About chikankari
1. Block printing
Motifs like paisleys, creepers and flowers are carved into wooden blocks. The design is stamped onto the cut fabric with a dye that washes out, so the karigar knows exactly where every stitch goes.
2. Hand embroidery
The fabric is stretched on a small hoop and the printed lines are stitched over by hand. Depending on how dense the design is, a single kurta can take several days.
3. Washing and finishing
The finished piece is washed to remove the print, leaving only the thread work. It is then starched, pressed and checked before it is packed.
Common chikankari stitches
- Tepchi
- A long running stitch, often used to outline a design.
- Bakhiya
- Shadow work. Stitched from the back so the motif shows softly through sheer fabric.
- Phanda
- Small round knots, used for flower centres and bunches of grapes.
- Murri
- Rice-shaped knots that give petals a raised texture.
- Jaali
- Threads are eased apart without cutting to make a fine, net-like opening.
- Hool
- A small eyelet with stitches worked around it.
- Keel kangan
- Stitches used to form flower petals, often with other stitches.
- Ghaas patti
- V-shaped stitches set in rows like blades of grass, used for leaves and borders.
- Mukaish
- Not a stitch but an embellishment: thin metal wire twisted into the fabric so it catches the light.
How to tell handwork from machine work
Turn the piece over. Hand chikankari has small knots and slightly uneven stitches on the back, and the stitch length varies a little across the design. Machine embroidery looks almost the same on both sides and every motif is identical. On a new piece you may also spot faint traces of the printed lines near the stitches. They fade after the first wash.
Shop handmade pieces