Kashida

Origin/History
Kashida embroidery originated way back in the Mughal period in Kashmir
specially initiated by residents of Srinagar and was patronized by emperors
and royal at that time and was only done by men.
Fabrics
Commonly used fabrics are-
a.) Silk b.) Wool c.) Cotton
 Threads
Commonly used threads are – wool thread , silk thread , cotton thread ,
Yarn of synthetic fiber.
Stitches
Outstanding feature of this embroidery is the fact that it is made with
single thread , resulting in a flat formalized appearance.
a. The Satin Stitch:
Used to cover large
surface without pulling or
puckering the cloth.
b. The Chain Stitch:
Used in inferior pieces and
never on an expensive piece
of work.

c. The Stem Stitch:

Used on the boundaries of motifs.
 d. The Herring Bone Stitch:

e. The Darning Stitch:

.
 Colors
Most commonly used colors in shawls:
a. White (sufed)
b. Green (zingari)
c. Purple (uda)
d. Black (mushki)
e. Blue (ferozi)
f. Crimson (gulnar)
g. Scarlet (kirmiz)
 Motifs
Majority of motifs are inspired by the nature. Now the designs have been added
depending upon the fashion and trend.

The motifs used are mainly birds, trees, flowers, fruits.

a. The bird motifs used are: parrot, wood pecker, canary, magpie and
kingfisher.

b. The floral motifs are: Iris, lotus, lily and saffron flower.

c. The fruit motifs: grapes, cherries, almonds and apple blossoms.

All the motifs are used in variation of size, shape and color.
 Products
Earlier it was done on different types of shawls but now it has been
widely used for dresses, sari, coat, jacket, kurta, muffler, veil, dupatta,
turban, curtains, quilts, table linen, tea cozy covers, cushion covers, bed
spreads, table mats, floor coverings.
Designers working with kashida
Oscar de la Renta Naeem Khan
THANK YOU