As a student I had learned only the basic 5-6 stitches in embroidery.But later when I was alone at home I thought of joining an embroidery class.There I was surprised to see umpteen stitches about which I had no idea.There were 3 divisionsi in the class.one for embroidery ,one for blouse ,petticoat etc.Another one a teacher`s training course in which they have to study both.Even in ordinary embroidery we were taught many other stitches. What attracted me the most was the machine embroidery.There also all the basic stitches are taught.here we have to remove the teeth behind the needle which leads the needle andthen fix a small platelet so that the needle can move freely.The cloth with design should be fixed in a frame tightly. Thread must be slightly loose..it is the white thread that is used in the bobbin and coloured thread on the top.We can make beautiful pictures more beautiful than a can vas. .paint can spread but the thread falls in the right place thus giving the stitch a complete perfection.We can have long and short stitch , filling stitch round stitch etc. But more than anything one can make pictures just like painting.We used to have project works -making samples of each piece in a record book to be submitted in the final exams.The theory and the practicals were going together. For machine embroidery what I made was a picture of Radha in deep thought under a tree her right hand resting under her chin.She was sitting on the banks of Kalindi.on her side was an mudpot. water was flowing out of it but Radha was unaware of it.At the same time Krishna was peeping at her .only his upper part is seen.It was the most enjoyable time I had there. Other than these two-hand embroidery and machine embroidery, there were other handicrafts like crochet,tatting, knitting, purse-making, socks, sweater etc. But the best part is that it is at the time of exam that I came to know that it is a Govt exam under the technical education board of Maharashtra and I had to get my domicile certificate.The fun is that even my husband who was staying for years in Maharashtra did not have one.And when we went to the court they asked for our marriage certificate.How I can I tell him that we were perhaps the last couples married under the Kotimaram and the GVR temple did not issue that certificate.I told him that we can get a garland and can marry in front of him.But luckily I had the wedding card with me and that saved the situation. But again my husband got the certificate after me though he ame 15 yrs before me.That is the money power in the court.! I enjoyed the course and I got a fist class certificate for the course. When I told some one about M/c embroidery she told me that a distant relative of us was very crazy for M/c embroidery and he used to stitch full size kathakali veshams with different coloured threads.How great!
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 14:25:15 +0000