HYDERABAD: While some of us found that arts & crafts class in school boring, some creative geniuses realised they could add wings to their imagination. Praniti Nagarmat was one such kid who, even after years, fans that artist in her, outside of her extremely fulfilling job. The textile designer who works for a soft furnishing brand says, “It’s the first job that I’ve really enjoyed and felt like this is for me! I get to visit people's beautiful homes and decide on the fabrics and designs that would fit perfectly in their budget and with their style,” she says.
Praniti paints one day, and when that gets boring, she makes jewellery for her friends and herself. When she doesn’t want to do that, she embroiders, but her favourite of all has to be natural tie-dye! “My tie-dye classes during college were always my favourite because in that one class I’d learn a lot and I’d have a little takeaway gift to bring home with me freshly dyed cloth.
There were so many techniques that we were taught and I just loved the process of putting a plain white piece of fabric into a dye bath with rubber bands tied all over it. When it was time to see your creation, you had to undo all the ties and it revealed a beautiful pattern with these colourful dyes. I have all of my little pieces of fabrics saved which I’m going to make into something that I can use, maybe a tote bag or cushions for my deewan not sure yet,” she tells CE.
However, the only thing she didn’t enjoy about the dye class was that all the ones used in school were chemical dyes. And natural tie-dye is no easy task as it is with chemical ones. Praniti explains her beginner ordeal saying, “At first, I was confused because it’s like science, one thing here or there can change the colour your fabric takes in temperature change, keeping the fabric in the pot for a few minutes longer or shorter, the potency of the ingredients itself, how well you have scoured or mordanted the fabrics. I won’t lie, I do buy some things from the store but I try to keep that very minimal and in that way, I am saving a lot of chemicals to run down the drain, along with my money,” she laughs.
Praniti believes she does better work when she starts with no plan and sees how it goes. “Last evening, I decided I wanted to take the hibiscus that I’m growing on my balcony and dye with them. Once I started the cleaning process, that’s when I thought I also have some Sappanwood that I can use to colour the rest of the fabric, and just eco print the hibiscus on the ends to create a design,” she says.
Praniti doesn’t sell her naturally dyed fabric and explains why: “I would have loved to start my own clothing line with naturally dyed clothes but the fashion industry is already super saturated and didn’t want to add to the bunch. I also watched way too many videos about how our landfills are filled with clothes. Nothing against anyone else who is doing it — I honestly wish I started something like that a long time ago so that by now I would have built something bigger. I think I’ll find something else to do that’ll allow me to be creative yet also be a little more planet conscious. I like to create for myself and for my friends and family around me, it brings me so much joy when I can give them handmade things over anything that I would buy them.”
Soon, Praniti hopes to perfect the art of some ‘absolutely wild’ shibori designs she came across on Instagram. “So far, I’ve experimented mostly with eco printing and figuring out which ingredients bring out the best colours. I need to get into indigo as I have figured all the rosy colours, but yet to get those deep blues and bright greens,” she says adding that she is looking forward to using some of the leftover marigolds from her engagement that she has dried to dye onto more fabric.