Hand-embroidered with a fine eye for detail
(Pictures by Sumal Ranasinghe)
Her products are no bigger than two inches but the level of precision and detail required to make it by hand can require a process lasting two weeks.
Every one of Rachithra Sandanayaka’s intricately hand-embroidered statement pieces, from floral necklaces inspired by childhood mountainside excursions and rings inspired by temple ceiling art to bottle cap fridge magnets featuring picturesque local settings, Lankan traditions and wildlife, is a reminder of her roots.
The bottle cap magnets in particular, measuring between a single inch or two in diameter, are adorned with meticulous images of nature.
Originally from Negombo, Rachithra’s introduction to embroidery was courtesy of her grandmother who would often keep her grandchildren busy with handwork – stitching, knitting and cross stitching. With the basics in place, Rachithra also learned needlework at Newstead Girls’ College.
Rachithra
When she admired a table runner embellished with hand stitched flowers made by her best friend’s mother and resolved to create something like it on her own one day, her grandmother gave her all the encouragement and advised ‘starting small’.
So it was that after her undergraduate studies, Rachithra having spent four years in Dubai, teaching music and theatre and returned home, remembered her grandmother’s advice during the long days of pandemic lockdown. She decide to start with small scale embroidered products. “At that time everyone became engaged in something so I decided to do the same and it was only then that I realized that I had to do something more.”
Stitch Craft launched online on Instagram in May last year offers hand-embroidered necklaces, earrings, rings and bottle cap fridge magnets.
What makes her creations unique are the informative blurbs accompanying every picture. A miniature scene of traditional stilt fishing on a bottle cap is given some historical context, with information on its origin, the techniques utilized by stilt fishermen and more. “There’s so much we don’t know about our own country,” says Rachithra as she explains how storytelling is a major part of Stitch Craft’s vision.
She realised the power of storytelling during her time working as a Finance and Administrative Manager for Everystory Sri Lanka, a feminist story telling collective which highlights the stories of underrepresented or marginalized communities in South Asia. Rachithra says that she became interested in promoting her creations by highlighting Sri Lankan culture and sharing knowledge about local traditions and attractions. “Basically, it was to create a story and an art and combine these two – that was the main goal for me,” she explains.
Currently, she’s busy conceptualizing a new collection which showcases even more of Sri Lanka’s nature, traditions and landscapes.
Visit her account on Instagram: @stitchcraft_co
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