The Quill Bill

But we have a mission on hand – to learn paper quilling. So we purposefully head into the room where Rajshree Chirag Honrao is conducting an eight-day workshop. Expecting to be greeted by a group of noisy school kids,we are taken by surprise to see five married women and among them a 12-year-old girl patiently working on their own creations in absolute silence. On a rug spread across the floor is strewn an assortment of thin paper strips,wooden boards,instruments,bottles of glue and scissors. Honrao sits in the middle of it all,effortlessly rolling and bending paper strips to form objects that instantly claim our appreciation. “Quilling strips come in various widths – 3mm,5mm,10mm and 20mm. Then there is a quilling needle and some forceps that are handy tools,” says Honrao. She then shows us how to thread a quilling needle,roll the paper strip and make petals for a sunflower magnet. We are stilling watching in awe when she decides we need some action too. What had seemed fairly simple,suddenly becomes a complex task we fumble through. “Roll the paper towards yourself,it’s easier that way,” suggests a participant,introducing herself as Meenu Luthra. An excellent piece of advice,we soon realise.

As we roll the strips,Honrao examines with an approving smile and we feel victorious already. She then gives us the next lesson. “Let me show you how to make a lady bird,” she says,picking up a red 5mm strip. She rolls it into a tight circle and sticks the end. Then she gently pushes the centre of the roll to make a hollow curve. Sticking tiny bindis on top and folding a thin black strip to form the antennae,Honrao presents us the lady bird. We are almost convinced we will never be able to replicate her when she shares that she learnt quilling from the internet about three years ago. Experimenting with the paper strips,she then came upon the idea of making 3D objects using quilling. “Generally people make 2D objects with quilling,like flowers for envelopes and cards. But paper can be moulded in many ways. In the workshop,we are making mushrooms,smurf,Japanese dolls and even accessories like earrings and pendant,” she says.

By this time the other participants are a little more chatty,sharing with us how they have always been fascinated with quilling. “When I heard about this workshop,I just had to attend it. So I have arranged to drop my five-year-old daughter at a day care while I come for class. But it’s really worthwhile. When I go back,my daughter waits excitedly to see what new things I have made,” says Mayura Rane,carefully placing her model of mushrooms with the other things she has made in class.

Though we haven’t made any masterpieces on our first day at class,we too walk out convinced that it is every bit worth its while.

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