The women of Sunder Rang specialize in different areas of expertise in order to provide quality products. Each woman is trained in a certain craft style so that each craft is made to a high technical standard and with an aesthetically pleasing character. Each product is identified with the names of the woman or women who were involved in its creation and when it is sold they receive a percentage of the sale price in order to enable and empower her and her family.
Called by many different names, aari-tari is a cross-stitch embroidery that uses chain links in order to sew forms and decorations. The women performing this technical craft sit on the ground and use a raised frame to stretch the material. One hand holds the needle that is used to put the colored wire or string through the material while the other is placed underneath in order to twist the thread, therefore acquiring the "chain link" on top.
This technique is performed mostly by the younger women and unmarried girls and requires patience and skill. As India becomes more industrialized, aari-tari is being forgotten by artisans and is performed mainly by machines in factories due to lower costs and time. At Sunder Rang, we believe it is important to keep traditional arts alive and teach them to the younger generations.
Another craft that is taught is sewing. While this is a common art all over the world and many use this technique in their home for family clothing, the women who specialize in sewing are taught new methods and trained in cutting and tailoring. In Chandelao, the traditional clothing consists of kurtas and lehengas for the women and dhotis for the men. The women make quality traditional clothing as well as traditional styles with a modern twist that make it more appealing to the Western clientele.
Clothing is not the only thing taught as a livelihood. The women also learn to make all sizes and shapes of bags, purses, and accessories that combine their talent with new and modern styles. Most of the material used during the production is traditional Rajasthani block print bought at a nearby family block printer. All the material is made from Indian cotton fabric and hand-printed using carved wooden blocks and pure natural dyes. Some of these dyes use ingredients such as traditional indigo, colorful pomegranate, rusty iron, and even shadowy coal.
Another area of expertise that the women specialize in is beadwork and threading. Beadwork and threading combine skill and knowledge in many different areas using diverse materials. Many women work in what many would consider a "sewing circle" on the floor of the crafts center incorporating their hands and feet into making products while enjoying the company of the other women. Beads are sewn onto scarves, bags, and purses that the other women make while threading and other decorations are intricately placed on soft toys and ornamental décor. Small tota strings and other toys are very popular as decorations and small pouches with hand-made strings and beadwork are great gifts. Key chains, necklaces, bracelets, and glass covers all incorporate glass beads and other materials to add a special touch to traditional designs.