I was talking with my friend, who my daughter fondly calls Mimi. I was amazed by Mimi’s profound knowledge of Indian artisans, their beautiful hand-weaving techniques that create delightful products of high quality in the simplest forms and yet portray luxurious uniqueness to them.
Now, I knew a bit about conscious and sustainable lifestyle, but what Mimi taught me about artisanal handmade products, opened up a whole new world for me. It made me realise just how a sustainable journey is not complete without artisanal handmade quality.
So, I thought, I’d share 3 insights in the simplest way possible, and answer the question on why an artisan’s handmade / hand weaving technique can be a delight to your sustainable journey.
#1 Uniqueness and quality
“To visualise a hand weaving process, we need to go back to our childhood activities like kite flying where we used to manually shorten and lengthen the thread. It was difficult but yet filled with so much raw joy.” – Mimi
Hand-weaving as a process is an activity that happens outside in the mud patios of the artisans’ homes. It is not a 9am to 5pm job but a part and parcel of their day's activities as they cook, keep house, tend to their children and cattle and more. Every time they get up from the handloom on some errand and then sit back to weave, this will show a slight difference in some places in the fabric weft. That’s what brings in the uniqueness and quality to handmade products. Each and every piece is different!
#2 Planet friendly
Work done by hand is greener. It takes less energy than any mass-produced product. Starting from cotton pods, everything is a hand done process. The pods are cleaned and then beaten to flatten it before being made into strands for feeding into the spindles where the yarn is made by hand. The bunches of yarn are then tied together and kept for being dyed into chosen colours using non-toxic dyes. Most of these chores are done by the village women who also stay in the houses close by. These are woven for us according to our specifications. A single loom will need at least 100 meters of yarn in order to be economically viable and minimising waste.
#3 Long lifespan and value
Hand-weaving is the opposite of how machines make products faster and cheaper. Hand-weaving takes time and care, every step is scrutinised to make sure the product is perfect – taking even more time but resulting in a long-lasting product. It contains a feeling of authenticity. This is why artisanal hand made products have more value in society as they also support the artisan’s livelihood and eco-conscious business practices.
Conclusion:
If you are starting your journey on making conscious and sustainable buying decisions, and you don’t know where to start, then you are always on the right path when you choose to buy an artisanal handmade product. For the simple fact that this is a product that represents uniqueness, quality, authenticity, and has the artisans’ stories entwined within them. And for the fact that you bring home a product that follows the most sustainable and ethical production style.