Dropping in to say thanks!

Hello everyone:

I just wanted to say thanks to all the readers who sent me e-mails last week requesting the Kasuti design. For one, it was nice to know that there were quite a few people interested in it. And second, it was really nice to read those encouraging and thoughtful e-mails. Thanks for taking the time!

I am currently working on a sewing project for (and with) my son!! I will post it on the blog in a few days.

Regards,

Sukanya

Embroidered Wall Hanging.

Hello everyone,

Today at Eager Needler, it is an embroidered wall hanging of a Kasuti design. I recently came across a treasure!! A silk sari with a myriad of Kasuti designs :). The designs on that sari are really beautiful and some of them are quite complex. So, I spent the last few days in trying to transfer some of those designs on to a graph paper. But I did not get very far as I got sidetracked into making a embroidered wall hanging. And for it, I chose a design that I really liked and thought was quite different.

I embroidered this design on Aida fabric. Aida is a cotton fabric made for counted thread work and it works great for Kasuti. The other reason for choosing Aida was for its stiffness which made framing a little easy. I used two strands of thread throughout in plum and green colors. I made some modification to the original design. I have filled some of the octagonal shapes with cross stitch, also known as Menthi. This stitch does not appear the same on both sides. The main stitch is of course the 'double running stitch', also called 'Holbein stitch', also called 'Gavanthi'.

Initially I did not have the border. But when I framed it, there was a lot more fabric visible than I wanted. So I added a simple border and tried to tie it in with the main design. The finished design measures about 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches. So I chose a 8 x 10 frame and used the entire area.

Overall, I really enjoyed this 'mini' project for the home. It took me a few sittings in front of the TV to complete it :). The design is not difficult, just takes time and patience.

And finally, if you like the design, send me an email at eagerneedler@gmail.com and I will be happy to share the design with you along with some brief instructions. If you have tried some simple Kasuti designs before, then this should be simple enough!

Happy embroidering!

Till the next post,

Sukanya

Samples from the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto.

Hello everyone:

My recent discovery in Embroidery has been the Textile Museum of Canada. This museum has a huge collection of historic Embroidery from all over the world including India and it is among the best I have seen so far. Their website with the high level of zoom-in capability on pictures is simply amazing! Do check it out. Meanwhile, here is a glimpse from their Indian Embroidery section.

Copyright Warning: The pictures below were obtained from the museum directly and posted with permission from the Museum. You can link to this page but do not copy or post these pictures elsewhere.

A boy's jacket dated back to the 20th century. It is an example of the work done by the Ahir community from Gujarat, India. The embroidery is done using shishas (mirrors) and arhi work (chain stitch using the tambour needle). Brilliant piece, isn't it? I could stare at the embroidery all day!!

This is the back of the jacket.

This piece of wall hanging is also dated to the 20th century. It is an example of the work done by the Mochi community from Gujarat, India.

The embroidery is 'all over chain stitch' using the arhi (tambour needle). Very different palette of colors and finer work. I would love to have something like this on my wall.

You know, I used to live in Detroit for a few years and Toronto was an easy drive from there. I wish I had known about the museum at that time. Well, perhaps another time. Do we have any readers from Toronto or the Midwest??

Sukanya