The Prodigal Son Returns!

Eldest Son, Felix, returned from six weeks in India last Tuesday. He managed to bring home way more than he took! Apart from (another) guitar he had a rucksack bulging with pressies for family and friends. There were hats and socks and pashminas, blankets and baby jackets and ponchos! And for me 3 beautiful ‘Torans”. These are traditional textile hangings that go over doorways to signify the most important room in the house. So I have hung them on the doorways that lead to my sewing room! And one over the window in the sewing room.
They are embroidered with mirrors and cowrie shells and are really beautiful. The hanging pieces on the bottom are representative of mango leaves and are said to bring good luck. Read about Torans here
http://www.textilemuseum.org/totm/toranindex.htm
The one in the photo is turquoise and green and you can just see an orange one beyond it. I used to be quite obsessed about these door hangings years ago and always wanted to make my own. I had lots of books on Indian textiles and taught myself how to embroider the ‘shisha’ mirrors. I used to put these on to some of my earlier quilts (see ‘Sun Wheel Mandala’ on my Flickr page).
They are very easy and satisfying to do. Maybe I will try to organise a tutorial on here at some stage.
Anyway I am very happy to have my lovely Felix back home safe and sound and also very happy with my 3 genuine Indian Torans. They make the way through to the sewing room really magical and enchanted!