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Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Materials Used for Kasuti

Lets start at the very beginning...
These are the materials required for learning Kasuti.


Click on picture to enlarge.
  1. The graph is used for charting and analyzing complex patterns before we start the embroidery on the fabric.
  2. Kasuti is the kind of hand embroidery in which the designs are geometrical and worked by taking equidistant running stitches by counting the same number of threads at each step.
  3. A special feature of kasuti is that no knot is used – either at the beginning or at the end of each length of thread used.
  4. Another interesting feature of this art form is – no matter how elaborate the pattern, the point where it begins always coincides with where it finishes.
Points to note before beginning
In this tutorial, we will work kasuti on calico net (white net in picture) sewn to the base fabric (pink fabric in picture) to facilitate counting.
Once the embroidery is done, the threads of the net are pulled out.
While it is okay to work kasuti on aida fabric, aida fabric should not be used instead of the net. 
The reason is when the threads of the aida fabric are removed, the stitches on the base fabric will loosen giving the work a shabby look. This is because aida fabric is thick when compared to net.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Bhavani,

Came upon your site while researching Kasuti for a session of Magic Weaves (please read article on www.yash.ca for more info). Your site is absolutely brilliant, I have always wanted to learn how to do kutch embroidery and find your tutorial so user friendly.

God bless you! Geeta

Prema said...

thank you very much -

Please tell me where the calico net can be purchased in Chennai or Coimbatore.

philo

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

Hi Prema,
I am not a resident of Chennai so I can't really help you. Any big textile showroom will have it. Shop keepers don't know what a Kasuti net is. But you can ask for mosquito netting material. From the pictures in this blog, you know what the net used for Kasuti looks like.

There are basically 2 types of mosquito net material.
1. hexagonal
2. square

Buy the square one.

Prema said...

Thank you very much Bhavani for your suggestion. I tried in the shops for cotton mosquito net - but it is not available in my place - will keep on trying. Regards, Prema

Sunitha said...

Hi Bhavani,

Can you send me some designs on kasuti and also names of books that are available for kasuti. I could not find any books on the web.

Thanks a lot.

Sunitha

Sunitha said...

Hi Bhavani,

I am learning kasuti and find it very interesting. Can you upload some more designs in kasuti please?
Also can you tell me where can I get the books on Kasuti.

Thank you so much.

Sunitha

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Thank you very much for your inputs on Kasuti. Nice of you to share info. I work with the Rural &Urban Grassroots&Livelihoods Trust,Chennai 10,TN.

India is finally documenting and sharing information.

jeeba said...

hi ,
thanks a lot for this tutorial.i was searching kasuti tutorial for a year in google but i havent got. thanks,thanks a lot
jeeba

Anonymous said...

Hi Bhavani,
I was just introduced to Kasuti needlework but my teacher had to relocate. Iam a novice in this arena.But Iam bitten by the Kasuti bug!!! and from then I have been trying to source books and the net for some lessons. (No books are available in this subject, I have checked with many leading book houses in Bangalore)
I hope the book you have mentioned is available now.
Bhavani, your presentation is excellent and systematic.Please continue this good work. There are many like me awaiting your tutorial .....
Regards,
Sindhu

Indiatastes said...

Hi Bhavani, I am also from TVM. I like all crafts,knitting,stiching and embroidery etc.. Your kasuti and kutch, crochet everything is good and clear explanion. If you don't mind can you tell me which part of TVM. Can you send your details to my mai id.

Thanks a lot.

Nima said...

is calico net same as waste canvas, which is used for cross stitch. It is used to cross stitch on normal fabric and we can pull out the thread after we finish stitching.

If that is the thing, it is available in coimbatore. The shop is called Hobby ideas in R.S Puram. it is the next shop to the bombay dying in R.S puram. They are not familiar witht he name, but you can see it...it is usually kept in rolls in the front itself.

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

hi Indiatastes, I live in Jagathy opp Rajiv Gandhi Bio-tech - Green Park Villas

Bhavani

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

Hi Nima,
no. Calico net is different. But you can use waste canvas too - its suitability depends on the thread count - the number of weft and wrap threads per square inch.
Bhaani

Nima said...

Hi Bhavani,

good to see a keralite craft blogger. I'm from cochin, but settled in muscat, Oman. Your kutch work tutorial is great.

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

Thanks.

I am not a keralite. We are Telugu speaking people born and brought up in Tamil Nadu. My husband is currently posted in Trivandrum.
Bhavani

Vijayalakshmi said...

Hi Bhavani Mam!

I was searching for Kasuti Tutorial. finally I got from your blog. I can only Lesson 1. Can you kindly tell me where you have posted the other lessons. My mail id is vijiananthu@yahoo.com

Thank you so much
Vijayalakshmi

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

Hi Sunitha,
I am planning on conducting correspondance courses in embroidery. I am starting off with Kasuti and Kutchwork. If you are interested, we'll discuss it further.

Unknown said...

I am interested too

Unknown said...

How do we see the net to the cloth..I get it often slanting not horizontally straight..

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

you can wash the net to remove the starch

Mintu said...

Hi, Do you still live in Trivandrum? Can you tell me where the net is available here.. Is it available online?

Thanks for all the great lessons and tips that you are giving.
Mintu

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

No I don't live in Trivandrum anymore. ask in shops where they sell material for stitching mosquito nets

Anonymous said...

Hi! Your work is very beautiful.
Why don't you post a video on YouTube?
Sometimes I get confused with the sequences on Kasuti.
Thanks a lot!
Rosana

Bhanumathi said...

Calico net is it available online store

Bhavani Harikrishnan said...

i have not explored.