Did the saree come first or the neck piece? This is a question I’m usually bombarded with ( ofcourse, after our intelligent discussions on pressing GLOBAL issues…… like latest trends in GLOBAL fashion, effects of GLOBAL warming on our looks, the happening sale at ‘GLOBUS’, how the GLOBAL recession affects our shopping prospects, how with passing years our midriff starts drifting & resembling a GLOBE, how banning Facebook in China was a GLOBAL tragedy, how… & much more brain chewing stuff ), when I go to a party, dressed all Govinda style, matching from head to toe. Although the Chicken & Egg topic is debatable…. this question has a simple answer…. the saree comes first.

Once I have the saree safely nestled in my arms, I somehow manage to attract matching accessories to myself…. blessed with a magnetic field if not a magnetic personality. Or it could be my power of visualisation (a trick learned from Louise Hay). But that route of visualisation gets jammed frequently with ‘innumerable visualisations of my infinite requirements (to name one, trying to visualise the transformation of my son ‘drives me up the wall’ Sidharth, to ‘carries his parents on his shoulders’ Shravan alone is enough to clog all the drains of Mumbai). So when laws of attraction & visualisation fail , I resort to using my own two hands. Are you guys familiar ( in this case familiarity doesn’t breed ‘contempt’…. it makes one ‘adept’) with the saying – “whenever you need a helping hand you will find one at the end of your arm”…. works every time.

So with my own two hands I have created some simple yet matching neck pieces.

This one here has two pairs of Punjabi jhumkas & miniature elephant headdress of Kerala stitched onto a black velvet plait         ( 3 strips of velvet cloth plaited to make a thin rope); to match this Phulkari stole.

One of my personal favourites (patent pending), this neck piece has spools of coloured threads strung along with golden beads. Isn’t it a perfect match to this Chanderi saree….. you agree?? You can mix & match colours as per your requirement.

Some terracotta balls, for you gals to try out this fall, strung together to match this earthy saree .

Ghungroos & a few brass discs (salvaged from an old mala), knotted/stitched onto a crimson thread to go with this awesome saree.

This unique piece is made out of cut outs from a wedding card stitched onto a piece of oxidised (discarded) hip band. A Madhubani  neck piece for a Madhubani dupatta.

This colourful one here is made of pom-poms & mitti ka chillums    ( don’t use them for ‘smoking’, using them for ‘making’). A broken piece from an exquisite envelope opener substitutes the pendant….. the fun element.

This pretty piece was made from a ‘fish key chain‘ from Bali, two ‘Sarkanda‘ pieces and a metre of matted cotton threads. Aren’t the neckpiece and the threadwork saree getting along like ‘fish’n’chips‘?

A Kutch lace is wound and stitched around a thick cotton rope and joined together, by beads and hooks. Go-go-go-Govinda……. with this fetching dupatta.

After the Oscar selfie breaking twitter records…. now it’s your turn to top the creative records with self created neck’ies’. Go gals…… win this ‘match’.