Chain stitch design

So far with just the chain stitch we have learnt and now we are going to start a design. This is the commonly used design with the mango and leaf designs.

I will cover the techniques on perfect finishing along with some minute tips which you can start focusing from the beginning.

To start with a design we need to first trace the design in the fabric. There are three methods where you can follow to trace the design. The most commonly used is using the carbon paper for small designs. Chapal method is the professionally used method for aari/maggam embroidery. The other method is to keep the design paper below the fabric and switch on the torch light below the fabric and draw the design on the fabric using a white pencil. This method works well on thin or transparent fabrics or the net fabrics. You can use any one of the method to transfer the design. Today am using the carbon method..

First draw the design perfectly by free hand if you are good at drawing or you can just take a print out of the design. Adjust the size of the design and take the print out in the correct size as required. Once the print out is ready place the carbon paper below the design and on top of the fabric and start tracing the design. Check if the design is traced perfectly and take out the carbon paper and print our. Make sure all the lines and designs are traced.

First always start the main shape of the design from a corner. Make sure the shape is formed correctly. Once the shape is correct your design will look good. Start from one corner of the design and make sure to end in the same chain that you hav started and put a knot.

For this design am using five shades of gold zari fabric.

Once the main shape is ready start with the next shapes. To have a continued look always start from the previous chain stitch.

Make sure the corner edges are sharp as we practiced in the shapes circle, square and tear drop in the previous class. Complete all the leaves with same perfection and make sure to end the knot inside the corner chain to get sharp edges.

Next using the other shade of gold zari complete the other leaf shapes keeping in mind the same techniques followed for the previous leaf shapes. that is the corner edges and to start with the previous chain and to complete with perfect knot. Make sure you do not pull the thread hard. Also make sure the cloth does not shrink.

Next am using other zari to complete the small leaf shapes. Even the small designs had to be made perfectly using the same techniques. The edges and the distance should be maintained perfectly. The knots should also be completed inside the straight line chain to give a neat finishing and to look continued.

Finally am using the antique zari to finish the lines of the leaves. The distance between each lines should be maintained equally. The lines should also follow the shape of the leaf.

For the other leaves continue the lines closer to each other and with same distance between each lines. Make sure the shape of the lines is based on the leaf.

Once you complete you will realize you have done a great job.

Now finish the small circles inside the mango and make sure all the circles are same size and the distance between them are equal. Start with the circle and finish it in the same starting chain and complete with a knot.

Finally complete the horizontal and vertical lines to form a checked pattern inside the mango. Make sure the distance between the lines are equal to get all the checked boxes of the same size.

The main thing to concentrate in a design is the starting and finishing. Make sure all the knot are perfectly done and the loops are not been shown. Also make sure the cloth is not shrinking. Try and complete the design as seen in picture with perfect look. ALL THE BEST!!!

For video explaination in Tamil check the below link

For video explaination in English check the below link

Extra design for activity

For video explaination in Tamil check the below link

For video explaination in English check the below link

Extra design for activity