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Laxmiben and Shivjibhai

"I am Laxmiben and my son is Shivjibhai, and our story begins in 1956. I was born into a family legacy that has been passed on from great-grandmother to great-granddaughter. It holds the secrets of the weaving trade that I now share with my son.

"Weaving is very much a part of my life, as my family is. My eight siblings and I revel in this craft, for we used to weave at home, and it became our time for bonding. It became more than a hobby to me at 17. At that age I was certain this is what I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life, to weave great and beautiful works. For this reason I submerged myself in this work. Love came when I was 21. Not surprisingly, my husband was from a family that did woven crafts as well.

"I continued the family tradition of weaving floral designs in thick wool. Then I started a family of my own to carry the tradition. Shivjibhai was born in 1978 and I insisted on his schooling. I can still remember him excitedly practicing his skill with the loom.

"My earliest memories of childhood are of colored wools and looms because they filled our house. At school I learned Hindi aside from our Kutch dialect, which became a great tool of communication to promote and sell our works outside of our province in Gujarat. In 1997 my brother went for a month's training with the government-sponsored Village Art Development program. When he came back home he was filled with such enthusiasm for the vibrant colors and weaving techniques he had encountered. We eagerly learned from him. From this point on we developed my mother's floral designs into more intricate and colorful patterns.

"We're very happy because our passion for our craft is being noticed by the government. We have been sponsored in recent years to attend exhibitions in Manipur, Jodhpur, Bangalore, Udaipur, Bombay, Puna, and Chandigard. Working as a family, with each other's support and expertise, we are able to do more and excel.

"We are now on our way to submit a special patterned shawl to contend for a National Award. Our dream as a family is to exhibit abroad, to show our work and what we can do. We are very happy to be part of Novica, because it is a step closer to that dream."