Shisha( Mirror) Work-1

INTRODUCTION

Shisha is a Persian word later on adopted by Hindi or Urdu languages. the word "Shisha" means glass and mirror. Shisha work or embroidery using mirrors is perhaps unique to India (Indian sub continent). It is said that this type of embroidery was introduced by the Mughal from Persia when they occupied Indian sub continent.

Where the Royalty and rich had gold, silver and precious gems to add richness and glitter to their clothes, the common folk used mirrors or shisha for adorning their cloths. They were affordable, easy to stitch on to the clothes, shimmered like stars in the sky and added beauty to their clothes. It was also believed that the light reflected by Shisha would ward of evil spirits. So, Shisha Work was the forte of Folk Embroideries of India, practised by the Banjaras(Gypsies of India). The embroideries from Gujarath and Rajasthan use this work.

At first pieces of mica were used. Later on glass was blown into a globe like shape and broken to get the pieces. These pieces which were uneven and had slight curvatures were used. Now pieces of mirrors perfectly cut on machines in various shapes are used.

The Shisha work slowly made its way on to the blouses, kurthas (tunics), lehenga (long skirts), saris, worn by girls and young women and also on bags, purses, cushion covers etc.  Actually the skirts of Banjara women and women from Gujarath and Rajasthan and also their blouses have heavily embroidered Shisha work. But this was scaled down to suit the modern needs and was a huge hit in early 70s to 80s. Even today this embroidery is well appreciated.

Shisha Work in combination with Kutch Work or appliqué work was quite popular in India. In the present times, with the growing appreciation for ethnic art, hand made goods, embroideries of India have again caught the eyes of the fashion designers as well the end users. Today instead of glass mirrors, paillettes are being used, which are light weight. 

So here is my attempt to bring out a series of posts on Shisha work and the stitches used in it some of which I have learnt from my family, friends and some of my own experiments. I promised to do these tutorials for my very dearest friend Dee a long time back but somehow could not. These posts are dedicated to Dee 

I will also try to post some patterns and my sampler as I make it.

Just keep a watch......

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Friday-Free Patterns

This weeks pattern:

This again is a motif for crewel work. Crewel work in India is known as Aari work-the chain stitch embroidery done with a hook known as Aari. In this type of embroidery, mostly wool is used (in Kashmir) and silk or cotton threads in other places. It can also be done by ordinary needle but the stitch with Aari is more fine and beautiful.

The above motif is inspired by the designs from Kashmir. 

Satin Stitch and Running Stitch or Kanta Stitch Herring Bone Stitch, French Knots can also be used.

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Gopuram Stitch Update-Part III

My previous posts on this topic are here:

http://summersofindia.blogspot.com/search/label/Gopuram%20Stitch

I wanted to explore the stitch further, but don't feel up to it. I have many ideas for this stitch  but don't have the strength to execute them. Any way here is one I have tried out so far.

It is a four petalled flower. Watch out for more updates......

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Friday-Free Patterns

Here is this weeks pattern:

This design I created for Crewel Work. I could not start the project, as I do not know where I can get the wool yarn in India. May be I will some time.

Chain Stitch, Satin Stitch or Long and Short Stitch along with Stem or out line Stitch can be used for this motif.

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Bead and Cowrie Embroidery

This is my niece's skirt:

This is known as Lehenga. It is full length, A line, made of Blue coloured Cheese Cotton cloth which has been treated with acid wash.

It has red coloured poplin piping at the bottom and also at the waist. A strip of cotton zari border in red colour has been stitched in V shape at the top and at the bottom to add a bit of sparkle.

The embroidery is entirely of chain stitch with black black and red Neem Zari thread. That is the cotton thread which has zari (gold) thread in it. Sequins, white seed beads and cut glass beads, kaudi(cowrie) shells have also been used.

This is the back side.

This is the blouse. Here paillettes with holes have been used. You can also see drop shaped plastic beads in white colour.

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Friday-Free Patterns

Here is this weeks pattern:

This is good for mirror work and bead work, other hand embroideries and fabric painting. Satin Stitch, Stem Stitch, Chain Stitch, Herringbone Stitch and French Knots can be used for this embroidery. Would look great on scarves, saris, blouses, tunics etc.

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Gopuram Stitch Tutorials-Part II

My first part was only the basics. My grand mother taught me these flowers. If I remember correctly, these flowers were stitched with a white thread (coarse cotton yarns) on her velvet blouses usually of dark colours. The flowers had 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 petals with a mirror in the center or sometimes a chain stitch  or French knots or satin stitch in the center of the flower. These were used as motifs on the back, around the neck and hem of the sleeves. They were also worked on pillow covers(minus the mirrors) and cloth bags, door curtains etc.

 I learnt them from her much later. Here are some samples I worked out:

3 petalled flower 

7 petalled flower

Here I have anchored the last stitch with French knots and bullion stitch. Sorry my bullion stitch are not state of art work especially when I am working with wide eyed needles :) :).

Some more patterns I have worked for my sampler.

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Gopuram Stitch Tutorials

Friends, I was going through some of my very old doodling clothes on which I used to practise my embroidery stitches learnt from various sources and came across this stitch.


I have learnt many from my maternal Grandma. In her childhood she studied in a school run by nuns. Such schools were called as Convents by the local people. My Gran was very proud of having studied there. Her English was impeccable. Well she learnt embroidery, crochet, sewing etc in her school. She had a very good knowledge of embroidery stitches not only the Indian ones but also those from across the world.We grand children used to sit with her and talk about her school days. We also used to learn embroidery and crochet from her. She had good memory and even after 70 years or so, she could tell us the name of the stitch both in English and local language. But alas at that time I never bothered to note down those names. 


Here is one of the stitches I learned from her. She named it as Gopuram Stitch. Gopuram means Temple dome. She was not sure from where she learned this nor the name of the stitch. When she taught me I remarked that this stitch reminded me of a temple dome-so we named it as Gopuram stitch. We used to (re)name many stitches to remember them easily--:)...:)...

If any one knows about the origin or name or any other information about this stitch, please let me know. I have not come across any similar stitch so far. Though it looks like an inverted Feather Stitch.

I have tried to put it down properly for you as tutorials:


The stitch belongs to Chain Stitch or Looped Stitches family. It can be stitched on any fabric-that is this is not a counted thread stitch.


STEP-1

Fig-1

This is how the stitch goes. I have marked the points for illustrative purpose. When we actually stitch we need no marking.

STEP-2

Fig-2

Bring out the needle up through the fabric from underside at point 'A'.

STEP-3 

Fig-3

STEP-4

Fig-4

Now insert the needle  at 'B' a little away from 'A',  going under the fabric and come out at 'C'. Loop the thread from left to right from under the needle forming a loop. Now pull the needle to get the first stitch or loop.

This is almost like a chain stitch, except that that in chain stitch we insert needle at A where as here we leave some space in between. 

STEP-5

Fig-5

STEP-6  
Similarly make another loop from 'F' to 'G'. 

Fig-6

Now again make a loop by entering at 'D'  a little away from 'B' and coming out at 'E'.


STEP-Final

Anchor with a little straight stitch at 'H'. We have completed the basic part of the stitch. it should look like this one as shown below.

Fig-7

SOME TIPS:

The points A, B, D and F should be equidistant from each other. I have put more space between points, A,B,D and F (Fig-6)so that the stitch is clear to you. 


Similarly points C, E, G and H should also be equidistant from each other. 


Also notice that point 'C' should be a little to the right of A and so on and not mid point of A and B. That is the original stitch taught to me (a part of it). 


Actually there is more to the stitch I learnt. I will be posting it in my next post.


Here I have tried to vary the stitch for my sampler. 

Fig-8

In the stitch at 4, I have placed points C, E, G and H as mid point of A-B, A-D and so on. In 5, I have placed them to (almost) right side.

Fig-9

I have used beads (2) and cut glass beads (3). In 4 above I have anchored the stitch with a chain stitch.

Fig-10

Here the stitches shown at 1,2 and 3 are not correct. I was just practising on a doodle cloth before I got it correct at 4. See 8 and 9, I was trying to build up a pattern.




BEST SUITED FOR:


As a border around the necks, sleeves and hems of blouses, kurtis or tunics, skirts for decorating CQ blocks and on pillows, cushion covers, saris etc.


I am still practising the stitch and trying to build up a sampler. The best part is yet to come. So watch out for more...


Practise the stitch and please do mail me your innovations with the stitch so that we all can share them...

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Friday-Free Patterns

Here is this weeks pattern:

This motif is for gold work or Zardosi work, Antique work, Kundan work or combination of all these and also for Satin stitch, Chain stitch etc.

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Learning Banjara embroidery

Hi guys. I am recovering my strength slowly. So I have started slowly going through my stash of paper cuttings, books, craft supplies and what not. There is a lot to go through, organise, classify and properly store them. You know every time I start doing that, after some time, I pick up some paper cuttings or a book and start leafing though them. I become engrossed in them so much that I forget what I am doing...:). It happens every time no matter how strict I try to be. So I never ever finish sorting them. That is a real problem.

Oh I am learning Banjara(Gypsy) Embroidery. Well I am very excited about it. But need to work a lot on that first

I have to work on my jewellery too as I have lots to do. Some coloured seed beads here:

Such beautiful colours . These beads are available in many colours. The cut ones are costly but look very beautiful as they reflect light and hence shine. But stringing them is quite  different matter. I have many projects were I have readied my design and bought every thing required, but need to work on them. Let us see....

I have bought some very beautiful pendants along with Meenakari and some ceramic beads.   ...So watch out for more on these things and may more.....

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Embroidered Butees-12

I promised my sis that I would work on one of her saris and design something new. It is a double shaded sari in shimmer. I don't have its photo. It is a mixture of purple and gold I think. I completely forgot about it as I had packed all my stash and fabrics, saris, dresses I wanted to work on and those I was working on as I had to take care of my mother after her eye surgery and also for the past six months I had so much going on on my work front.

Well, I am going through my things and trying to organise them into some sort of order. I came across these embroidered butees that bought for my sis's sari. 

You can see the silk thread and gold work-using gold threads. These butees which are now in market are different from the previous ones, I have posted. These have stones.That makes these patches more bright. I have chosen patches with less stones. Some of them have more stones, so many that they look like jewels.

The above is the lotus shaped patch.

Here you can see more stones. Only white stones are being used in these patches. I have gone through many patches with different colour combinations, but all have white stones. I picked this colour because it suited my sis's sari.

These patches are quite costly-more stones, more costly. I was the first one to pick these up, when they were received as samples. So I had very few patches to choose from considering the design, colour and budget. 

What do you think of them?

Well I need to attach them to my sis's sari. I also have some of my own which need to be completed. But I am still not feeling well and need lot of rest to get back my energy to do all these. So many ideas cross my mind for creating and experimenting new things. But then I don't have much strength to try out them. With Diwali first approaching, I have my hands full.....

I have also created so many Rangolis for Diwali. I need to pen them properly before posting them.

So keep a watch on my blog.....

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Satin Stitch On Yellow Sari-II

Here are some more photos of the sari.

One of the motifs at the bottom edge of the sari.

These flower motifs in blue and orange are scattered all over the sari. They have also been embroidered  on pallu between the vines of floral motifs as you can see below.

Here is a look at pallu where the embroidery is heavy.

Another look at pallu

See the edge of pallu is scalloped and embroidered.

Keep a watch on my blog.

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Satin Stitch On Yellow Sari-I

Here is another cotton sari from Bengal. Again it is fine cotton, looks like Organza and  lemon yellow in colour. It has floral vines and floral motifs embroidered in Satin Stitch and stem stitch. I love the way the artisans have embroidered it. 

Here are some shots of it.

This is as border on the bottom edge of the sari. The motifs are through out the edge. I loved the combination of shaded orange, leaf green and shaded blue coloured threads. The back ground being lemon yellow it is looking very bright and sunny.

The threads are coarse cotton and stranded. They seem to  be hand dyed and all the six strands have been used.

Here is a closer look at one of the the motif-or rather part of it.

Here is the pallu where the embroidery is a bit heavy.

Here is a closer  look at one of the motives.

A closer look at the embroidery.

More to come in my next post....So watch out.....

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