Rajasthan as its name signifies, was a conglomeration of princely states. They were of all shapes and sizes, wielding varying degrees of power and enjoying wealth and prestige according to their size and martial prowess. Whatever their wealth or size, however, one characteristic was shared by all. The rulers were invariably patrons of the arts. The traditional Rajasthani Embroidery work was done on cotton, silk or velvet with a variety of fine stitches. The common people of Rajasthan beautified their clothes and articles of every day use with Rajasthani embroidery that used simple embroidery stitches and motifs derived from nature and objects familiar to them in their day to day living. The tradition has continued. In Bikaner District of Rajasthan, women embroider their garments by counting threads and building up the pattern by following the wrap and weft thus producing geometrical patterns. By using a double running stitch the pattern appears the same on both sides making the gar...
Kantha is a type of embroidery crafts in the Eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, specially in Bangladesh and in the Indian States of West Bengal, Tripura and Odisha. In Odisha, old saris are stacked on each other and hand stitched to make a thin piece of cushion. This is normally used above a bed cushion or instead of a cushion.Kantha saris are traditionally worn by women in Bengal region of the Indian Subcontinent. Kantha stitching is also used to make simple quilts, commonly known as Nakshi Kantha. Women in Bengal typically use old saris and cloth and layer them with Kantha stitching to make a light blanket, throw, or bedspread, especially for children.Kantha is very popular with tourists visiting the Bengal region of Indian subcontinent. Weave Kantha is a form of embroidery often practised by rural women. The traditional form of Kantha embroidery was done with soft dhotis and saris, with a simple running stitch along the edges. Depending on the use of the finished pro...