Class 6 English · Original EZT practice
Ila Sachani (Class 6 English Chapter 15): embroidering dreams with her feet
In a tiny room in Moti Vavdi village, Bhavnagar, Ila Sachani creates bright Kathiawar embroidery - cushions, bedcovers, pillows - using her feet. Born in a farmer's family in Amreli without the use of her hands, she turned a challenge into a gift, and today her art is famous. This true story from Poorvi Unit 5, Culture and Tradition, is about determination. Below: a summary, word meanings and practice questions. (Note: this is original practice, not a textbook exercise key.)
6 original worked examples, 6 fresh self-check questions and 4 mixed questions, with explained answers. These are not copied textbook exercises, an official chapter index or a full answer key. No affiliation with NCERT is claimed.
Official sources for topic and edition context, checked 23 October 2026:
1. Story summary - the challenge
Ila Sachani, of Moti Vavdi village in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, makes beautiful Kathiawar embroidery with a shiny needle - using her feet; she was born in a farmer's family in Amreli with her hands hanging loose, and life presented its challenges from the beginning.
2. Story summary - the success
Threading a needle was hard, but Ila became an expert young, learning many styles - even ones from outside Gujarat like Kachhi, Kashmiri and Lucknawi; when word reached the government office in Surat, her work was displayed at a state exhibition, people readily purchased her creations, and she became famous.
3. Word meanings
The story builds words of craft and courage - challenges, determination, awestruck, admiration, popularity.
4. Theme - determination and ability
The chapter pairs Ila's story with Pranav M. Balasubramaniam of Palakkad, Kerala - born without both hands, he has excelled as an artist, a singer and a para-sportsperson; together they show that determination beats disability.
Choose, solve, check, then try a fresh question.
Before calculating, read the method prompt and name the condition that makes it useful. Write your own attempt. Open the steps only when you need them, and use the check to catch a wrong sign, unit or interpretation. Finish with the fresh question before reading its answer.
State Ila's challenge
Choose the method: Hands that would not work.
EZT practice question
What challenge was Ila Sachani born with, and how did she respond to it?
Show the worked solution
- She was born in a farmer's family in Amreli, Gujarat.
- Her hands hung loose - she could not use them.
- She accepted the challenge with determination and learnt to do things with her legs and feet - eating, combing her hair, and embroidering.
Answer: She was born with her hands hanging loose (unable to use them). She accepted the challenge with determination and learnt to do things with her legs and feet - eating, combing her hair, and embroidering.
Check: The title's promise - embroidering dreams with her feet - starts from this response.
Watch for this: Do not say she lost her hands in an accident - the story says she was born unable to use them.
Now try it yourself
Who helped Ila learn to do things with her legs?
Check your answer
Her parents; her younger brother and sister helped her too.
Family support is part of her success story.
Fix the places
Choose the method: Born in Amreli, works in Moti Vavdi.
EZT practice question
Where does Ila Sachani live and work, and where was she born?
Show the worked solution
- She works in a tiny room in Moti Vavdi village.
- Moti Vavdi is in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
- She was born in Amreli, Gujarat, into a farmer's family.
Answer: She works in Moti Vavdi village, Bhavnagar; she was born in Amreli, Gujarat, into a farmer's family.
Check: Two different Gujarat places - birthplace Amreli, workplace Moti Vavdi (Bhavnagar).
Watch for this: Do not merge the two - the story names both and they are not the same place.
Now try it yourself
What kind of embroidery is Ila very good at?
Check your answer
Kathiawar embroidery - a style that needs a lot of skill.
Her cushions, bedcovers and pillows are made in this style.
Trace how she became expert
Choose the method: Hard first, then many styles.
EZT practice question
How did Ila master embroidery, and which outside styles did she learn?
Show the worked solution
- Threading a needle with her feet was hard at first.
- She kept at it and became an expert at a young age.
- She learnt many styles - even ones from outside Gujarat, like Kachhi, Kashmiri and Lucknawi.
Answer: Threading a needle was hard, but she kept practising and became an expert young; she learnt many styles, even ones from outside Gujarat like Kachhi, Kashmiri and Lucknawi.
Check: Embroidery became, for her, a way to express herself - skill grew into art.
Watch for this: Do not say learning was easy for her - the story stresses how hard threading the needle was.
Now try it yourself
Use 'expert' in a sentence about Ila.
Check your answer
Ila became an expert at threading a needle at a young age.
Expert means highly skilled through practice.
Explain how fame came
Choose the method: Word travels to Surat.
EZT practice question
How did Ila Sachani become famous?
Show the worked solution
- Family and friends were awestruck by her designs and talked about them.
- Word reached the government office in Surat.
- Her work was displayed at a state exhibition - people saw the beauty woven by her feet and readily purchased it, and she went on to more exhibitions.
Answer: Her family and friends were awestruck by her designs and talked about them; word reached the government office in Surat, which displayed samples of her embroidery at a state exhibition - people admired and readily purchased it, and she went on to participate in more exhibitions.
Check: 'Ila was no more a hidden talent, but famous!' - the exhibition is the turning point.
Watch for this: Do not credit advertisements - the story says word of mouth carried her name to Surat.
Now try it yourself
What does 'admiration for her work began to spread' mean?
Check your answer
More and more people began to praise and appreciate her embroidery.
Spread here means reaching more people.
Match story words to meanings
Choose the method: Fix each word to one plain meaning.
EZT practice question
Match: challenges, determination, awestruck, popularity - with their meanings.
Show the worked solution
- challenges - difficulties.
- determination - will power.
- awestruck - amazed; popularity - fame.
Answer: challenges - difficulties; determination - will power; awestruck - amazed; popularity - fame.
Check: Her story in four words: challenges met with determination left people awestruck and brought popularity.
Watch for this: Do not read awestruck as frightened - it means filled with amazement.
Now try it yourself
What qualities made Ila successful?
Check your answer
Determination, hard work, and not giving up even when the task was hard.
The story repeats these at every stage.
Draw the shared message
Choose the method: Ila and Pranav together.
EZT practice question
What message do the stories of Ila Sachani and Pranav Balasubramaniam give us?
Show the worked solution
- Ila embroiders with her feet; Pranav, born without both hands, excels as an artist, singer and para-sportsperson.
- Both refused to let a physical challenge decide their lives.
- Determination and practice turned 'impossible' into achievement.
Answer: That physical challenges cannot stop a determined person - with will power, practice and support, people can excel at what seems impossible.
Check: Two different lives, one lesson - the chapter places them together on purpose.
Watch for this: Do not make the lesson 'feel sorry for them' - the stories celebrate ability, not pity.
Now try it yourself
Who is Pranav M. Balasubramaniam?
Check your answer
An artist, singer and para-sportsperson from Palakkad, Kerala, who was born without both hands.
His story runs beside Ila's in the chapter.
Try a mixed set
Choose a method or explanation before opening each answer.
1. Who is Ila Sachani?
Show answer and reason
A Kathiawar embroidery artist from Moti Vavdi village, Bhavnagar, who creates with her feet.
Born in Amreli unable to use her hands.
2. How did she become famous?
Show answer and reason
Word of her designs reached the government office in Surat; her work was shown at a state exhibition and readily purchased.
'No more a hidden talent, but famous.'
3. Outside-Gujarat styles she learnt?
Show answer and reason
Any two of Kachhi, Kashmiri, Lucknawi.
She became expert young, learning many styles.
4. The story's moral?
Show answer and reason
Determination beats difficulty - will power, practice and support turn challenge into success.
Ila and Pranav both show it.
Try it yourself
Work these on paper before checking any notes. Answers are deliberately not shown here.
- Where was Ila born, and where does she work?
- Name any two embroidery styles Ila learnt from outside Gujarat.
- What would you like to ask Ila Sachani if you met her?
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Questions about this practice page
- Who is Ila Sachani?
- A Kathiawar embroidery artist from Moti Vavdi village, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, who creates beautiful designs with her feet.
- Why does Ila Sachani embroider with her feet?
- She was born unable to use her hands, so she learnt to use her legs and feet for everything - including embroidery.
- How did Ila Sachani's talent become known?
- Her family's praise spread the word; the government office in Surat displayed her work at a state exhibition, where people admired and bought it.
- What is the moral of Ila Sachani's story?
- Determination beats difficulty - with will power and support, even a very hard challenge can be turned into success.
- Are these the NCERT exercise questions for Class 6 English Chapter 15?
- No. EZT pages are original practice following the chapter's section order - use them to prepare for the textbook exercises, not as a substitute for your book.