THE ART OF CHIKANKARI

Chikankari is a fine and intricate shadow-work type of embroidery done by white yarn on colourless muslins called tanzeb (tan meaning body and zeb meaning decoration). The word ‘chikan’ according to one school of thought appears to have had its origin in Persia, being derivative of chakin or chakeen. Indian women wear chikan sareesor aunty saree at all occasions these sarees are available at different colors and designs.it is also known as chikan lucknowi sarees. It may also be a distorted form of the work chikeen or siquin, a coin valued at Rs. 4 for which the embroidery was sold. Another explanation ascribes its origin to East Bengal where the word chikan meant ‘fine’.

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The earliest reference in literature to chikan dates back to the 3rd century B.C. In his records Megasthenes, a Greek traveller, had mentioned the use of flowered muslins by the Indians.

Stitches :
Stitching on chikan saris are great and can be divided into three categories: Flat stitches, which are delicate and subtle and lie close to the surface of the fabric giving it a distinctive textural appearance; Embossed stitches which are highlighted from the fabric surface lending it a characteristic grainy texture and Jali work which is the most striking feature of chikan embroidery and which creates a delicate net effect. The fabric is broken into holes by ‘teasing’ the warp and weft yarns and holding them in position by small stitches.

ABOUT CHIKAN EMBROIDERY :
Chikan has a certain grace and elegance, which ensures that it never goes out of style the embroidery on chikan saris made them special saris for everyone. If you wear Chikan you really are wearing a piece of history, as it is a form of embroidery that has been art part of India for centuries, it is said to have been originally introduced by Nur Jahan, the beautiful wife of the Mughal emperor, Jahangir. It has since evolved and attained its glory and perfection in Lucknow. Chikan Embroidery is a form of hand embroidery with patterns of different designs stitched using untwisted white cotton or silk (or rayon)threads on the surface of the fabric. In Chikan work, there is a fixed repertoire of stitches and it is usual for several types of stitched to appear on the same piece of embroidery (thereby enhancing it's intricacy and beauty). The different types of Chikan work done on ethnic sarees are Taipchi, Bakhia, Phunda, Murri, Jaali, Hathkati, Pechni, Ghas Patti, Chaana Patti etc.

Chikan embroidery is a very laborious and time consuming task (The craftsmen are trained for 15 to 20 years and sometimes it takes 10 to 15 days to make an outfit with hand embroidery as they fill in the designs with threads with detail work). This is why Chikan is so expensive as compared to machine embroidery. But it is worth it as you really do feel like a queen when you wear it - a Chikan suit is a regal treasure in any fashion connoisseur's wardrobe! Really, the great thing about this form of embroidery is that it never goes out of fashion and it suits women of all ages. If you are going to invest in a few pairs of elegant wear, try adding chikan to your wardrobe. And before the men (in your heart and home) start feeling left out, they too can wear this form of embroidery - get a Chikan shirt for them!


HOW IS A CHIKAN SAREES CREATED?

The chikan industry has five main processes namely cutting, stitching, printing, embroidery, washing, and finishing.

Cutting is carried out in the lots of 20-50 garments. The layouts are done to minimize wastage of materials.

Then comes stitching. Stitching may be ‘civil’, done exclusively for higher priced export orders or ‘commercial’, which is done for cheaper goods.

Printing is carried out by the use of wooden blocks dipped in dyes like neel and safeda (which are washed out after the embroidery has been done).

After this, the fabric is embroidered by women - It takes an artisan at least 4 to 5 days to embroider a FashionTemptations chikan ensemble (Each piece has to be completed by one artisan as the handiwork of each artisan differs). Only those with artistic and nimble handiwork can master the art of chikan sarees.
The last process, which is washing and finishing, includes bleaching, acid treatment, stiffening, and ironing. The most common motif used is that of a creeper. Individual floral motifs may embellish the entire garment or just one corner. Among the floral motifs embroidered, the jasmine, rose, flowering stems, lotus and the paisley motif are the most popular.

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