The Edge Holds: Remembering Tarulata

I always found hemming to be boring and tedious. Hemming is the process through which the edge of a fabric is folded and sewn to prevent it from fraying. It is essential for securing the fabric. Tedious as it is, my perception of hemming shifted recently.

When I was younger and Mother would tell me to hem a piece before starting work on it, I would cringe. I disliked hemming and simply wanted to get it over with. In the process, the hemming was often sloppy. The stitches were unevenly spaced, they lacked a uniform direction, and some were large while others were small. Mother would purse her lips and do her best to tell me, as kindly as possible, that the work was quite bad. But sloppy work is sloppy work. It is hard to disguise.

Over time, I paid more attention and my hemming became neater, but it still did not feel particularly satisfying until recently, when I started hemming our first batch of handkerchiefs. This time, I was determined to do it slowly and well. The edges were folded, pressed, and tacked with a running stitch. Each edge was then hemmed with utmost attention. Once you are in the flow, it doesn't take much time or at least it doesn't feel time-consuming. With each stitch placed precisely, the satisfaction grows and the rhythm is maintained. Finally, the tacking stitches are removed and the hemming admired. I am sure Mother would be pleased!

With this, I am pleased to introduce our Tarulata collection of handkerchiefs. This collection is dedicated to the memory of Aita, whose name was Tarulata Gogoi, and who passed away tragically not too long ago. In Assam, a handkerchief is often presented with kindness as a token of gratitude, and Aita was one such kind person.