A tale of embroidery stitches from Indus Valley Civilization

Embroidery stitches from Baluchistan:
Story of EWM artisans
Saba Humayun ,Team leader of EWM runs a small school near the mountains,mostly children who attend this school resides there and come every day to get education so their mothers come and work on bead work products bags,pouches,belts etc.their manufactured products were sold at EWM exhibitions aboard.
lets discuss the embroidery stitches of that region:


Baluchi rail pati


Mostly chain stitch and Soof stitch are used in this embroidery style. This design of embroidery resembles a rail track. The main stitch is herringbone as it is faster to fill other stitches used are an elongated darn and chain-cum-interlacing.

Kacha pakka sheesha work

This type of embroidery is called ‘pakka’ which means solid because the embroidery on these areas is very densely stitched on the ground fabric. Then the edge is done with herring born stitch loosely and called Kacha. This technique a variety of stitching techniques is used like satin, herringbone, square-chain, cross and couched stitches. They use glass mirrors in various shapes: round, rhomboid, rectangular, square, triangular, and beak shaped. The stitches are square chain interlaced with buttonhole for mirror work, single chain, knot, Romanian; blanket interlaced with herringbone, running, and double running.
Ari work or Chain stitch work motifs
This type of embroidery is mostly done with ari tool and chain stitch is used. The special needle is inserted into the fabric at a 90 degree angle, and then the thread is pulled through and again the needle is inserted, this time from the underside to the surface; again, the thread is pulled through. A thimble is not usually required to avoid injury with this method, but is sometimes used to make pushing the needle through easier. A frame or hoop called a adaha is used. A mounted hoop or frame makes the work faster, such that both hands are free for the embroidery. The dominant hand is held under the fabric, the non-dominant hand above it, and the needle is handled by each respective hand without necessity for hand position changes. This embroidery is also called as AARI Work which is like a chain stitch.

Nehran pati

Nehran(river) pati or Kharek work, literally means "fruit of the date palm", is made with narrow bars of satin stitches, closely laid together to form triangles, small squares and other geometrical figures, like an outlining and a filling-in stitching.