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Stitch And Crewel Furnishings
Chain Stitch And Crewel Furnishings
Because of the high quality of embroidery done on wall hangings and rugs, Kashmiri
crewel-work is in great demand throughout the world. Chain stitch, be it in wool,
silk or cotton, is done by hook rather than by needle. The hook is referred to
as aari, and while maintaining the same quality, hook work covers a much larger
area than needle work in the same amount of time.
All the embroidery is executed on white cotton fabric, pre-shrunk by the manufacturers.
The intrinsic worth of each piece lies in the sizes of the stitches and the yarn
used.
Tiny stitches are used to cover the entire area - the figures or motifs are worked
in striking colours; the background in a single colour, made up of a series of
coin sized concentric circles which impart dynamism and a sense of movement to
the design. Stitches ought to be small, even sized and neat. The background fabric
should not be visible through the stitches.
Crewel is basically similar to chain stitch. It is also chain stitch done on white
background, but here the motifs, mainly stylised flowers, do not cover the entire
surface, and the background is not embroidered upon.
Wool is almost invariably used in crewel-work and colour schemes are not as elaborate
as in chain stitch. This fabric is available in bolts, and is sold by the length.
They make excellent household furnishings, being washable both by hand or machine.
