Famous embroidery of Lucknow.

As we all know that Chikankari is the most famous and traditional embroidery style from Lucknow, India there are various references to this embroidery similar to chikan work in India as early as 3rd century BC by Megasthenes who mentioned the flowered muslins by the Indians.

Chikan began as a type of white - on white or whitework embroidery, it is a delicate work of hand embroidery done on a variety of textile fabrics like cotton, chanderi, muslin, georgette, viscose, silk, organza, net, etc.

White thread is embroidered on cool, pastel shades of light muslin and cotton garments nowadays, chikan embroidery is also done with colored and silk threads in colors to meet the fashion trends and keeping Chikankari up to date.

Lucknow is the heart of the Chikankari industry today and the variety is known as Lucknawi Chikan; the piece begins with one or more pattern blocks that are used to block - print a pattern on the ground fabric.

The embroider stitches the pattern, and the final piece is carefully washed to remove all traces of the printed pattern the process of Chikankari includes the following steps:

• Designing.

• Engraving.

• Block Printing.

• Embroidery.

Washing and finishing.

As the pattern and its effects depends on the thickness of the thread used some of the stitches used are backstitch, chain stitch, and hemstitch the result is an open work pattern also called jali (lace) or shadow work.

Chikankari - Tepchi is a long - running or darning stitch worked with six strands on the right side of the fabric taken over by four threads and picking up one thus, a line is formed. It is principally used as a basis for further stitchery and forms a simple shape.

Bakhiya- 'Shadow work' or bhakia is one of the stitches in Chikankari the main reason behind the name shadow is that the embroidery is done on wrong side and see its shadow on the right side.

Hool - It is a fine detached eyelet stitch a hole is punched in the fabric and the threads are teased apart it is then held by small straight stiches all round and worked with one thread on the right side of the fabric.

In the 1986, Indian film Anjuman directed by Muzaffar Ali and starring Shabana Azmi and Farooq Shaikh is set in Lucknow and deals with the issue of Chikan workers, Farooq Shaikh was so charmed by this fabric style that he wore chikan all his life and came to be identified as a brand ambassador of sorts of Lakhnavi Chikankari.

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