Wooden jigsaw puzzles handmade bu Ashish Chand in MESH Design Studio

In late March Ashish Chand and an associate from West Bengal were in MESH Design Studio with Babu from Kshema Rehabilitation and Training Centre (KRTC), Chettupattu, Tamil Nadu to work with Hrishi on a range of bamboo and wooden product.

 Ashish is skilled at working with bamboo and a wizard on the jigsaw.  He is hearing and speech impaired but that does not seem to stop him from understanding and the man who accompanied him could help him with anything that Hrishi could not convey with signs and gestures.

Ashish Chand at work in MESH Design Studio

Last year Ashish worked with Hrishi in MESH Design Studio developing trays and trivets.  This time they worked on a whole range of pen stands using the natural shape and hollow of the bamboo and burning, carving and colouring designs onto the outer surface to create an interesting selection of well priced products that should attract both Indian and international customers.

Ashish also used his jig saw skills to make up Hrishi’s small and amusing animal jigsaw puzzles.

Babu from Kshema Rehabilitation and Training Centre working on a wooden "vase"

 

Babu is from the other end of India to Ashish, in the far south.  He is a wood carver who works in an institutional based rehab and training unit attached to the rural Catholic Hospital called St. Thomas Hospital.  Babu has a heart condition and joined the unit when his health was at its worst.  He has recently married and we were not sure if he would wish to come all the way to Delhi to work alongside Ashish.  For some years now much of KRTC’s sales have been through MESH especially products designed by TLM Trading’s designer.  With the recession those design services have stopped so KRTC was glad of an invitation to work with Hrishi on these carved and filled motifs.

Different coloured woods for a terrific effect - Babu's work in MESH Design Studio

Think you have seen these designs before?  You are right, they were created by Hrishi for Divya’s cards (see http://www.mesh.org.in/articles_134506.html) and now have a new avatar in wood.  The initial work was done in the studio; fitting the designs into products will take place long distance between, Babu, his Supervisor Mr. Raj and Hrishi by phone and on the internet.

Hrishi(l), Ashish and Babu(r) discussing product finishes in MESH Design Studio

These are products for the winter catalogue…watch out for them.

Brand new wooden "vases" and bamboo penstands fresh from MESH Design Studio

Card holders...a first for Bethany

 

Trying to use the same kind of materials in different ways to create a fresh look is one of the challenges of our designers. Syamala has just finished a small range of bags from Bethany Leprosy Colony to match a colour scheme for Ten Thousand Villages USA for Summer 2011. The tape is ready for two other collections for Fall and Festival 2011 but the sewing will happen later. The colours are wonderful this time and we have a very snazzy ladies laptop bag as well as some really great small purses and visiting card holders.

Our very own laptop bag for women

Now Syamala is in on the train (for 39 hours!) heading towards Vishakhapatnam on the east coast where she will work with some silk embroiderers and another group of paper workers. She is making baby photograph albums for Sweden with embroidered silk covers and handmade paper. Watch out for those.

Hrishi has moved from working out new multiple designs from one warp for Bharat Mata Kusht Ashram weavers to creating wooden products with Ashish Chand from West Bengal and Babu from KRTC Tamil Nadu. I don’t know what they are making just now but I hope it will include some really nice jigsaw puzzles.

The need to get multiple designs from one warp has arisen as we try and bring some new tablecloths into our shops. A 200 meter warp is the most economical way to work but then that might mean 65 large tablecloths all the same colour and pattern which does not work well for retail sales. Hrishi promises me that we shall get a general theme running through each warp but quite different looking cloths. He is working on four warps. Sounds like we shall need a special launch in the shop!

Bethany handwoven tapes get a completely new look