These Naga women weavers are weaving a Christmas dream

For a second we feel like wersquove dropped in at a factory when we spot neat stacks of cushion covers table runners mats sling bags and shawls soaking in the warm glow of lights at the ARTISANSrsquo gallery in Kala Ghoda Each cushion cover in a set is of the same size with matching indigo dyes If we were to hold a ruler across the tassles stitched on sling bags we doubt wersquod find a thread out of place The triangular motifs dotting red maroon and black shawls look like theyrsquove been stenciled in Itrsquos not the machines that have churned out these products They have been deftly handwoven by women in Nagaland often during time squeezed between their household chores within the comforts of their homeStarting today the products will be part of the galleryrsquos annual handmade gifts Christmas bazaar Celebrating the culturally rich state and its exceptional weaving communities the team has brought down four nonprofits from Nagaland Leshemi Origins Chizami Weaves Orchid Petal and Woven ThreadsTill November 13 10 am to 7 pm At Artisans Dr VB Gandhi Marg Rhythm House Lane Kala Ghoda Call 9820145397A runner for your tableOver 500 women from the age of 15 to 70 across the 12 villages of Phek district in Nagaland are involved in creating home furnishing items including cushion covers table runners and mats bags belts and shawls for Chizami WeavesIt is a livelihood project initiated by North East Network NEN to ensure a sustainable livelihood for economically marginalised women They weave on the loinloom aka the backstrap loom said to be the oldest loom adopted by humans It was traditionally used by the Chakhesang Nagas and other tribes of the Northeast The portable loom derives its name from the strap pulled around a weaverrsquos back that holds the whole structure of the loom ldquoYoursquoll find a few sets of looms in every household It can be assembled quickly since it includes only sticksrdquo shares 32yearold NeitshopeU Thopi associated with Chizami Weaves since its inception The label also stocks at a couple of stores in Bengaluru Delhi and Mumbai at ARTISANSrsquo and CSMVSrsquos museum shopCost 1150 table runners 2600 table matsMad over mekhlasLaunched early this year and touted as the first Naga silk emporium Orchid Petal conjures up shawls and mekhlas mdash a traditional Naga drape worn as a sarong mdash made with 100 per cent pure Naga Silk produced indigenously ldquoWe work with weavers across villages in Nagaland to rear silkworms and their cocoons and out of the cocoons we make the yarns We use natural vegetable dyes to derive yellow pink peach and blue colours The idea is to empower villagersrdquo says Zachivelu Dolie over disturbanceridden phonelines from Nagaland Cost2860 onwardsNettle on my bagDuring winters when it drops beyond five degree Celsius in Leshemi one of the oldest villages in Nagaland located only 15 kms away from Pfutsero the highest and the coldest place in the Northeastern state the locals cover themselves in nettle shawls The thorny wild plant found in the jungles of Nagaland has been traditionally used to make clothes To uphold and conserve the tradition native Zhachuumlno Medikhruuml launched Leshemi Origins early this year They will bring down sling bags shawls and stoles handwoven with nettle and cotton yarnldquoMaking nettle textiles requires dedicationrdquo shares 28yearold Neipetso Lomi who assists Medikhruuml The process involves using hand gloves to harvest nettle plants between November and December carefully scraping the thorns and transforming the nettle stems into balls of thread ldquoWe split the stems into smaller pieces and use traditional tools to spin them into threads They are soaked in ashwater and later dyed in sticky rice broth to derive white colourrdquo says Lomi who is also a native of the villageCost 1430 bagsAn indigo splashBorn and brought up in Kohima Kevisedenuo Margaret Zinyu migrated to Bengaluru for graduate studies and later to Ahmedabad to study at National Institute of Design Now settled in Pune the 38yearold revisited her roots in 2014 to launch Woven Threads a design initiative that provides a platform and mentors women weavers of Nagaland Working with 25 women across three clusters in Nagaland mdash in Kohima Chesezu and Khezhakeno mdash she visited the state this April to conduct workshops with the weavers who use loinloom to produce a variety of cushion covers the main offering from the home furnishing labelldquoInitially the construction was loose because they are not used to weaving cushion covers They were surprised about their shapes I taught them how to use a measuring tape because they prefer to estimate the sizes for shawls that they traditionally weaverdquo she saysCost 1800 onwards pillow covers