WEAVING MELA AT SHUTTLES & NEEDLES WEAVING STUDIO, ADYAR

Shuttles & Needles, a Chennai-based contemporary handweaving studio, organised Weaving Mela ’26 at its studio in Adyar on 1 August, as part of its celebrations around National Handloom Day, observed on 7 August every year.

The theme of this year’s Mela was “Thinking Through Weaving”, encouraging participants to explore ideas and patterns through weaving.

Around 40 participants from different walks of life and professions, ranging in age from about 12 to 70 years, gathered for a three-hour session. Many were urban handweavers who have taken up weaving as a creative pursuit alongside their regular professions and everyday lives. Participants worked on different modern compact handlooms, exploring patterns and weaving ideas.

Speaking on the occasion, Naresh Ramasubramaniam, Managing Director of Shuttles & Needles, said, “Weaving is a fascinating creative activity that allows us to think through colour, material, structure and pattern. Its repetitive rhythm can also be deeply absorbing and meditative.”

He added that modern compact looms make weaving accessible to people without previous experience. “When people begin to weave themselves, they start looking at fabric differently. They become curious about how cloth is constructed and begin to appreciate the skill, time and thought behind handwoven textiles. This can also lead to a deeper appreciation of India’s rich handloom traditions.”

Shuttles & Needles also works with schools to introduce handweaving as a hands-on learning medium that encourages observation and problem-solving.