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The Wonderful Art of Pipli Applique Work

August 31st, 2010 1:46 am

Applique work is a technique by which patches of colored fabric cut in various motifs and sizes are superposed on a basic fabric to obtain a decorative whole, with edges of adjacent patches sewn together in some form of stitchery. Color palette for traditional applique items is very basic – red, white, black and yellow fabrics are used to form a vibrant collage, with black preferably forming the base. Glass pieces, metal wires and beads are used for further embellishment. Nowadays, Pipli craftsmen and manufacturers are experimenting with other colors as well to enliven the craft even more.


Today, applique finds expressions in a wide variety of home decor items. From wall-hangings and awnings to Kundini-worked decorative pieces, the range of appliq items available nowadays is pretty exhaustive. One can even choose from a variety of mirror-worked appliqué dresses and skirts for a perfect evening do. Nothing can match the vibrancy of a applique worked handbag on a private function with sequins sewn on it. Appliqué bags and jholas are also becoming quite a rage these days on campuses.

The choice of applique items of Pipli origin for a prospective buyer does not end here. Manufacturers in Pipli and Puri are nowadays flooded with offers from star-rated hotels and resorts to supply applique made side walls and garden umbrellas. Upcoming designers are also considering it a new way to express their creative visions. Accordingly, the fabric used for this typical patchwork has undergone a refreshing change. It is no more the same thick cotton base that is used to elaborate a certain theme; now experimentation is done with fabrics as varied as velvet, satin and Georgette.

Popularity of applique items of Pipli is clearly on the rise. Rathayatra or no Rathayatra- applique saleables of Pipli are now regarded as a major crowd-puller in Puri. Tourists thronging this beach city from all over India and the world find applique art absolutely entrancing, and they make it point to buy a thing or two of this amazing work of art to add a dash of color either to their wardrobe or to a dull nook back at home. This has been augmenting the demand for applique items of Pipli to a large scale over the years. Applique work of Pipli is now a much sought after art of embroidery. Decorative items made of it are colorful, yet not jazzy. They help make a statement when put up at the right place or accessorized properly. The most interesting fact about applique items of Pipli are, unlike many other decorative artifacts of daily use, they are not overtly expensive.

Funding From Business Angels

July 18th, 2010 10:12 pm

Over the decades, ambitious businessmen have seen the advantages of accessing the services of an angel investor to secure the investment they need to launch their venture. This is because of the very real benefits that entrepreneurs can get by putting the angel investment to proper use – whether that mean investing in new plant, customer staff, or obtaining marketing support. Along with investment angel investors can supply broad experience and, significantly, a good network of business connections. The latter is especially helpful to entrepreneurs seeking prospective customers.

The demand for this competence and business contacts has led some companies to offer a “match-making” services to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with angel investors. Unfortunately, however, many of these organizations levy exorbitantly high upfront fees without any guarantee that a deal will even be closed with an angel investor. In addition to this upfront cost, this can result in entrepreneurs spending a great deal of time in meetings and business without ultimately obtaining the desired funds.

First, however, you should know exactly the sort of angel investor you want to partner with and the size of funding you want. Once you have defined your target investor profile, you can you begin your search. This step will normally involve you carrying out market research – which can be done over the web or through your own business connections. In the past most angel funding would normally come from your own connections or angel investors in your local geographical region. However, given the increasingly global nature of business, it is becoming more widespread for the search to become national or even international.

To start with, you may want to consider your regional business angel investment network if one exists. The upside of these networks is that they oftentimes comprise of business people with a good deal of expertise in business and investing. The drawback of working with these networks, however, is that many of their angels tend to be dormant investors, and often the size of single investments tends to be fairly small. Further deals are frequently syndicated between several investors, which can frequently make the management of your investors’ expectations rather challenging.