Pipli Applique Work from Odisha

Hello Art and Handicraft Lovers....

From a long time I was thinking about starting a series of post regarding various Art forms and Handicrafts of India that has gained recognition both at national and international level. Just took a pen and wrote down few of them that came to mind and it's tough to believe that I don't know much about the varieties, still had a long list of names. Really proud that we have so many varieties in India. Different states & areas are specialised in different varieties of art and handicraft. Now which one to choose first. Confusion is very obvious. We all are somewhere little bit biased or inclined towards our home town or home state, even I. So my first post is on "Pipli Applique Work" from my home state Odisha.

Pipli Applique or Patchwork is a traditional handicraft, that got its name from the name of the place where it is made. Pipli is small town on the way from Bhubaneswar (state capital) to Puri (Jagannath Dham). This traditional handwork is mainly made with cotton fabric. Decorative motives and animals are cut from Colorful fabrics and then are stitched on other contrasting color fabric. Mainly they are sewn in with running stitch, back stitch and chain stitch. Various size and shape of mirrors along with some laces are also used to beautify the applique work.

A framed pipli applique work at my parents place, commonly known as Pipli Chandua.

Applique work lantern in my living room...

Applique work on a traditional hand fan..gives it a classic look.

Image source: Nishaslifestyle

Now they are trying various modern and unconventional patterns of applique design.

Image source: Thehindubusinessline

There is a wide variety of umbrellas with applique work. Small are for regular use to get protected from the scorching rays of sun and some are of huge size used as garden umbrellas.

Image source: Pipiliapplique

Have a look on hanging letter holder or letter rack, it can hold your letters or documents or knick knacks and with that will beautify your wall.

Image source: Chitra Ramaswamy's Travelouge

They offer a wide range of products with applique work such as hand bags, ladies purses, wall hangings, cushion covers, lamp shades and many more, that even I don't know.

Image source: eSamskriti.com

So if ever you get a chance to visit this small town, don't forget to bring one with you. One good news is that there are many online stores also who have a wide range of pipili applique work products. I am thinking of trying my hands on this work. If I succeed, I'll surely share with you all.