Ethnic Indian Embroidery, Designs & Styles of Embroidery

Haven't you ever wondered who makes those embroidered designs on your shirt or on those beautiful cushions? How do they make those beautiful designs with just a needle and thread? There's a high probability that it was made in India, by the skilful hands of one of millions of regular Indian women who have mastered the art of embroidery.

Embroidery is an art. It is the expression of a woman's deepest urge to create. In India, embroidery has reached high levels of sophistication. The stitches and motifs used are challenging even to the most skilled needlepoint expert. However, the women who stitch the beautiful designs you see on garments, home decor, wall hangings, and other such Indian items, have made it a part of their daily lives. The gorgeous embroidery is the natural expression of their creativity, with beautiful results.

Embroidery in India is centuries old. In the olden days, wearing beautifully embroidered clothes was the privilege of the maharajas and emperors. Gold, pearls and precious stones used in the embroidery was a sign of wealth and prestige. When these expensive materials were substituted by glass beads, wires, and mirrors, the common person also got access to the wondrous effects of embroidered clothes. Even today, we find these common materials- beads, wires, mirrors- used in imaginative ways throughout Indian embroidery with spectacular effects.

Because India is so large and diverse, embroidery has a distinct look and technique in every region. Each region uses different motifs, different materials and different stitches. However, in all needlework in India, the needle is pulled away from the worker.

Each Region has its own style of Embroidery

In Bengal, the kantha stitch is a close darning stitch done in white thread. It depicts life on the move: folk stories, dancers, temples, deities, and animals. Because it originated in Bengal which is a coastal state in eastern India, the fish and the lotus are popular motifs in this style of embroidery. No two designs are ever alike for each embroidery artist fiercely tries to create her own unique pattern and not imitate others. Kantha saris, quilts, handkerchiefs, and pillow covers are popular. Check out the kantha stitch on these wall hangings and cushion covers.

The Banjara tribes of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh have their own style of embroidery as well. They use a lot of glass or mica or mirrors, which are thought to frighten away evil spirits who are afraid of their own images. Bright colors and beautiful stitches around the mirrors are characteristic of this style of embroidery. Beads and shells are also commonly used. Stitching mirrors, beads and shells into place requires complicated needle work, which the tribal women are skilled at doing. Purses, wall hangings and clothes are commonly embroidered in this way

The embroidery of Gujarat and Rajasthan is the richest in design, stitch, and bright color combinations. The women of these dry areas make up for the lack of color and vegetation around them by embroidering a garden of colors and designs! Legend goes that, in Gujarat, the god Krishna freed thousands of women by killing an evil demon. These women hailed from different parts of the country and brought with them different kinds of needlecraft. This is why this region has the widest variety of embroidery styles.

Kutch embroidery especially flourished under the patronage of the princely state. Here, embroidered items were traditionally given as dowry for a girl's wedding. The techniques of embroidery are handed down from mother to daughter. A massive earthquake in 2000 destroyed the Kutch region. Embroidery from this part of India is now very difficult to find. Indian brings you embroidery from Kutch, such as exclusive wall hangings embroidered with care and talent.

Embroidery and applique are often used together as well. In the craft of applique, bits of material are joined together to produce stunning effects. Indian craftspeople use remnants of colourful saris and spare cloth for their applique. Torans or door hanging fringes are some of the most elaborate embroidered and applique items available in India. They are hung in every Indian home for a warm welcome.

In Karnataka, kasuti embroidery draws inspiration from the surrounding architecture. The designs are like the domes of the temples, called "gopura". Animals are also popular motifs, including peacocks and, of course, the Indian elephant.

The Kashmir valley, now a war torn region, used to be a natural paradise. Full of flowers and maple trees, this northern region of India has some of the most exquisite craft work. Check out the floral embroidery from Kashmir on these bed sheets. Shawls are the most popular embroidered item in cool Kashmir. Some are embroidered with such skill that the pattern appears perfectly on both sides of the shawl. These are called "dorakkhas".

Punjab is famous for its phulkari work in floral patterns. This is a rich and colourful craft associated with the Jat tribe of Punjab. The phulkari veil is the prised possession of the village girl who wore it as a part of her wedding trousseau. It would traditionally be made by her mother, with love and affection. Bed covers, robes, stoles and wall hangings are embroidered in this style, especially in red, maroon and navy blue.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Chikan embroidery is said to have been introduced by Noor Jahan, the Mughal queen. Some of the patterns are believed to actually be her own! It is a dignified, subtle and feminine style of embroidery, difficult to do and attractive to wear. The grace and sophistication of chikan is unmatched in any other style of embroidery. It is best done on fine muslin cloth. Scrolling leaf and vine patterns are popular, as are paisley designs

Embroidered Shawl Stole Women's Accessory India

Kashmir embroidery wrap clothes stole scarves have unique charm. Floral patterns in multi color are embroidered on solid color wool fabric. This makes the stole scarf very colorful, yet never too loud. Thus aesthetically, these are perhaps the finest looking stole scarf made in India. Women of all ages, young and old, love to wear them.

The Kashmir valley, a natural paradise full of flowers and maple trees, produces the best hand embroidery work in India. The artisans draw inspirations from the beautiful nature around. The 'boteh' (flower) or 'ambia' (mango) motifs are the most favored one of the Kashmir designers. The colors used are those of the flowers of the valley. An emphasis on pastel shades on a white background is always preferred.

Fine embroidery work is done in shades discreetly blending with the background shades. Looking beyond their own liking and preferences, the craftsmen very often use bright and dark shades both as a background and as embroidery colors. Very few stitches are used. Sometimes the entire scarf is embroidered in one single stitch. Very seldom one finds a combination of more than two embroidery styles on one object. The stitches are so typical of the region that they are frequently termed as the 'Kashmiri Stitch'. Kashmiri embroidery is therefore remarkable for the skilled execution of a single stitch rather than the elaborate quality of the stitch itself. Chain stitch, satin stitch, the slanted darn stitch, stem, herringbone or sometimes the 'doori' or knot stitches are used. The excellence of the needlework is most remarkable in the creation of a 'dorukha' or a double-sided scraf. In this scarf, there is no right and wrong side. The same design is produced in different colors on both sides.

Indian Textiles - Traditions & Styles

India has a diverse and prosperous textile tradition. The foundation of Indian textiles can be traced to the Indus Valley civilization. The people used homespun cotton for weaving their garments. Rigveda, the earliest of the Veda contains the literary information about textiles and it refers to weaving. Ramayana and Mahabharata, the eminent Indian epics depict the existence of wide variety of fabrics in ancient India. These epics refer both to rich and stylized garment worn by the aristocrats and ordinary simple clothes worn by the common people. Indian silk was popular in Rome in the early centuries of the Christian era. Cotton textile belonging to Gujarat has been found in the Egyptian tombs at Fostat, belonging to 5the century AD. India has a wide range of textiles manufactured by many techniques when compared to other countries in the world. The styles are different in different regions. The diverse geography of India as well as the various cultures introduced from the outside has influenced the growth of a number of textile weaves. The contemporary Indian textile not only reflects the splendid past but also cater to the requirements of the modern times. The rich tradition of textile in India has been favored by a number of factors like easy availability of abundant raw materials like cotton, wool, silk and jute, Widely prevalent social customs, distinct geographic and climatic conditions etc.

Each and every region of India contributes in creating a myriad of textile tradition. The hilly region of the country produces a rich variety of woolen textiles. The pashmina and shahtoosh shawls of Kashmir, shawls and woolen garments of Himachal Pradesh and other north eastern states provides excellent examples of world famous woolen Indian textiles. The barren and semi barren regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat usually prefers embroidered bright colored textiles. The coastal areas of the south eastern regions prefer light colored fabrics and particularly cotton and silk textiles are very popular over here. The home furnishing utilitarian textile products like bedspreads and sheets, pillows and cushions, linens and mats, curtains and napkins, carpets and rugs and many such other items are produced by all parts of the country.

Women Top Shirt Blouse Cotton Fabric Casual Clothes

Womens Tank Tops from Fashions is blissfully comfortable for summer. These chikan embroidered tops for women are made in extremely light cotton fabric. You feel almost no weight of these tops. The special style embroidery on these tops is called 'chikan', developed in the 16th century in the courts of muslim kings in north India. The popularity of Chikan embroidered tops never seems to wane. Wear these tops outdoors in summer and you can relax in total comfort. They go well with trousers as well as skirts.

Chikan Embroidery has patterns of different designs stitched using untwisted white cotton or silk (or rayon) threads on the surface of the fabric. In Chikan work, there is a fixed repertoire of stitches and it is usual for several types of stitches to appear on the same piece of embroidery. The different types of Chikan work done today are Taipchi, Bakhia, Phunda, Murri, Jaali, Hathkati, Pechni, Ghas Patti, Chaana Patti etc. Chikan embroidery is a very laborious and time consuming task.

Fabric used is light weight hand-loom woven cotton. Hand block print in natural dyes in shades of maroon, blue or green makes you feel close to nature. Sometimes these tops are also hand embroidered which adds to charm of top shirt. Wear these as casual dress outdoors in summer. They not only look elegant under sun, they are comfortable too since they help soak any kind of sweat you may have. Besides they are airy and breathe easily.

Unique Keychain in Silver & Gemstones

Key rings or keychain is a small chain, usually made from metal , plastic and silver that connects a small item to a keyring. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or both ends the ability to rotate, keeping the keychain from becoming twisted, while the item is being used.

Silver key chain that gives you security along with fashionable look. A very interesting collection of silver keychains for a woman's household keys. They have hooks to hang from the dress at the waist and a key ring for the keys. An ornate design covers the keys so that they are not visible and what is seen is an elegant artistically designed trinket of utmost utility. Check out the beautiful gemstone keychains available in a variety of shades and designs. Very affordable prices, and great value for money, you can experience the elation of being singled out for your distinctive, sophisticated taste and style.