Beautiful Fabric, But How Do You Clean It

Heavy Antique Vintage Saree, Indian Craft Shop Etsy

A Sari is a garment consisting of a (6 - 8 yards or more) length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia.  Which is why many brides from other cultures seek this beautiful fabric for their weddings.  After the design is chosen, the garment is made, worn on the big day......now how do you get that elaborately beaded, silk, garment cleaned.

New York Times writer, Vijai Singh, has found a cleaners in New Jersey, who will take on the job.....and it is a job.  Dry Clean World (856-232-7550) Samir Petal, owner faced with the job one too many times, made it his business to study and investigate how to take care of these delicate fabrics.  See more about Dry Clean World, A Cleaning Conundrum.

Dry Clean World

2 Shoppers Lane

Turnersville, NJ 08012

856-232-7550

 

Nidhi Chanani

Thanks to a facebook friend, this video was found.  The artist Nidhi Chanani captures love in her work, which will reflect mixed raced marriages, like her own.  This makes fans so happy because they feel represented.  Below is her process of Capturing Love.

  The Art of Nidhi Chanani

Theft With Sole/Soul

Stealing the Groom's Shoes

An Indian Wedding Tradition

by 

Preeti

The Big Fat Indian Wedding

Mandap

Indian weddings are full of traditions.  Some of them date back thousands of years, like the pheras (walk around the fire), and some are newer, like the jutta chuppai (shoe stealing). 

Because Indian weddings are religious events, people present under the mandap (the four-posted canopy) must have their shoes off since it is a sacred space.  The bride, the groom and the families are present at one point or another under the mandap.

When the wedding ceremony is done, the groom naturally looks for his missing shoes.  And so the girls offer the hostage shoes in exchange for cash.   In my wedding (Preeti), it turned out to be a complete, yet hilarious disaster.

My husband's shoes cost Rs 400 ($10) but my girlfriends wanted $100, 100€, AND Rs 4500.  They really weren't into the negotiation thing.  He offered $10, the girls refused, so he spent the rest of the day barefoot or wearing flip flops.  

Shoes off on the Alter Platform

Now, there's no religious reason to steal a groom's shoes, rather it's done as a way to build kinship between the groom and his new sisters-in-laws.  It's a fun way to bring the families together.

Eventually, the missing shoes turned up in my sister-in-law's bag after they had been around girl to girl as a hostage.   At least my husband has his shoes and his $10.

Article written by 

Preeti of The Big Fat Indian Wedding

Black Is Beautiful

These BEAUTIFUL BLACK lace like henna designs.  The patterns are so intricate it is hard to believe it is done by hand.

Lace sample resources

Vintage Black Lace Fabric

Ebay

Vintage Rag Trader