Versatile creations

Hand embroidery, glass engraving, ceramic work, bead curtain, card making, etc are all in her circle of creativity. "I love to spend time doing hand embroidery. I have done portraits of Mother Teresa and Lady Diana, which people have mistaken for paintings as the work is done with very fine thread,” says Bombay’s Roshni Dadachanji. "There are so many embroidered pictures I have worked on that all the walls in my house are filled with them as well as stored in cupboards.” Enchanted also with the art of glass engraving, Dadachanji has showcased her skill on the sliding windows of her balcony. "It is a scene of horses galloping and birds flying. I like oriental art as well so that was done on my hall glass door. I engraved fishes on my kitchen window and flowers on the dining room windows! There is a huge glass beaded curtain I made for my hall. The weight of it must be at least 35 kg. It is a sunset scene with two flamingos, a humming bird and lotuses. It looks very pretty when sunlight comes through in the morning.”

Roshni Dadachanji and quilled card, ceramic roses and hand embroidered picture

Dadachanji makes fridge magnets, jewelry, cocktail stirrers and more in ceramic. "I also make greeting cards for birthdays, navjotes and weddings and gift tags. Everything is handcrafted with a lot of punch work, quelling (quilling or decorative designs using rolled and glued paper strips) and crystal work. I use the best quality paper,” she describes. "Thanks to the different Parsi associations who allow entrepreneurs like us showcase our talent, I have had the opportunity to sell some of my work. It is beyond my budget to rent a place at other exhibitions where high profile clothing or jewelry designers display their work.”
Dadachanji has worked as a teacher in different schools in Bombay, Mussoorie and at Riverdale International School where she was head of the middle school. "I have taught physical training, art and craft, dramatics, dancing, etc. I learnt ballet and tap dancing from Marjorie Harrop as a child and ballet and Spanish dancing from Pheroza Lally. I was very fortunate to have my sister Zarine Pegler living in London and she asked me to visit her and study there. She was really generous and took care of my expenses. I learnt tap dancing, aerobics, glass engraving, art, pottery and sculpture and that helped me a lot,” she acknowledges. Through the years, she has "put up shows for the annual days of various schools,” choreographed dances for public performances and helped towards charity shows as well. Dadachanji can be contacted on +91-9833123587 or 022-24150718.