Stylish, On-Edge Quilling by Sandali by Ritulika

I love coming across a paper quiller who has found her own niche... such is the case with Dr. Ritulika Patidar of Sandali by Ritulika who lives in Thane, India. How I'd missed her work until now is a mystery as she has no less than 122,000 Instagram followers! But IG worked its magic eventually and led me to her colorful feed. It's filled with perfectly executed quilling and paper sculpture.

on-edge quilled letter P initial with incorporated purple and pink roses

Each curved element is precisely placed and while the designs are complex, they have a sense of movement and don't feel overdone.

The candy-striped initials she produces are appealing and have proven to be very popular with customers.

Full name nursery decor designs are a delight as well.

Ritulika is an ideal artist to spotlight today, because a reader recently wrote to ask how best to do on-edge quilled designs. While there are many posts on this blog about the on-edge quilling technique, as well as books and YouTube videos, one of the simplest ways to get started is via a tutorial that walks you through the process.

She offers several video quilling tutorials. This pretty N is an example of how to do single initials and there is also one for nine floral hearts.

nine quilled floral heart designs in a variety of colors shown in grid formation

Running a busy Etsy shop that accepts custom orders for specific color combinations would be a full-time job for most, yet Ritulika is also the mother of school-age children and works as a dentist. I asked her how she manages to accomplish so much!

"One thing is that I never waste time... never means never. I don’t wait for the correct time, opportunity, or motivation. If there is something I want to do, I do it. This is easier when we have a fixed time schedule. For example, in my case I know this is clinical time, this is kids' study time and this is housework... I don’t disturb those schedules. Also, my sketchbook is always with me in my car while going to clinic or I am with my kids for study, so it’s all about stealing a bit of time here and there."

blue and white on-edge quilled letter A accented with blue fringed flowers

Ritulika uses 300gsm watercolor paper to make cards, and quills the designs with 3mm strips. For on-edge framed pieces, she prefers to work with 5mm strips. Because she is frequently asked via Instagram comments about her favorite supplies, she has shared them via an IG highlight called At a Glance. Here is one example:

Many of her card designs are a standard U.S. size of 5 x 7 inches, meaning they can be framed by the recipient.

on-edge quilled B monogram in lavender and white with floral elements

In addition to all occasion cards, she offers invitation cards for special events such as weddings, baby showers, and graduation ceremonies.

Ritulika has said that she doesn't quite remember her beginning quilling point, but in 2017 she visited a home where the interior was decorated with many framed pieces. She came away impressed by the versatility of quilling. Her first project was a small leaf that she still keeps safely stored in a drawer.

Ritulika describes quilling as an experimental journey because there are no fixed rules. She emphasizes that patience plays a very large part in the process. And yes, in case you are wondering, she also creates designs that aren't just monograms or pretty flowers:

collage of four on-edge modern quilling designs

Prepare to be wowed by Ritulika's well-stocked Etsy shop, Sandali by Ritulika, and follow her on Instagram, @sandalibyritulika. The name of her small business, by the way, was chosen because her daughter's name is Sandali... its meaning is soft and delicate.