How to do beautiful Kutch Embroidery - Tutorial

I can picture in my mind those Kutchi women sitting on their doorstep doing these beautiful intricate embroideries, all the while waiting for their men have gone cattle grazing.

When you think of those women you cannot even imagine a dull color – they are all ablaze in vibrant colors, all their dresses fully embellished with embroidery. The backdrop of the desert, and all that colors – beautiful.

image: Abhilasha

The Kutchi embroidery designs have a long history and are said to have been brought to India by Arab traders. The Maltese cross-design used in these works strongly resembles designs found elsewhere in the Gulf.

This Armenian embroidery site has some instructions which look almost like those for Kutch embroidery.

Kutch embroidery – different types

There are many kinds of Kutchi embroidery. Chain stitch done with mirrors in floral designs is a very recurrent work we have seen everywhere, be it on shawls or dupattas, done from the kutch area (Gujarat state, India). Many wedding trousseaus have these beautiful designs embroidered on them.

This work is also called Sindhi embroidery. Different variations of this work are Rabri, Garasia Jat, Mutavam suf, khaarek, and paako. All of them have many distinctive features, but all of them feature the geometric designs characteristic of this work.

The Kutchi work can be used to decorate any of your dresses- be it a plain cotton sari, which you can do some border with this work, or a shawl which you can decorate with single motifs. A salwar kameez with Kutchi work done on the necklines would look gorgeous. I would love a silk blouse with this work done throughout it.

Kutchi’s work embroidery design can be modernized by the use of Pastel colors rather than the bright colors used traditionally. You can embellish purses, shawls, Kurtis, dresses, pouches, mojris, backpacks, jackets with the kutch work designs.

Step by Step instructions to stitch a simple Kutchi motif

The Kutch embroidery detailed here uses small squares placed artistically and embroidered in bright colours. Lively colours like Yellow, green, indigo blue, deep red, black, yellow, pink, and ivory are mainly used.

A herringbone stitch is used for the outline. It is then interlaced or filled with another thread (Thread is looped around the herringbone stitch)

Step 1. Draw the design on fabric . The kutch embroidery designs are basically many small squares attractively placed, be it as independent motifs or as border designs.

I would recommend that you use graph paper when drawing these squares. It is essential that all these squares are of the same size.Small squares with 1.5 inch sides work very well. These squares fill up fully with the interwoven thread.

I have given below various designs you can use for this embroidery. They are all variations of the basic maltese cross design arranged in various ways.

draw the kutch work design on fabric as diamond shapes

Step 2. Start the outline stitch.

Before beginning the embroidery, put on the thimble. If you do not use a thimble, you will prick your hands.

Read Baby steps to hand embroidery – 7 FAQ answered if you would like a basic knowledge on starting hand embroidery

You need two strands of embroidery thread on your sharp needle for the outline stitch.

At the top and bottom corners of the design, the needle goes to the back and comes out a little down from the corner, exactly to either side of the corner, crossing the first thread, as shown in the picture. While going to each corner, remember that the needle and thread are always passed under the existing thread.

First work a row with herringbone stitches as per the step given in the picture below and complete till 6, now go back following 6- 12

Do this at all junctions.

When we are doing several squares together, you can stitch the outline in a different pattern, as shown in the diagram below. The outline is first started from left to right and when one row is done, come back from right to left, finishing the outlines.

This is the basic building block of all kutch work of this style. Next, we have to weave a different or same colour thread through this outline, filling it up.

Step 3. Interweaving

A different bright-colored thread is interlaced or woven through the motif. This contrasting or same-color thread encloses the corners. For the weaving part, it is better to use a blunt needle. We do not penetrate the fabric after first anchoring the thread.

Bring up the needle and thread to the front of the fabric.

Interweave through the kutch diamond shape

Go up and bring the needle from the right side below to between the cross made by the stitches.

Guide the needle under the left outline stitch and the interweaving thread. Bring up. Now that corner is enclosed in a loop made by the interweaving thread.

Repeat with all corners.

The basic kutch design with the five squares can be arranged in n number of ways to create new designs and patterns. Let the designer in you decide on the best design for your next dress.

The five-square design is worked distinctly, as detailed below.

a big kutch work design