New Year, New Workshops: Gujarati Embroidery and Mending Stitches

Do you mend and embellish your clothes? RaasLeela, a regular workshop host in the Selvedge events programme, will guide you through the basics of Gujarati embroidery and mending techniques, improvising the quality and modifying the stitch for an individual style. The history and beliefs behind these embroideries will be highlighted. The particularly special way of cutting and shaping mirrors will also be taught along with a technique to attach them to the fabric.


Image: Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May 2024, Gujarati Embroidery and Mending Stitches with RaasLeela.

Six trained artisans from the RaasLeela team will teach various Gujarati embroidery stitches and visible mending techniques. The techniques that will be covered in the workshop are as follows:

Bawalio stitch and its forms (interlacing stitch and its forms)
Jali stitch (interwoven stitch)
Sadubharat (herringbone stitch) and its shapes
Variations in Faant (running stitch)
Bakhiyo (back stitch)
Sankdi (chain stitch)
Chireli Sankdi (open chain stitch)
Satin stitch
Katab work (cut work)
Kangree appliqué
Shapes of appliqué
Tikdi, Tikda, Lira (variation of appliqué

Each garment produced by RaasLeela is stitched by hand, using traditional sewing techniques from Gujarat, India. They follow the ethos of sustainability by repairing and conserving materials and techniques, along with using environmentally-conscious practices. Processes and materials are chosen thoughtfully with functionality central to their design. Resources are consumed sustainably and Indian textile craft techniques are revived through their hand-stitched garments.


Image: Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May 2024, Gujarati Embroidery and Mending Stitches with RaasLeela

Gujarati Embroidery and Mending Stitches with RaasLeela will be held on Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May 2024. 

Find out and more and book your next Selvedge online workshop:
www.selvedge.org/collections/workshops