Kashmir Embroidery

The beautiful valley of Kashmir is justly famed for its textiles, above all the Kashmir shawl. The manufacture of embroidered shawls was started by an Armenian named Khwaja Yusuf, who introduced the concept of amli, the needlework shawls.

The classical Kashmiri shawl was made of Pashmina wool whose main source was the fleece of a central Asian species of mountain goat. Now only a fraction of these shawls are woven out of Pashmina wool, a mjority of them are made out of a yarn called ruffal which is spun out of Merino wool.

The shawl ground cloth was prepared by being rubbed with a piece of polished agate or or cornelian on the flat surface of a plank until it was prerfectly smooth. The pattern to be embroidered was then made on the the cloth with coloured power or charcoal and then embroidered with a satin or stem stitch, each stitch made to lie as flat as possible by picking up warp threads.

Whilst shwals are embroidered with a needle, much of the embroidery done in Kashmir valley is ari work. As with the weaving, embroidery is a male profession. The ari work is used to decorate clothing, wall hanging rugs, curtain covers and whole rolls of furnishing fabrics, with varying complexity of designs.

Maps of Srinagar and human figures are a very popular motif.

Advantage of Shuttleless loom over shuttle loom

Salient feature of Shuttleless looms:
1. Shuttleless weave 2 to 4 times as much as conventional looms per unit time.
2. The cost of pirn winding is eliminated
3. Strain upon the warp threads is reduced due to smaller depth of shed
4. Heavy cost of repairs and replenishment of worn out parts is reduced They can produce simpler tubes of fabrics on a large scale and provide opportunities for profitable exploitation in the long run.
5. The physical and mental strain upon the weaver is reduced
6. There is no risk of shuttle fly out owing to the absence of conventional shuttle and packing being positive
7. Quality of the fabric gets enhanced because of a positive control over the weaving process
8. The looms are easier to work and manipulate
9. Efficiency of the shuttle weaving shed is comparatively higher
10. 5% reduction in value loss for a Rs. 60/- Metre fabric would ensure an additional profit of Rs. 3/- meter
11. Higher production per loom
12. Speed is not the only criterion for the selection of shuttleless looms. Efficiency is also an important criterion.Efficiency advantage of 10-15% due to shuttle changes, Un weaving of damages, reduced time for warp changes canbe obtained from shuttleless looms. 5% higher efficiency would provide an additional profit of Rs. 1/- per metre.
13. 14 minutes stoppage per 24 hours.
14. Ex works cost is less due to less mending and inspection charges and no pirn winding charges. 15. Projectile and Air-jet looms suitable for Mass fabrics Rapier for fashion fabrics

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