Kasuti Embroidery

By Adeline Panamaroff

Adeline, a freelance writer/proofreader, located in Edmonton, Alberta can be contacted at www.adelinepanamaroff.com for writing and marketing requests.

Example of kasuti embroidery used with permission by Mollie Johnson / Spruce Crafts

History: Kasuti embroidery has been a staple in the stitching repertoire of Indian women since the 7th Century C.E., during the Chalukya period. It originally developed in the Karnatak area of India and then spread to the surrounding areas from there. The word kasuti was derived from two separate words, “kai” hand and “suti” cotton, so kasuti came to mean cotton threads worked by hand.

During the time of the Mysore Kingdom, 17th Century CE., one of the 64 arts that women courtiers were required to learn was kasuti embroidery. Both common women and those of high standing were expected to be able to adorn their saree with kasuti motifs with skill and dexterity.

In the last century a learning and training center in Hubli was set up by the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Karnataka, in order to protect and spread the use of this embroidery technique, as it was declared a protected cultural treasure by the government of India. There has been low interest for new tradeswomen to take up this stitching technique, as its cultural relevance is waning in the eyes of the fashion world.

Stitched on the hemline, with larger motifs scattered throughout the fabric, kasuti was used to embellish both everyday wear saree and bridal wear.

Kasuti embroidery used with permission by Asia InCH

Kasuti embroidery used with permission by Asia InCH

Technique: There are four main stitches used in kasuti, the gavanti or double running stitch, the muragi or zig zag running stitch, the neygi or darning stitch and henthe or cross stitch. These stitches are worked over an even weave cotton or silk, where the threads of the backing fabric are counted in order to create even stitches. The pattern is laid out on paper first, then stitched out on the fabric, counting the treads, while looking at the pattern as a reference. If an uneven thread count backing material is used, waste canvas can be used to give the correct grid effect of the stitches. As kasuti stitches are worked on a grid, aida cloth can be a good backing material for small pieces or when first learning the stitches.

Stitched with silk or cotton threads, a row of stitches takes at least two passes to complete, with the row being finished when you return to where the stitching started. The colors used for stitching kasuti are the brighter tones of red, grean, purple, orange and crimson.

The motifs used traditionally were inspired from the tile mosaics found in temples, or derived from nature. Kasuti, being worked on a grid, creates stylized or geometric versions of these sources of designs. Lotus flower, elephants, temple towers, conch shells, repeating patterns of crop fields, and other symbols of regions and philosophical significance are often used. 

Innovation: The use of kasuti on saree has now expanded to be used on household items like curtains, cushions, upholstery, and even a long shirt style of women’s wear called kurta. Cotton, the traditional backing fabric that kasuti is worked on, has also expanded to include nylon and silk.

Stitching kasuti designs on bridal wear still remains an important tradition in southern India, and it’s cultural importance has not been forgotten in the region where this embroidery method was first developed, centuries ago.


References and further reading:

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Indian NeedleworkSandra MIndian embroidery, Motifs, Karnataka, hand embroidery