BENGAL KANTHA: The kantha embroidered quilts of Bengal are a lesson in thrift and skilled craftsmanship. Discarded sarees are placed, one on top of the other to the required thickness, the ends being folded in and held in place by simple running stitches. The design is then traced on the surface and the entire field filled in with fine quilting work in white thread. Coloured threads drawn from the old sarees are then used to work the design. The patterns which include elaborate illustrations of epic and folk stories and religious motifs are worked in stem and split stitches. Kantha embroidered quilts are used as protection against the mild Bengal winter, as spreads on ceremonial occasions and as wraps for precious possessions.
MEO EMBROIDERY OF RAJASTHAN: The Meos are cultivators of land in Alwar district of Rajasthan. The women wear an elaborately embroidered ghagra (skirt) and odhani (wrap). The needlework, done in chain stitch against bright red cotton fabric, produces rich effects through clever use of contrasting colours. The main thread colour is golden yellow which forms the background for the actual motifs, which are boldly worked out in black and white. Panels of geometric designs and swirling lines are inter spread with blossoming trees and strutting peacocks.
PIPLI WORK OF ORISSA: Puri in Orissa is famous for appliqué work. Here all the items are in the large category like umbrellas, canopies and tents. The craft evolved around the renowned Puri temple, its many festivals and vast crowds. The method used is to cut out small patterns in bright colours and sew them against a plain white background to produce large designs. Nowadays smaller versions of these items are being adapted to modern use like garden umbrellas, canopies for festivities and large tents for public gatherings.
APPLIQUÉ WORK OF TAMIL NADU: (Thombai) There is a great tradition of unique type of appliqué work in Tamil Nadu. It is for decorating temples with hangings, smaller sizes being especially used in temple chariots when the deity is taken out in procession. Some are flat pieces hung behind the image as a backdrop, others are long and tubular in shape and they hang by the side of the image, like colourful pillars. To brighten the effect, pieces of felt in muted colours are used for applying along with strong dark shades. The total effect is superb. The entire picture is of a mellow composition with very suggestive figures which heighten both the power and the subtlety of the composition.
HEER BHARAT: The ‘heer bharat’ embroidery of Saurashtra in Gujarat derives its name from ‘heer’, the floss silk thread used in the craft. Long stitches cover the surface of the fabric to produce a silken sheen reminiscent of Phulkari of Punjab. Square, triangle and rectangle are juxtaposed to create kaleidoscopic designs. The centre of a motif is often picked up by an ‘abhla’ or mirror. On a background of deep blue, the needle craft is worked out in crimson.
KUTCHI BHARAT: It is a highly sophisticated style of embroidery, originally worked by men for use in the Bhirg Court of Gujarat. Nowadays, a less refined version of the craft is practiced by the women of the ‘Ahirs’ or farmers. The embroidery is prepared with an ‘arhi’ or hook, with the thread being introduced from below the fabric. The bold motifs of alternating peaches and flowering trees are worked out in chain stitch on brightly coloured ghagras (skirts) and cholis (blouses).
MOTI BHARAT: Saurashtra in Gujarat is well known for its bead embroidery of ‘moti bharat’. The amazing fact about these bead creations is that the beads are not sewn against any background of cloth. Using needle and thread and a variety of coloured beads of uniform size, intricate designs are woven creating a solid surface. The background is generally white, against which are worked the multi-coloured motifs. Here one can see a caparisoned elephant, a camel with its snooty nose in the air or peacocks strutting about in proud plumage.
