Embroidered & Crocheted Goods #709725

Shisha is the indian word for mirror. Shisha glass is available in a variety of shapes including round (the most common type), square and triangular. sizes vary from large to tiny. There are no holes in the mirror glass so it has to be held in place with a framework of stitches over which decorative stitches are worked. There are several types of shisha available: Hand blown glass shisha is also known as antique shisha or mica. as it is hand cut, the sizes are more variable and the shape can be slightly irregular. Machine-cut glass is known in india as embroidery glass. Sequin shisha are in fact large flat sequins. they are thin and flat and have a hole at one side, but this is covered with the stitching. The decorative ring around the mirror glass can be worked in various stitches, including shisha stitch, herringbone or cretan stitch. The mirror glass used in embroidery, known as shisha or abla, decorates clothing, torans (doorway hangings), household shrines, curtains and rumals (cloth wrappings). The mirror glass used in embroidery, known as shisha or abla, decorates clothing, torans (doorway hangings), household shrines, curtains and rumals (cloth wrappings).

Phulkari is known as the traditional embroidery technique from the punjab in india, literally means an art of floral motifs in bright colors of fabrics, which was at one time used as the word for embroidery, but in time the word phulkari became restricted to embroidered shawls and head scarfs. simple and sparsely embroidered odini (head scarfs) and shawls, made for everyday use, are called phulkaris, whereas garments that cover the entire body, made for special and ceremonial occasions, are known as baghs (garden). The origin of phulkari can not exactly be traced. there is reference of this embroidery though goes nack to 2000 years back to the vedic ages. phulkari has been mentioned in the famous tale of heer-ranjha by the poet waris shah. its present form and popularity goes back to 15th century, during maharaja ranjit singh's reign. Phulkaris are worked with the darning stitch, placed at different angles, vertical, horizontal and diagonal. the darn stitch is used in phulkari work while the base material for the embroidery has traditionally been hand-spun, hand-woven and natural dyed khadi. colours like white, dark blue, black and brown were used for the base material but the preferred colour was red. the embroidering is done from the reverse side of the fabric with the silk yarn which gives a shaded effect to the fabric. the uniqueness of this work is that the fabric itself is used as an inner decoration so that the pattern sewn on becomes an integrated combination of colours. the smoothness on the reverse of the fabric speaks volumes of the quality of workmanship and skill of the embroider. the motifs used are karela bagh, gobhi bagh, dhaniya bagh and mirchi bagh are based on motifs inspired by vegetables while shalimar charbagh and chaurasia bagh are motifs based on the famed gardens. satrangas are seven-coloured motifs and panchrangas are five-coloured motifs while the most common and beautiful motifs is based on the wheat and barley stalks that grow all over punjab. It is worked on curtains, bedspreads, cushion covers, wall hangings, chiffon saris, kurtas or shirts and dupattas or shawls.

Kasuti is a form of embroidery that comes from the state of karnataka in india. the word kasuti can be broken up to mean kai - a hand, suti - a cotton a hand work done in cotton. it is a domestic art that has now taken on commercial forms. kasuti is also known as kashida or kashidakari. The chalukya dynasty played an important role in the revival of art, architecture, culture and learning. this sparked the imagination in women who witnessed these building operations and they gave expression to their artistic urge through some colorful artwork such as kasuti. the art was practiced by ladies of maharashtra and karnataka especially in dharwad and bijapur. It is a traditional embroidery of the state of karnataka and is done by counting the threads of the warp and weft with the designs traced or implanted as outlines. the pattern is never drawn on the cloth. the design remains in the mind and is recreated on the cloth directly with the needle and thread. Hindu motifs are predominant in kasuti, muslim influence is completely absent. factors influencing choice of motifs are religion, architecture and objects of daily use. they are taken from gopuram (temple tops) lotus flower, palinquin, cradles, birds and animals like- swans, peacocks, squirrels, elephants, nandi or sacred bull. The stitches used are: Gavanti: a double running stitch, the name is derived from the word gaonti which means knot. the design appears identical on both sides. patterns are mostly geometric, stitches are worked in vertical, horizontal or diagonal directions only. Murgii : appears like steps of a ladder, the design appears same from both sides of the fabric, the distance between two stitches is the same and looks quite like the gavanti. Negi: this is an ordinary running or darning stitch, it has an all over effect of a woven design. the name comes from the word neyagi which means to weave in kannada. Menthi; this is the regular cross stitch. the name is derived from the word fenugreek seeds in kannada. The colors traditionally used in kasuti are brighter shades of red, orange yellow and purple. there are about 700 designs under various categories. the pattern is created in such a way that both the sides of the cloth are similar in appearance. earlier only cotton threads were used on the cotton cloth now the silk fabric is also used.

The origin of chikan embroidery had come to india from persia with noor jehan, the queen of the mughal emperor jehangir. the word chikan is a derivative from the persian word 'chikaan' meaning drapery. The design to be embroidered is printed on the fabric with wooden blocks, using fugitive colours, which are commonly made by mixing a glue and indigo with water. for extra fine designs, brass-blocks are sometimes used.In chikan, the needle is held in the right hand while inserting it into the fabric, the left hand supports and controls the thread so that the stitches take the right shape. in traditional chikan no frames were used (though they are used now)";" the portion of the cloth to be embroidered is placed over the index finger of the left hand, supported by the rest of the fingers, leaving the thumb free. the needle is pulled away from the embroiderer who starts from the nearest end and finished at the farthest end.chikan embroidery has about 40 types of stitches and, of which about 30 are still being used. these can be broadly divided into 3 heads - flat stitches, raised and embossed stitches, and the open trellis-like jaali work.Chikan embroidery is done on fine fabric like silk, muslin, crepe, organdie chiffon, and tassar. . the garments are first stitched and then embroidered, whereas skirts, saris, and table linen are first embroidered and then finished.

Applique/patchwork is the process of attaching one fabric or motif to a foundation fabric by means of stitches, to form a design or a pattern. the patches are stitched on to the foundation fabric to create different form and patterns, unlike patchwork in which small pieces of cut fabric are joined at the edges to make a larger piece of cloth.the applique / patchwork art has diversified into products for the contemporary market like clothing, cushion covers, bags, garden umbrellas, curtains, bed covers, canopies and wall hangings.

Kantha embroidery involves in simple running stitch. it is the way the embroidery has been used that makes it extra ordinary. the cloth is given layers that were kept together by the stitches. the cloth has multiple uses. it could be used to sleep on or as a light blanket. kantha for the bengali folk means embroidered quilt. kantha is said to be dorukha meaning turning the worn out and textiles and fabrics to things of beauty. Kantha evolved out of necessity to drape or protect against cold. kontha in sanskrit means rags. it can be rightly called as the recycling art. the precious silks and muslins when became worn out, women instead of throwing them away, piled them in layers and stitched. another legend relates kantha origin to lord buddha and his disciples. it is said that they used to cover themselves with the thrown away rags patched and stitched together.The process involves laying the worn clothes and stitching them together. though the stitch used is the variations of running stitch, the motifs can range being simple to intricate. it is typical example of how a simple stitch can create elaborate motifs. usually the motifs are gods and goddesses, flowers, animals and geometric patterns that means it can be anything the worker can relates to. it can also be seen on the present day garments like the sarees, dupatta, shirts for men and women, bedding and other furnishing fabrics. for these fabrics and dresses the base fabric used is cotton and silk.

Zardozi is an ancient persian art (zar in persian means gold and dozi is embroidery) which has been passed down for many generations, dating back before the mughal empire, reaching its zenith under the patronage of emperor akbar in the 17th century. zardozi adorned the costumes of the court, wall hanging, scabbards, regal side walls of tents and the rich trappings of elephants and horses. intricate patterns traced in gold and silver, studded with seed pearls and precious stones enhanced the shimmering beauty of silk, velvet and brocade. during the rule of emperor aurangzeb, the royal patronage extended to craftsmen was stopped. many craftsmen left delhi to seek work in the courts of rajasthan and punjab. the onset of industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries was another setback. most of the craftsmen turned to other occupations. the art of zardozi was revived along with many traditional methods of embroidery in the middle of this century. zari work was mainly done in madras and zardozi in hyderabad until a few decades ago. today, lucknow is home to this finest work of gold and silver embroidery. zardozi is fashioned with a needle that resembles a very small crochet hook which is used to run up and down through the cloth, much like a sewing machine, while the cloth is pulled tightly over a large wooden frame. zardozi has remained as an applique method of embroidery. with one hand the craftsman holds a retaining thread below the fabric. in the other he holds a hook or a needle with which he picks up the appliqu materials. then he passes the needle or hook through the fabric. after days of painstaking labor, the result is an exquisite gold-veined work of art.

Crewel embroidery is a very famous decorative art form that dates back to the 13th century. though the origin of this art is unknown, it is believed to have come from the east of egypt, france and rome. in india, crewel art has always been in great demand. kashmiri skilled craftsmen are highly famous for their crewel embroidery stitches. mostly done by hands, kashmiri crewel work has a grace and elegance of its own. crewel embroidery works are fast gaining importance and demand in international markets also. traditionally, designs for embroidery were printed with wooden blocks, but now tracing paper or sheets of lacquered polyester are used. the designs are traced on to these sheets and the lines of the design perforated. these sheets are placed on the fabric and black soot-like powder mixed with kerosene is rubbed through the perforations on to the fabric. once the design is printed on the fabric the wool is dyed according to the design. crewel embroidery covers only the areas with patterning while chain stitch embroidery covers the entire surface area of the fabric. today, this craft is known by three different names-crewel, ari and chain stitch embroidery. 1. crewel embroidery work:the design is printed on the fabric at the block markers with wood and metal blocks. crewel work designs are much larger than other embroidered fabrics. in crewel work, the ground fabric, traditionally rough cotton, is left bare except where the pattern is embroidered with wool. the wool can be either natural or dyed. 2. chain embroidery work:the chain stitch embroidery differs from crewel work in that it covers the entire surface of fabric. this makes the stitches very dense and heavier suitable for floor covering or wall hangings. 3. ari embroidery workthe ari work is much finer than crewel or chain stitch embroidery and is primarily used for clothing and accessories. the embroidery is done with staple yarn, with the occasional use of wool or silk, and the ground is never completely covered.