Hobbies

The most common ice-breaker after the weather is discussing hobbies. Since childhood, we are pestered with this question and honestly, I never knew how to answer it. My interests seem to change and I never had a steady answer to that question. I remember when we were kids my cousin told someone snooker was her hobby and at that point of time we had no idea what it was. Later to my query, she said it sounded very posh (this was before the word cool was in use). That was the importance we gave to hobbies!

I always stuck to reading and music as my hobbies, both of which I have written about here and here, respectively. Later I added running to the list, since though it started as an exercise regime it turned into a pastime, and I have covered in detail starting here, adding and continuing to it.

So what is left to cover in this blog? Well, a lesser-known hobby of mine - needlework.

Not exactly lesser-known. Those who know me well have one of these in their homes, hopefully adorning one of the walls and not gathering dust in a closet. These are my pride and my joy, my stress busters. I have tried various other outlets like colouring, painting, zigsaw puzzles etc., but after cleaning up the house, this works best for me.

How did I get hooked on? Well, in school we had a class called SUPW - Socially Useful Productive Work (popularly known as Some Useful Periods Wasted). And in the conservative city that I was studying - boys were tasked with gardening (read weeding) work and girls were made to sit in the class with cloth and needle. I never like these classes. I hated hemming and all the teeny weeny dresses we were forced to make and file. That was until they introduced embroidery and I was hooked. Our first project -  handkerchiefs to be showcased in the annual fete. I had warned my mom to be prepared to spend some money, she had to buy my products if no one else did, it was a matter of pride. But alas my handkerchiefs were missing from the stall. I was sure my teacher thought they were not worth displaying. It took a lot of courage (we hesitated to talk to our teachers in those days) to approach the teacher and ask her why my handicraft was not put out. Imagine my surprise when she informed me that the principal's wife, who toured the stalls in the morning, took them since she liked them so much. I was on cloud nine. That was it. For a couple of years, our tables, fridge, curtains all were adorned with my art. My goal was to do a sari but somehow it didn't happen.

Then with the busy schedule of life involving studies, job, marriage this hobby of mine took a backseat. Every now and then I would look at the magazines with these embroidery designs and sigh. It seemed too much work to come up with a creative idea and then buy all the material for it. Then I chanced upon the DIY kits at Hobby Lobby in the US. These kits came with material and instructions for some of the coolest home decor projects. Thus began my second innings. I did wall hangings with cross stitch, 

  plastic baskets, 

fridge magnets and whatnot. 

I learnt a lot about cloth count, needles, threads and colours like mauve, fuchsia, lavender, champagne and more.

Then came the problem - what to do with all these "masterpieces"? My mother-in-law unwittingly gave me a solution. She had visited us in the US and during her stay, our out-station friends decided to pay us a visit. My mother-in-law said we need to gift them something, as you are aware as per Indian tradition we usually felicitate our guests with new clothes. Well, buying clothes that they would like in theUS was a tricky business, at least for me, so I came up with a novel idea. Why not present them with some of my "artwork", sort of a punishment for being my friend 😉. So that solved not only the issue of choosing gifts for all but any future gift dilemmas. Now all my friends and relatives enjoy my talent (if anyone doesn't agree, keep it to yourself).

Once we decided to return to India, the one thing I was sure I would miss out on was these kits. I bought a few to tide me over. In India, I discovered Anchor Stitch kits. These were much easier than cross-stitch, it was just straight-stitches. My favourite and also of many who have visited and seen it in our home 

Then I chanced upon beadwork hanging in one of our neighbour's house which I liked a lot. With the help of my mother, I converted it into cross-stitch format and presented it to my Dad. It still hangs in their puja room.

Now there was one kit I bought in the US, which was yet to be my pièce de résistance. It was very intricate and very appealing. Though I opened and sorted the threads way back in 2005, I somehow could never work on it continuously. I completed many other projects big and small (including a sari for myself) but this was always on the back burner. Now with lockdown, containment and work from home, I finally completed it. Isn't it a beauty!!!!