The embroidery effect

Dawn.com Published February 17, 2011

One of the reasons why the number of women in the embroidery collective has increased over time, is that this allows them flexible work hours. They attend workshops at the training centre (where strict purdah is observed) but most days they are able to work from home. ?This way the women feel comfortable and do not have to worry about going against the traditions ?? and are also able to earn a decent income each month.

Designing bright, colourful apparel and accessories such as handbags and wallets, Poll & Me currently utilises the skill of about 500 women in Chitral who are otherwise isolated from the rest of the country due to severe weather conditions.

Polly & Me works with a local Chitral-based public limited company, Mogh Limited, one of the city's first such shareholder companies. The reason behind the initiation of a public company was to encourage ownership and shareholder rights to the female artisans.

The traditional Chitrali embroidery serves more than just a decorative purpose ? it has given the women a voice to express themselves and narrate the story of the lives, whether it is everyday chores, memories of living with their grandparents or an exciting trip to the market. Beautifully illustrated and embroidery so fine, it could be mistaken for print.

After the phenomenal success of the first collection introduced under the name of ?Sugar and Spice?, the women's embroidery collective and the illustrators attended a year-long workshop in collaboration with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme where they learnt about quality control, illustration, design, digital photography to use for inspiration and making collages.

The bigger picture behind the series was to show how women, no matter what their geographical location, face similar battles and challenges. For instance, one of the bags is about laundry day and how one of the artisans absolutely detests laundering and putting out the clothes to dry, while another one called ?Mantlepiece? (shown above) is about one artisan's treasured items that she puts on display on the mantle in her home. As stated on the website, ?we are more the same than different.?

The ?Gup Shup: The domestic, the narrative, and cups of chai? series was inspired by the everyday conversations the women in the community would have with one another over numerous cups of tea. Story-telling and oral narratives are a way of recounting experiences and upholding family traditions and culture. By asking twelve women to keep a daily log of such narratives, the ?Gup Shup? series came about. These stories were then used as inspiration for the illustrators to design, making each illustration distinctive a

Part of the ?Gup Shup? series are handbags with prayers embroidered on them. A few women were selected for a workshop where each of them talked about their dreams and aspirations which ranged from wanting to find a suitable husband and a small house to wanting a beauty salon nearby. The prayers or ?duas? are embroidered onto the bag, with a brief background about the artisan printed on the lining inside the bag.

One very interesting aspect that Cath noticed when going through many of the illustrations is the unique talent. ?For instance, one might draw the nose and the eyes differently while the other might focus on the hair or the surroundings. It is all very interesting.? After years of working with each of them, Cath says she can easily identify the artist, which says much about the creativity that has been unleashed.

Cath, who has studied art and design from London, first visited Chitral in December 2000 to work on her final year's thesis. It was then she came to know and fall in love with Pakistan. Along with her sister Ange, she founded Polly & Me in 2007. After living in Chitral for a few years, Cath is now settled in Islamabad and makes regular trips to check on the progress of the womens embroidery collective

The experience for Cath so far, has been an incredible journey of discovery. The female artisans have surprised her with each subsequent design. ?All the colours used in the embroidery are selected by the artisans themselves. Sometimes they come up with such unique colours, that I would not even think of myself.? The result? Bright, eye-catching embroidery with unconventional colours that could pass for artwork.

The story illustrated here is titled ?Pot Swap.? According to a Chitrali saying ?you should never return a pot empty? and the most popular thing that is usually sent to neighbours and family is Kallee Soup. Interestingly, all ingredients used in the soup are illustrated on the bag with the inside lining includes the actual recipe. The recipe includes ?keema (minced meat), salt (stored in an old Lipton tea container), chapatti, garam masala spices (stored in an old marmalade bottle).?

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Social enterprises use market-based models and strategies for a social purpose by working with skilled craftsmen, artisans, farmers and so on at the grassroots level. Currently in Pakistan, there are a handful of organisations that can be correctly labeled as a social enterprise and Polly & Me is one of them. Founded in 2003 by two sisters, Cath and Ange Braid, Polly & Me has introduced the handicraft and traditional embroidery skills of Chitrali women to the international market.

Dawn.com speaks to Cath Braid, the force behind the initiative, on some of the challenges she has faced and even some things she learnt along the way. – Text by Amna Khalique and Photography by Eefa Khalid/Dawn.com

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Comments (10) Closed

Ayesha!

Feb 17, 2011 12:59pm

Hi, This work is amazing. Where in Islamabad can I get these bags? Regards Ayesha!

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shakeel ur Rehman

Feb 17, 2011 02:33pm

really nice work, this works can also promote the readers. Nice

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samina

Feb 17, 2011 04:36pm

our gratitude to the two sisters for thier efforts to preserve our arts and crafts and supposrting our artisans. How can one access their website, any address of their outlet - one would like to purchase these beautiful items.

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S. Baig

Feb 18, 2011 03:00am

Thanks for showcasing these gorgeous items in this photo feature. I wonder if they are available anywhere in the United States.

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Parus

Feb 18, 2011 09:13am

from where i can get this stuff in pakistan?

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info@pollyandme.com

Feb 18, 2011 09:38am

For more details view website.. .www.pollyandme.com

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Sana

Feb 18, 2011 09:55am

It's gorgeous and so inspiring!

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shy

Feb 18, 2011 11:07am

Adore able .

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nasreen

Feb 18, 2011 10:08pm

Courageous lady.Cathy knows how to make things happen ... Hats off

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Cath

Feb 19, 2011 10:15am

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. You can contact me on 03035129780 or at info@pollyandme.com if you want to see and buy the bags in Islamabad. I can also arrange for you to see and buy them elsewhere in Pakistan and overseas, including the US, UK and Dubai. Details of all the bags are on the website www.pollyandme.com and we are also on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/polly-me/112766648772688). Look forward to hearing from you.

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