Soma

Textiles produced by Soma, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Back in 2002, Sam and I took a great road trip from Rhode Island through the southern US. The first part of our trip took us through Virginia and North Carolina. We spent a night with friends in Dublin, VA, who took us to hear local bluegrass music at a venue where women were flatfooting. We then drove to Merlefest and heard two more days' worth of outstanding bluegrass and Americana music, including a "workshop" set by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, who answered complicated audience questions like, "It sounds like you're using a modified drop-[XX] tuning in 'By the Mark.' Can you tell me how you came up with that?" 

Before we headed west toward Tennessee, we spent a lovely afternoon in Asheville, NC, where there was a shop that sold glorious hand-blocked textiles produced by the company Soma, based in Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. I was a little overcome by the selection even in that one store, but bought a scarf in pinks and greens that I wear to this day. While I realize there are many reasons to visit Jaipur, that lone scarf sparked a travel fantasy of textile shopping in Rajasthan. 

This fantasy will soon be a reality, because today we bought tickets to travel to a friend's wedding in Delhi in December. We'll be arriving a few days before the festivities so that we can go to Jaipur and I can fill up a spare suitcase with gaily colored fabrics like those depicted above.