India is truly a diverse land of cultures and one of the greatest treasures of the country is its age-old art and crafts among them hand embroidery is a distinct testimony of our rich cultural heritage. Moreover, the intricacy and beauty of the designs truly reflected in the saree embroidery because of the flowing, elaborate and intricate display of patterns in the garment.
Embroidery is the key element which provides the elegance and grace required of any attire be it sarees, suits or lehengas. Earlier all sarees had heavy hand work on them done exclusively by the craftsmen who have honed their skills over several generations. These sarees are heavy in weight and at the same time were not pocket-friendly. With the advent of computer embroidery, the same sarees became lightweight and within the budget. The best part is that in these days you can buy embroidery sarees online from a huge collection from the comfort of your home.
Different parts of India like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh have different forms of embroidery to boast of, each with a distinctive kind of artistic aesthetic and look and are considered to be the most prolific producers of embroidered sarees.
Gujarat offers embroidery which is often extremely intricate and is done using complicated techniques to get the right look for the saree. Often, colorful silk threads are combined with mirrors to create the famous mirror work embroidery and also gota patti work which is created using shining mirrors, crystals, and beads and has a detailed, rich and opulent look. Also, Aari work from Gujarat is distinguished by its use of cross stitches.
Another highly coveted and in-demand embroidered saree comes from the city of Banaras in Uttar Pradesh which offers Zari work, which is done using gold and silver threads. Zardosi work is influenced by Persian aesthetics and consequently is very artistic and visually appealing and is used to make the most dazzling hand embroidery designs for sarees. Cutwork embroidery designs are created by cutting holes in the fabric and have a distinctive mesh-like or jaali aesthetic.
The famous Lucknow chikankari sarees are frequently made using light materials in soft, pastel colors known to use even stitches and knotted threads which really bring out the beauty of the three-dimensional embroidery done on them.
Resham work is known for its fine, delicate yet vibrant look and is often used to create very intricate designs using fine silk threads. Other popular embroidery styles like Kantha, Banjara and Appliqué work and some of these have also been adapted reflecting a more western aesthetic.
Even the motifs relate to the region these sarees originate from, for instance, Phulkari work from Punjab is known for its brilliant, multi-hued appearance and frequently makes use of floral motifs, while mythological motifs are a hallmark of south India.
Styling Your Embroidered Sarees
Today, machine embroidery is fast emerging as a replacement for hand embroidery as it fast in production and is cheaper as well. You must be wondering how to distinguish between hand and machine embroidery. All you need to do is to see the reverse of the garment, If the back of the canvas looks irregular and loose, then it is hand embroidered and if regular and tight it is machine embroidery. However, it is the hand embroidered patterns that are truly considered authentic and exclusive to this day many experts prize the glorious uncertainty when it comes to color shades and texture
The trend today is to have a heavily embroidered saree by computer embroidery and highlighting it further with a minimal amount of embellishments and handworks to strike a balance between weight and price. Keep all these factors into consideration while ordering embroidery sarees online.