Stock for Bangalore show

Stock being packed in Hyderabad for the Bangalore show... the hot new item being the wide-bordered natural dyed sarees. This time there is more of the plain natural dyed fabric too besides the regular favourites. Not as much indigo malkha as we would have liked, not enough to meet demand, but we are expanding production, with both the quantity of yarn and dyeing capacity increasing, so there should be enough to go round in the next few months.

Manjishta wide-bordered sari

 
Indigo is the only colour that is dyed cold, an absolutely fascinating process, will soon put up a description with pictures. You start with 3' deep earthen pots set into a bed of sheep dung, add the powdered indigo with lime & extract of boiled cassia tora seed, using waster filtered through sudda matti. The mixture takes about 10 days to ferment before it is ready to be used.

Bangalore again

opening of new malkha centre

The new centre was opened on August 10 by the outgoing CGM of NABARD.. Here Kannan, inventor of the pre-spinning machines, shows the CGM round...for more pics please see facebook page malkhafreedom.

Here we take a step further in our attempt at democracy in the workplace: for the first time all 24 operators will run all the machines, pre-spinning as well as spinning.

Bamboo House exhibition

Our Hyderabad customers often comment on and admire the bamboo furniture & display racks in our shop... well, try and catch the Bamboo House show at the malkha shop, Aug 9-11:

Bamboo house

Exhibition & sale of bamboo furniture

Social entrepreneurs Prashant & Aruna work with tribal artisans

                  to make bamboo craft viable in the market

Thurs Aug 9-Sat Aug 11

10.30 am – 7 pm

Malkha shop

KVIB building [opp NMDC]

Masab Tank

flood in Hyderabad

Our basement shop was ankle deep in rain water last week, after the downpour in Hyderabad! Bailed out bucket by bucket, and back in business the same day..

the new malkha centre

Golak's wonderful building for the new centre is now ready, machinery & charkhas have moved in, 24 operators have been selected, production should start this month.

Officials at the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, were interested in the malkha concept, though doubtful of its reaching the middle market segment [which is what the Malkha Marketing Trust aims to do]. Recognition by the Ministry means that malkha can be sold through government outlets, and that malkha weavers will be eligible for a 10% yarn subsidy. Lets see how this works in practice.