Cheruvathur: No petals, no wilting and no last-minute flower hunt. For those looking to add a traditional touch to their Onam celebrations without the hassle of sourcing fresh flowers, Parvathy Vijesh is stitching colourful fabric blooms into ready-made pookkalams (floral designs) that are fast becoming a hit this Onam season.

From her home at VV Nagar here, Parvathy creates intricate floral designs using fabric silk in a variety of colours. She hand-stitches the material onto the red cloth used for making nettipattams (elephant caparisons) and cloth canvases, transforming them into ready-made pookkalams that can give traditional floral designs a run for their money.

Her creations come in a range of designs, from Theyyam figures and coconut trees to boats, with customised patterns also made on request. Prices start at Rs.1,000.

A native of South Karakkamuri in Ernakulam, Parvathy holds a degree in Bharatanatyam from RLV College, Thrippunithura. She moved to Cheruvathur eight years ago after marrying Vijesh, a percussion artiste (thayambaka). She had also worked as a teacher at Bhavans Vidya Mandir in Ernakulam for six years. The couple have two children, Kashinath and Rithunath.

Parvathy picked up the craft on her own, without any formal training and has been making pookkalams and other decorative pieces for the past two years. With the Onam season approaching, orders have been pouring in. Her creations are also in demand for weddings, short films and other video shoots.

Orders are placed through her Instagram page, Nadana Kailasa. Besides pookkalams, Parvathy also makes nettipattams, thidambu (decorated replicas), valkannadi (hand mirrors) and aalavattam (circular shield). She also receives orders from customers abroad.