It's a busy week as my usual family support system is away............hoping to be able to do more substantial work the coming week :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

An Italian Affair and a piggy tutorial

Hello All,

When Editorea Europea approached us for an article, it was just too good to believe! But true to her word, Barbara got back, followed up and I was more than happy to be of help. A special note of thanks to Sarah Yakawonis for the reference to Editorea Europea :)

I know, I know! The tutorial is in Italian........so, here goes the photo tutorial in English :)

Materials Required:

(a)    Baby pink and bubble-gum pink quilling strips (3 mm width)

(b)   Slotted quilling tool

(c)    Curling coach

(d)   3D molding tool (optional)

(e)    Scissors

(f)    Red marker pen

(g)   A pair of wiggly eyes

(h)   15 cm organza ribbon

You will need white glue for gluing the paper and clear PVA glue for moulding the 3D coils.

The lengths of quilling strips required for the piglet are:

Body – Two strips of baby pink 20 feet each (made by joining 20 strips of a foot each, end to end)

Snout – Six feet of bubble-gum pink strips (made by joining 6 strips of a foot each, end to end)

Legs – Four strips of baby pink of 1 foot each

Ears – Two strips of bubble gum pink of 3 feet each

Stick one end of the 20 feet strips into the slotted quilling tool through the curling coach, as shown in the image. Remember to leave a little ‘tail’ before you start rolling. This will hold the strip in place while you roll. Make a tight coil and stick the end of the strip with a little white glue. Release it from the quilling tool and flatten it out. 

Make a similar tight coil using the other 20 foot strip of baby pink. These two tight coils [shown as (a)] will make the body of the piglet. Repeat for snout (b), ears (c) and legs (d). Use a slightly tapered bubble gum pink strip and make a spiral for using as a tail (e)

Mould the baby-pink tight coils into hemispheres using either the quilling mould or your hands (be careful so as not to spring the coils open). Proceed very gently if you’re using your hands. Fill the hemispheres with PVA glue and spread evenly on the inner surface. Allow the glue to dry completely. This hardens the hemispheres and makes them easy to handle. 

Mould the coils for legs and snout similarly and allow drying. For making the ears, pinch the tight coils into an approximate triangle AFTER moulding as shown in the image. The coils are very hard to mould before moulding. Allow the moulding glue to dry completely before you start gluing the parts together.

On a foot long baby pink strip, paste the organza ribbon in a U shape as shown in the inset. Start rolling using a quilling tool, keeping the open ends of the ribbon towards your hand and U loop away from your hand. Make a tight coil and glue the loose end. This will be the “hook” for the piglet ornament.

Once the two baby pink hemispheres have dried, join them keeping the “hook” attached in the middle, as shown in the image. If need be, cover the joint of the two hemispheres sticking a baby pink strip throughout the perimeter. Allow to dry completely. This is the ‘body’ of the piglet. 

Paste the ‘snout’ tight coil on one end of the ‘body’. Paste the googly eyes right above the snout.

Glue the two ‘ears’ on either side of the organza ribbon joint. Draw two black dots for nostrils on the ‘snout’, as shown in the image. Draw a “smile” using a red marker pen in the lower half of the ‘snout’. Paste the legs on the underside, as shown in the image. Your cute little piglet Christmas ornament is ready. Decorate the Christmas tree with this ornament or gift to a little child for decorating his/her room. A little personal touch to gifting........

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Jewel Thief @Work

Hello All,

This must be the first time I'm posting the photos of my creations that were sold before I got around to posting their photos! :D I'm just beginning to catch the pulse of working women - nice, subtle, personal. That is how a working woman wants her jewellery to be.

So, I gave my designing a new twist and had to bring it down to its simplest, yet most striking elements.....so here comes, Jewel Thief @ WORK :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

A huge thanks and blogoversary challenge results..........

Hello All,

Today is such a memorable day for me and my Art. I'd never even thought a year ago that I'll be doing this for a profession. Goes out to say, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you got next. :)

I have a HUGE thanks to say to all the blog readers, for their interest, support, encouragement and enthusiasm. It's been a wonderful journey where I've gathered friends along the way...........I can't believe it was just a year ago, honestly...........

Now, to the challenge........I know I set a tough one but my oh my! People rose to the occasion and HOW! I loved every single entry, I could see people's determination for trying the untried...........thank you ALL for participating.

Among all the participants, I DID have a tough time choosing! But choose someone I must. It was so difficult that I decided upon an addition to the winner. The most creative idea! The winner of this will get a pair of hand-made earrings, specially designed for her and never to be reproduced :)

Here goes the winner of my super tough challenge: Anama Lily with her creation "Kida Revealed".....the hard-work in that is so apparent that I'll save myself the words. :) Congratulations Anama and I can't express my gratitude for participating in my challenge :)

The winner for the most creative idea is Gordana Mudri with her "Creactivity"! I loved it from the word go!

Here are all the amazing entries to the challenge:

By Madalina Dirdara

By Uma Iyer

By Manasee

By Karin

By Aparna Magotra

By Gordana Mudri

By Kavitha

By Manasa Bhat

By Sujana Sarath

By Tanu

By Beelyana Platnobelska

By Smita Satish

By Anama Lily

By Swarna Manoj

By Shylashree

By Nandini Karmakar

By Sindhu

By Natasha

Thank you all once again, for taking the time out, meeting the challenge and indulging me. It's been such a pleasure.............lots of love and hugs to you all

Happy Quilling

Pritesh