Services
Two courses, one workshop, and the work we sell.
Training runs at our centre in Agargaon. Sales and orders are handled by the manager. Everything below is made by members of the samity.
Nakshi Kantha Embroidery Training
Nakshi kantha is the old Bengali way of turning worn cloth into something worth keeping. Trainees learn to layer and baste the cloth, draw the motif, and fill it with running stitch until the whole surface pulls tight and even.
Most women start on a small square. By the end of the course they have finished a piece we can sell, and they know how to price the hours that went into it.
Tailoring and Sewing Courses
This is the course women ask for most, because it turns into money fastest. Trainees learn to take measurements, cut to a pattern, and finish a garment on the machine without wasting cloth.
Blouses, salwar kameez, school uniforms, and repairs. Several of our members now sew for their own neighbours and take orders from us on top of that.
Handmade Bags and Textile Sales
Jute and cotton bags, woven baskets, kantha throws, cushion covers, and block-printed lengths. Everything is made by hand by our members and paid for by the piece.
We take single orders and repeat orders. Send us a photograph or a measurement and we will quote for it, and we will make one sample before a bulk run so nobody is guessing.
Block Printing Workshops
A short session on printing with carved wooden blocks. You learn to mix and load the colour, place the first block square to the cloth, and keep the repeat straight across a full length.
We run these for our own members and for outside groups, including school and office groups who want a half day of it. Cloth and blocks are provided.
Not sure which one to ask about?
Call the centre and say what you want to do. If we do not run it, we will tell you who in Dhaka does.