CASTING A FINE NET
The jaali or openwork stitchery, the highlight of chikankari embroidery, infuses garments with elegance, delicacy and beauty.
“The jaali brings beauty and delicacy to a chikankari garment. Jaali patterns create a gossamer look, a lovely texture and allow a garment to breathe as air moves through the lattice-like motifs”, says Malavika Chatterjee, a designer working with chikankari artisans for over twenty years. The term jaali refers specifically to the openwork patterns of chikankari that is an embroidery technique comprising varied stitches. Chikankari was traditionally rendered with white thread on white cotton fabric as summer wear that took root and evolved in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, India.
Jaali patterns are believed to have been inspired by the jaali or fretted screens seen in windows/openings and indoor panels of traditional Indian architecture that brought in air, reduced the glare of the searing summer sun and offered privacy. The delicacy jaali stitches bring to garments is also regarded as a reflection of the genteel culture of the Lucknow. And even today, over two centuries since the embroidery style emerged in Lucknow, the jaali remains the hallmark of the finest chikankari embroideries.
Images Courtesy of Malavika Chatterjee
Summer Wear
Since its beginnings, chikankari has an been ideal and elegant summer wear. It was originally worked with white threads on fine white cotton fabric that was hand-woven with hand-spun yarns giving it a distinct lightness. The rendering of fine stitches on very fine cotton makes the embroidery appear as if part of the fabric gives it both beauty and lightness.
Chikankari is in fact a seamless amalgam of processes spanning hand-crafted blocks for stamping patterns on cloth; artistic compositions of placement (printing) of different blocks (motifs) on a garment; and embroidery that is worked by judiciously selecting stitches (to create a harmonious and ethereal effect) to work the composition. Traditionally the garments were hand-stitched with fine stitches adding another delicate facet to them.
A Repertoire of Stitches
Though chikankari was traditionally rendered with a colour palette of only white (that is white cotton thread embroidery on fine white cotton fabric), each garment was a work of art as artisans worked a variety of stitches to bring motifs alive. “There were once over forty stitches in chikankari embroidery. Cloth was embroidered with motifs worked with different stitches and these embroidered panels were hand-sewed with fine stitches to create the most elegant attire”.
The repertoire of chikankari stitches include those that are worked on the surface of the fabric; on the reverse of the fabric; and the jaali is worked by separating the weft and warp yarns of weave of the fabric itself and then stitching a couple of the yarns together, with minute stitches, to create a tiny opening and then repeating the process to create a spread of openings. Chikankari stitches include the running stitch, a variation of the running stitch as the thread returns to wrap each stitch, stem stitch, chain stitch, tiny buttonhole stitch, herringbone stitch worked from the reverse, minute satin stitch, the jaali and appliqué work. Of all the stitches, the jaali remains the most exquisite for its delicacy.
Images Courtesy of Malavika Chatterjee
Teasing Warp and Weft
In some textile techniques, a net-like effect is created by carefully removing alternating warp and/or weft yarns to create a mesh-like effect. In this case, (that is when warp and/weft yarns of the ground fabric are removed to create a net effect) the resulting effect is linear. However, in chikankari no yarns of the ground fabric are removed to create the jaali or net-like effect. Instead the yarns (of the ground fabric) are deftly moved very slightly by the tip of the needle and tiny stitches worked to bring a few yarns together (by counting them) to create a tiny gap. The process is repeated resulting in a net-like effect.
The openings may be round or square, and it is their fineness, evenness and spread that conveys the artistry of the work/skill of the artisan. Jaalis may be worked from the front or reverse of the cloth. By the nature of this technique, the work can take on a curvilinear effect when motifs with flowing/ curved outlines are filled with jaali work.
The jaali is worked as a single line to mark the edges of/define a pattern and within a motif (when a particular feature such as the main vein of a leaf is to be highlighted) as well as to fill motifs. For the latter, the jaali is worked as fillers in motifs such as filling petals of flowers, leaves and fruits, motifs like the paisley. In some chikankari embroidery, all the petals of a flower are worked in jaali, and at times different types of jaali are used in different petals for an interesting look.
Skill Set
While each chikankari stitch requires attention and skill to work, the jaali is regarded as the most delicate and one that requires the most skill. “The jaali is the classic chikankari stitch. It requires skill to create even a simple jaali. Artisans who do jaali work do not work on other stitches, they only focus on jaali work”.
Even as working on a simple jaali requires effort, artisans have taken the expression forward by creating jaalis with different patterns. This is achieved by creating a net of different shapes of openings such as round or square; different angles of the embroidery stitches that hold the ground yarns; as well as filling the minute openings of the net with thread for added effect!
Alluding to their design, the different jaali patterns have individual names. Malavika says in earlier times there were about fifteen types of jaali. Presently, the artisans she collaborates with can create six types of jaalis. These are Siddhaul jaali (possibly from the name of a place); Katori jaali (small bowl); Bulbul Chashm jaali (the eye of the bulbul bird), Phool jaali (flower), Mandrazi jaali (from Madras/Chennai), and Makda jaali (spider web). In addition, is the Hool, a small stand-alone opening like a single eyelet, considered a type of jaali as the fabric is teased to form an opening. The jaali worked as a single line is called hatkati. Some of the other jaalis are Teela jaali, Kursee jaali, Maahpoosh jaali, Kanghee jaali, Ujadee jaali, Kankauaa jali and Dohree hatkati jaali.
Each jaali has a different technique of working stitches. The fabric is stretched in an embroidery frame for neat, even work. In all the jaalis except makda jaali, the fabric is carefully framed so that the warp and the weft are perpendicular. For the Siddhaul jaali vertical stitches are worked; this is the easiest jaali. For the Katori jaali the thread is worked diagonally. For Bulbul Chashm jaali crossover stitches are worked along the fabric. For the Phool jaali horizontal and crossover stitches are worked; and for the Mandrazi jaali horizontal and vertical stitches are worked.
“For the Makda jaali the fabric is framed diagonally and only diagonal stitches are worked. The Makda jaali is the most difficult as the stitches are worked diagonally to fill motifs that are angled. Thus, the makda jaali is done on the bias. In addition, in the Makda jaali, the embroidery thread that is used to make the jaali is also visible as a fine thread across the opening. This adds to the effect of a delicate spider’s web. This fine work requires immense skill and is the specialty of Makda jaali”.
The artisans have taken the work further that working jaali with kacha tar or untwisted yarn. “Chikankari embroidery was originally worked with kacha tar or untwisted cotton yarn. The earliest chikankari was probably worked by removing yarns from the ground fabric that were untwisted. It is very difficult to embroider with untwisted threads as they are fragile. Yet, the quality of embroidery is superlative. The artisans I work with embroider small sections of jaali work on attire with untwisted threads for added delicacy. As it is time consuming as well as a strain on the eyes we minimize motifs of untwisted thread”.
Bringing in Colour and Different Fabrics
While chikankari was traditionally embroidered with white thread on white cloth, over time artisans have worked the stitches including jaali on coloured cloth with threads of matching colours. “Jaalis can be worked in any colour on any fabric. Apart from working it with threads whose colour matches the ground fabric, it is now also worked with threads of contrasting colours that in turn enhances its look. We have worked jaalis with metallic thread and it adds a new dimension to the embroidery and gives the garment a festive and dressy look. Skilled artisans can work jaali on thicker fabrics, which has seen it appear in winter wear. The jaali worked on any garment it instantly infuses it with beauty and delicacy” says Malavika.
Images Courtesy of Malavika Chatterjee
Twenty years back, Malavika collaborated with an embroiderer to create a kurta completely embroidered with makda jaali. Malavika saw a block with a geometric pattern with the hand-block maker and visualized it coming alive with makda jaali. She designed a kurta with a play of patterns with that block. It took the artisan fourteen months to embroider the kurta and it was an almost light-as-air lace-like garment. “Jaali work is a technique, an art. It has to be worked perfectly otherwise the art will be missing. There is no other stitch that equals its beauty and we are fortunate that there are still artisans who are enthused by it”.
“The jaali brings beauty and delicacy to a chikankari garment. Jaali patterns create a gossamer look, a lovely texture and allow a garment to breathe as air moves through the lattice-like motifs”, says Malavika Chatterjee, a designer working with chikankari artisans for over twenty years. The term jaali refers specifically to the openwork patterns of chikankari that is an embroidery technique comprising varied stitches. Chikankari was traditionally rendered with white thread on white cotton fabric as summer wear that took root and evolved in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, India.
Jaali patterns are believed to have been inspired by the jaali or fretted screens seen in windows/openings and indoor panels of traditional Indian architecture that brought in air, reduced the glare of the searing summer sun and offered privacy. The delicacy jaali stitches bring to garments is also regarded as a reflection of the genteel culture of the Lucknow. And even today, over two centuries since the embroidery style emerged in Lucknow, the jaali remains the hallmark of the finest chikankari embroideries.
Images Courtesy of Malavika Chatterjee
Summer Wear
Since its beginnings, chikankari has an been ideal and elegant summer wear. It was originally worked with white threads on fine white cotton fabric that was hand-woven with hand-spun yarns giving it a distinct lightness. The rendering of fine stitches on very fine cotton makes the embroidery appear as if part of the fabric gives it both beauty and lightness.
Chikankari is in fact a seamless amalgam of processes spanning hand-crafted blocks for stamping patterns on cloth; artistic compositions of placement (printing) of different blocks (motifs) on a garment; and embroidery that is worked by judiciously selecting stitches (to create a harmonious and ethereal effect) to work the composition. Traditionally the garments were hand-stitched with fine stitches adding another delicate facet to them.
A Repertoire of Stitches
Though chikankari was traditionally rendered with a colour palette of only white (that is white cotton thread embroidery on fine white cotton fabric), each garment was a work of art as artisans worked a variety of stitches to bring motifs alive. “There were once over forty stitches in chikankari embroidery. Cloth was embroidered with motifs worked with different stitches and these embroidered panels were hand-sewed with fine stitches to create the most elegant attire”.
The repertoire of chikankari stitches include those that are worked on the surface of the fabric; on the reverse of the fabric; and the jaali is worked by separating the weft and warp yarns of weave of the fabric itself and then stitching a couple of the yarns together, with minute stitches, to create a tiny opening and then repeating the process to create a spread of openings. Chikankari stitches include the running stitch, a variation of the running stitch as the thread returns to wrap each stitch, stem stitch, chain stitch, tiny buttonhole stitch, herringbone stitch worked from the reverse, minute satin stitch, the jaali and appliqué work. Of all the stitches, the jaali remains the most exquisite for its delicacy.
Images Courtesy of Malavika Chatterjee
Teasing Warp and Weft
In some textile techniques, a net-like effect is created by carefully removing alternating warp and/or weft yarns to create a mesh-like effect. In this case, (that is when warp and/weft yarns of the ground fabric are removed to create a net effect) the resulting effect is linear. However, in chikankari no yarns of the ground fabric are removed to create the jaali or net-like effect. Instead the yarns (of the ground fabric) are deftly moved very slightly by the tip of the needle and tiny stitches worked to bring a few yarns together (by counting them) to create a tiny gap. The process is repeated resulting in a net-like effect.
The openings may be round or square, and it is their fineness, evenness and spread that conveys the artistry of the work/skill of the artisan. Jaalis may be worked from the front or reverse of the cloth. By the nature of this technique, the work can take on a curvilinear effect when motifs with flowing/ curved outlines are filled with jaali work.
The jaali is worked as a single line to mark the edges of/define a pattern and within a motif (when a particular feature such as the main vein of a leaf is to be highlighted) as well as to fill motifs. For the latter, the jaali is worked as fillers in motifs such as filling petals of flowers, leaves and fruits, motifs like the paisley. In some chikankari embroidery, all the petals of a flower are worked in jaali, and at times different types of jaali are used in different petals for an interesting look.
Skill Set
While each chikankari stitch requires attention and skill to work, the jaali is regarded as the most delicate and one that requires the most skill. “The jaali is the classic chikankari stitch. It requires skill to create even a simple jaali. Artisans who do jaali work do not work on other stitches, they only focus on jaali work”.
Even as working on a simple jaali requires effort, artisans have taken the expression forward by creating jaalis with different patterns. This is achieved by creating a net of different shapes of openings such as round or square; different angles of the embroidery stitches that hold the ground yarns; as well as filling the minute openings of the net with thread for added effect!
Alluding to their design, the different jaali patterns have individual names. Malavika says in earlier times there were about fifteen types of jaali. Presently, the artisans she collaborates with can create six types of jaalis. These are Siddhaul jaali (possibly from the name of a place); Katori jaali (small bowl); Bulbul Chashm jaali (the eye of the bulbul bird), Phool jaali (flower), Mandrazi jaali (from Madras/Chennai), and Makda jaali (spider web). In addition, is the Hool, a small stand-alone opening like a single eyelet, considered a type of jaali as the fabric is teased to form an opening. The jaali worked as a single line is called hatkati. Some of the other jaalis are Teela jaali, Kursee jaali, Maahpoosh jaali, Kanghee jaali, Ujadee jaali, Kankauaa jali and Dohree hatkati jaali.
Each jaali has a different technique of working stitches. The fabric is stretched in an embroidery frame for neat, even work. In all the jaalis except makda jaali, the fabric is carefully framed so that the warp and the weft are perpendicular. For the Siddhaul jaali vertical stitches are worked; this is the easiest jaali. For the Katori jaali the thread is worked diagonally. For Bulbul Chashm jaali crossover stitches are worked along the fabric. For the Phool jaali horizontal and crossover stitches are worked; and for the Mandrazi jaali horizontal and vertical stitches are worked.
“For the Makda jaali the fabric is framed diagonally and only diagonal stitches are worked. The Makda jaali is the most difficult as the stitches are worked diagonally to fill motifs that are angled. Thus, the makda jaali is done on the bias. In addition, in the Makda jaali, the embroidery thread that is used to make the jaali is also visible as a fine thread across the opening. This adds to the effect of a delicate spider’s web. This fine work requires immense skill and is the specialty of Makda jaali”.
The artisans have taken the work further that working jaali with kacha tar or untwisted yarn. “Chikankari embroidery was originally worked with kacha tar or untwisted cotton yarn. The earliest chikankari was probably worked by removing yarns from the ground fabric that were untwisted. It is very difficult to embroider with untwisted threads as they are fragile. Yet, the quality of embroidery is superlative. The artisans I work with embroider small sections of jaali work on attire with untwisted threads for added delicacy. As it is time consuming as well as a strain on the eyes we minimize motifs of untwisted thread”.
Bringing in Colour and Different Fabrics
While chikankari was traditionally embroidered with white thread on white cloth, over time artisans have worked the stitches including jaali on coloured cloth with threads of matching colours. “Jaalis can be worked in any colour on any fabric. Apart from working it with threads whose colour matches the ground fabric, it is now also worked with threads of contrasting colours that in turn enhances its look. We have worked jaalis with metallic thread and it adds a new dimension to the embroidery and gives the garment a festive and dressy look. Skilled artisans can work jaali on thicker fabrics, which has seen it appear in winter wear. The jaali worked on any garment it instantly infuses it with beauty and delicacy” says Malavika.
Images Courtesy of Malavika Chatterjee
Twenty years back, Malavika collaborated with an embroiderer to create a kurta completely embroidered with makda jaali. Malavika saw a block with a geometric pattern with the hand-block maker and visualized it coming alive with makda jaali. She designed a kurta with a play of patterns with that block. It took the artisan fourteen months to embroider the kurta and it was an almost light-as-air lace-like garment. “Jaali work is a technique, an art. It has to be worked perfectly otherwise the art will be missing. There is no other stitch that equals its beauty and we are fortunate that there are still artisans who are enthused by it”.
6 comments
Excellent write up and beautiful designs dear malavika.