Chikankari work.......at once simple & beautiful!!!!!

Chikan cloth is something most of us women folk, have either bought or have lusted after at some point of time or the other. While wondering why such material is so exorbiantly priced, I just spoke to some of the people who actually work on it & the embroidery process they described truly amazed me.

Chikankari work is a fine & intricate kind of mesh embroidery that originated & is traditionally done even now in Lucknow, thus also being known as 'Lucknowi work'. Its origins are unclear but it is believed to be  introduced by Nur Jehan, Mughal emperor Jahangir's wife who was inspired by Turkish embroidery.

It began as a form of embroidery done using white threads on semi-transparent muslin cloth (also called tanzeb) but is now done on a variety of fabrics in different colours. The exquisitness of Chikan fabric is enhanced when it is embroidered with different embellishments like sequins & beads making it an apt choice for grand occasions.

The making of the fabric usually involves block-printing a pattern on large pieces of fabric after which the embroiderer then stitches onto this pattern. The finished piece is then carefully washed to remove all traces of the printed pattern & the cloth material is ready to be used. Although this process might seem pretty simple, it is actually quite time consuming & inorder to make each piece different, the embroiderer usually makes use of different threads of varying thickness with different stitches ultimately resulting in a fabric that gives a very lacy effect (jali), which is the most striking feature of  the work The patterns used are flowing & includes tiny floral motifs & other designs covering just a part of the fabric or all of it.

Although the embroidered cloth might look very simple & beautiful, the intricacy involved & time taken, makes buying it extremely worthwhile enabling us to appreciate such a traditional dying craft which beats factory made, mass-produced goods anytime!!!!

Kantha embroidery....the simplest of stitch used to create the most complex of designs!!!!

In sewing, the first thing that we learn from our elders, is the 'running stitch' used when we have to darn or mend clothes. It is a common form of embroidery in Bangladesh & India in every household. Although I have been using this stitch for years to sew clothes, I was'nt aware that the very plain & insipid running stitch could be used to create such beautiful patterns, called as Kantha embroidery. Just goes to show my ignorance but one I am more than happy to admit!!!!

Any cloth/ garment can be embellished with kantha stitch/ embroidery since it is the most simplest of stitches in the language of embroidery. The way in which the stitch is filled inside a design in different arrangements, forms the complex vocabulary of kantha. It can enhance the most simplest of sarees or cloth materials.

It is said to have originated in the early 1800's & is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kontha' meaning rags probably originating from the legend of Lord Buddha & his disciples who used hand stitched, discarded rags to cover themselves!!!  The traditional seat of kantha embroidery was Bengal (Shantiniketan) where Bengali housewives used the colourful saree threads from the borders to mend old clothes. Gradually with experimentation, they began to hand embroider sarees & use the cloth material as a canvas to try out different patterns as a means of self expression. The patterns can also be machine stitched but the beauty of it is in its imperfections that can only be revealed by hand stitching the cloth.

Different motifs of sceneries, geometrical patterns & designs can be created with this stitch. It is also used with sequins & beads to create applique work & different accessories, thereby increasing the variety of its application. There are about 7 known types of kantha work & although it is a time consuming process, it is an immensely creative & satisfying activity!!!