Weaving machines flowchart

Madhubani

Madhubani is an art of fabric painting practiced in the villages of Mahdhubani. As the literal meaning of the word conveys, 'Madhu' for honey and 'Bans' for woods or forests, 'Madhubani' depicts that sweet feeling of exaltation which these amiable folks experience in their hearts-while conceiving the image of their favourite god.

The process of ritualistic Madhubani painting was very straight and clear. The images are based on age-old scriptures and epics. The Vedas, The Puranas, The Upanishads, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Sun, moon, earth and stars are also depicted in these images. They are also seeped into the environment: the trees, the animals, the birds, the fish and plants. These also depict immediate surroundings: the family, the village life, the flora and fauna, the wild life, the music of the birds, the village fairs and the fastivals, and celebrity mood. An element of environment beauty is introduced by a refreshing deluge of floral and wildlife motifs. Sunflowes, lotuses, trees, leavees and creepers convey the mute glory of flora and fauna. Tigers, elephants, tortoises, peacocks, peahens and other wildlife present the alternate form of life.

In Madhubani, children learn from their parents, while helping them out, clearing, grinding or filling in the colors. Elders on the other hand, perform the ritualistic art setting right in the midst of children so that children can also learn from their elders

Chamba Rumal

Chamba Rumal

Chamba Rumal is the embroidery work on a square format. The size can be as small as a handkerchief to as large as bed sheets. 

Fabric chosen is either Khaddar or Malmal. 

The figures are filled with untwisted silk floss which is also know as pat. 

This is also called Chamba Kashidakari or "Do-Rukha" embroidery. 

Chamba Rumals are embroidered with the technique of double satin stitch known as "Do-Rukha Tanka". The stitch is carried forward and backward alternately and both sides of the cloth are stiched simultaneously so that the space on both sides look equally effective and identical in content.

The outline is marked in danditanka a stem stich or chain stitch with knot after each stitch. 

No chamba rumal is done in single color. 

From the early eighteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth, Chamba and its neighbouring hill states such as Kangra and Basohli, formed the nucleus of rumal production, which was embroidery work on thin unbleached muslin ( malmal) of great charm and simplicity. Rumal means cover or Kerchief, and these square shaped textiles were used mainly as a covering for gifts. When an offering was made to temple gods or gifts exchanged between the families of bride and grooms, an embroidered rumal was always used as wrappings. Chamba rumals were also used in temples as a backdrop to , or canopy for deity.

Motif generally comprises of a floral border whcih enclosed a finely drawn religious scene set against a clear, unembellished and unembroidered background. The designs are initially drawn out in Charcoal and featured scenes from Krishna's life and other mythological episodes, which are surrounded by clusters of willow and cypress trees and running animals such as tigers, horse and deer.

Chamba rumals are embroidered in silks of soft colours, using a double darning or double satin stitch stitch, so that an identical design appeared evenly on both sides of the cloth, and double running stitch  or danditanka is used for outlines and details.

An excellent article on the process is found here. 

Baluchari Sari

Baluchari Sari

It is a popular ninteenth centruy figured silk saree. It is an elaborately woven brocade known to have been made during 1850-1900 in the village surrounding Baluchar (Murshidabad Distt.)

Baluchar Sarees are similar in appearance and in weaving techniques to many Banaras Brocades although they never contain Zari threads, only silk. They have intricate supplementary weft or warp borders and end pieces created in untwisted silk threads of colors that contrast with the ground, with elaborate floral borders. The figures are commonly involved in such activities as smoking a hooka, riding a train, or smelling a flower, and are often dressed in Mughal style or European cloths, the grounds of these saris are generally dark with purple, dark brown and red being common, while the wide range of colors found in the supplementary threads are always light, such as white, yellow orange of pink

The Bengali Saris are created on draw looms, which contains a complicated mechanism for weaving multi-warp and multi-weft figured textiles.

Material is used as silk. The dimensions for a Baluchar Sari are in Cm (length=558, width=112, ends per cm=38, picks per cm =35)

This is an amazing video on the Baluchar Silks