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 to Jammu 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.
Hashidar-even narrower-having a 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.