KASHIDAKARI AND

SOZNI
BY :ANSHU SWETA
HARLEEN KAUR
RITU ARYA

KASHIDAKARI
Kashmiri embroidery or

kashida is as colorful and

as beautiful as Kashmir
itself..
Kashidakari is a style of
embroidery native
toJammu and Kashmir.
This art form reflects the
scenic and natural
beauty of the state.

STITCHES USED
This embroidery uses various styles of

stitches like
darning stitch,
chain stitch and
the buttonhole stitch.

The chain stitch, be it is in wool, silk or cotton,

is done by hook rather than any needle. The

hook is referred to as Ari.
. All the embroidery is executed on white

cotton fabric, pre-shrinked by the

manufacturers. The intrinsic worth of each
piece lies in the size of the stitches and the
yarn used.

Tiny stitches are used to cover the entire area the

figures or motifs are worked in striking colors;

the background in a single color, made up of a

series of coin sized concentric circles which impact

dynamism and a sense of movement to a design.

Crewel is basically similar to chain stitch. Its also

Chain stitch done on white background, but here

the motifs, mainly stylish flowers, do not cover the
entire surface, and the background is not
embroidered upon.

Inspiration
Embroiders often draw inspiration from the
beautiful nature around.
The craftsmen draw inspiration from the landscape and

the embroidery is renowned for its beauty and richness.

The main patterns in this region are chinar leaves,

. cypress cones, the lotus and almonds.

MOTIFS
The colors the motifs of flowers, creepers and

chinar leaves, mango etc. are the most

common ones.

Fabrics used
The commonly used fabrics are wool, tussah,

pashmeena (wool derived from the

Pashmeena goat), ruffle silk and cotton
textiles.
An array of colors, which range from the

darker shades to the lighter ones, is used in

this work.

products
Kashmir is known internationally for its style of

embroidery which is found on garments like the

phiran, tapestry, curtains, shawls and household
linen.
Kashida in a plethora of mesmerising designs on

chignons , crepes , silk and georgettes for suits ,

sarees , dupattas and kurtis for the woman of
today .And an exotic collection of kurtas and
sherwanis for the men.

ARI AND CREWEL WORK

the thread is passed through the ari, hooked

needle, and is always held under the fabric to be

embroidered and the hok is used to pull a series of
loops, each emerging from within the previous, to
the surface of the fabric.
two versions of this technique,the first is used to

embroider on thin fabrics such as silk and fine

cotton cloth, used as stoles and shawls or made
into pheran, which is a loose over-garment, kurta
and capes

 Crewel work, although similar, uses a thicker

ari and is normally done on unbleached fabric;

its stitches are bolder and it is used for
embellishing yardages used as upholstery and
drapery.
both cases, the patterns are usually linear

abstractions of the local flora, with the outlines

worked first and the embroiderers are usually
men from the Sunni Muslim Community.

Ari work

Crewel work

Crewel work

TILLA AND DORI WORK

These embroidery techniques are executed

with gold or silver zari (tilla) or silk (dori)

thread, and are used to embellish pherans,
saris and shawls.
The decorative wire remains only on the

surface while and additional thin cotton thread

of yellow or white is stitched on top of it,
thereby securing it by couching.

 Of the needlework in silver and metallic thread

there are two variations - moraskar (knot stitch),

zalakadosi (chain stitch executed in silver or
metallic thread) - which are used on the borders
of shawls and choga, royal gown, to create a
raised or braided effect
The most commonly used motifs are the

pamposh (lotus), chinar, badam (almond) .

dacch gurn (grape leaf) and duin (the flower of
the chinar tree).

Tilla work

Dori work

SOZNI
Sozni is a form of extremely fine and delicate

needlework done primarily on shawls - mainly

pashmina and high quality raffal.
Designs are created as close as possible

against the ground, and individual threads of

the warp are taken up in the stitching and
reinforced with smaller stitches.

types
Jamwara- an all over design entire surface is

covered with embroidery

Jalidar- an all over design wherein the entire
surface is not covered. the design simply grows
like a net
Khatraash-any kind of lines, diagonal or
vertical, in the shawl body
Dordar khurd- a broad border on the 2 ends of
the shawl, with the minimum width of 3 inches.
This is the broadest border to be found on the
shawls.
Meemdor- a slightly narrower border around 2
inches in width.

Beldar-This is a narrower border minimum

width is about one centimeter.
Bootidar- any shawl with bootis on the
ground.
Babbar-when there are checks in the weave
of the cloth.
Chaarbadaam-4 paisleys on the four corners
of the shawl.
Atthara bootis-18 motifs within the ground
of
the shawl. narrower-having a
Hashidar-even
minimum width of about 1 inch.

The stitch employed is not unlike stem stitch,

and only the outline of the design is

embroidered. Only a single strand is used and
consequently, in skillfully executed sozni, the
motif appears on both sides of the shawl.

REZKAR
This is a form of needle embroidery similar in

technique to sozni; the difference lies in its longer

stitches and in that these are not reinforced with
additional stitches.
Three or four strands of staple yarn are employed

and the fabric used for this ranges from raffal to

cotton cloth.
Rezkar is done on products such as shawls,

garments, table covers, and household linen.