sari blanket welcome SOLD

This warm welcoming sari blanket in neutral colours will suit any home. Cosy up on the couch for your quiet time with it. Being reversible, you can easily change the feel of corner by switching it around.

In choosing this you also speak up for the poor, enjoy exotic beauty and support sustainability while empowering the women who made it.

As a Gift -

Authentic vintage is seen in little patch works on some of them.

A special treat for a special occassion, for yourself or someone special

Measurement - 1.8 mtr x 1 mtr; its machine washable on the gentle cycle, hand sewn

 No two are the same, each one is individual.

• It takes a woman about 2 months to sew it up, along with her daily home duties.
• It enables her to either earn an income for her and her children on her own or supplement her family’s income with dignity.
• Most of the women working within this project come from extreme difficulty, abuse or rejection
• Each one is made from 6 layers of recycled cotton saris which are  hand-quilted to create a unique sari blanket

Group : EMC, Kolkata, India

EMC is an initiative where young women from the slums of Kolkata, India receive training and job opportunities. As well as theory and practical skills in tailoring and paper craft work, the women are taught English, business skills and values for life.

For more on the work of EMC and the culture of the sari click here

Creation

The best used saris are purchased from a central market and brought to EMS. There they are cut to size and the front and back patterns are chosen to compliment. From there 3 other layers of saris are quilted inside with the traditional running stitch of Bengal, the katha (or kantha).

Impact on poverty

Most of the sari blankets are created in the homes of women who have come out of tough places such as prostitution and drug addiction. The personal, spiritual and practical training EMC offers these ladies is a massive leg up into a dignified life. Working from home allows them to be flexible with their home duties but still bring an income into their households.

Let's not forget the on-seller of this sari who has been in such a position as to need to sell their own clothing! That state is something to be contemplated!

...and for you...

If your sari could talk to you about the life it has seen what a tale it would tell! The blessing for you of this life is a wonderfully smooth, almost luxurious feeling cotton. The satisfaction of knowing this very practical item has not cost the earth nor its inhabitants is comforting. The maker has been empowered to rise to a new level of life and that comes through your fair trade purchase.