From the passage on Paola Manfredi and chikankari, when did Paola first gain hands-on experience of chikankari work?

Introduction / Context:
This question probes your understanding of the sequence of events in Paola Manfredi’s association with chikankari. The passage narrates how she came to India for textile exports, gradually became deeply involved with Lucknawi chikankari, and eventually produced a comprehensive book on the craft. At one point, it highlights that she is “no stranger to chikankari” because she has worked with SEWA and several craftsmen. This clue indicates when she first gained real, grass-roots experience of the craft, as opposed to merely reading about it or seeing it from a distance.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage notes that Paola came to India to work in textile exports. • It mentions that she worked with SEWA and several craftsmen in connection with chikankari. • The text remarks that “She is no stranger to chikankari having worked with SEWA and several craftsmen.” • The question asks when she got her first experience of chikankari.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase “no stranger to chikankari having worked with SEWA and several craftsmen” implies that her real, practical exposure came through that collaboration. The options offer different possible moments: before coming to India, during SEWA work, while writing the book, or while purchasing haute couture. The passage does not mention any chikankari experience in Italy or during haute couture shopping, nor does it suggest that writing the book came before her fieldwork. Instead, fieldwork with SEWA and craftsmen clearly preceded and informed the book. Therefore, the correct answer is that her first meaningful experience arose while working with SEWA.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify the segment of the passage discussing Paola’s practical involvement with chikankari. 2. Note the phrase that she is “no stranger to chikankari having worked with SEWA and several craftsmen.” 3. Understand that this indicates she gained experience while collaborating with SEWA. 4. Recognise that the book is a result of this long association, not the starting point. 5. Choose “When she was working with SEWA” as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Replaying the narrative in your mind, you see a progression: Paola comes to India for textile exports, discovers the richness of Indian textiles, becomes closely linked with chikankari through ground-level work with SEWA and craftsmen, and finally documents this world in her book. At no place does the passage say she had experience with chikankari while still in Italy or that her first contact was via haute couture shopping. Nor does it present book-writing as her initial encounter; rather, the book depends on the experience she had already accumulated. Therefore, only the SEWA-related option fits the timeline and wording of the passage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• “When she was still in Italy” is not supported by the text; her significant exposure is associated with her time in India. • “When she started writing her book on chikankari” reverses cause and effect; the book grew out of her earlier fieldwork. • “When she was looking to buy some haute couture” is not mentioned in the passage and appears only as a distractor.

Common Pitfalls:
One common error is to treat the book itself as her first point of contact with the craft, simply because the passage you are reading is about the book. Another is to be distracted by the term “haute couture”, which might seem linked to high-end embroidery. However, the passage explicitly associates her familiarity with chikankari with work at the grass-roots level, particularly through SEWA and artisan collaborations. Paying attention to clauses like “having worked with...” helps you correctly trace the source of her experience.

Final Answer:
Paola first gained hands-on experience of chikankari when she was working with SEWA.