A tale of embroidery stitches from Indus Valley Civilization

A tale of embroidery stitches from Indus Valley Civilization


The history of textiles & embroideries are very rich in Pakistan. Women may live in the snowy mountains, barned desert and green valley’s are born with creative spirit in each environment they infuse heart and creative spirit into weaving and embroidery. To wearing a dress with the embroidery is the custom of the village women and nowadays fashion designers making style with embroideries. Embroidered with different stitches such as satin stitch, chain stitches, canvas stitches and using glass pieces in between the work are common techniques.

In the village the ladies work together like a team and thus strength their friends by sharing the language of stitches and exchange motifs and patterns. It’s a tradition that a bride carries with her linen embroidered by her in dowries. In Pakistani embroidery each design and techniques tells an origin, tribal affiliation and identity of the woman who created the piece of art.

One of the world longest river flows in Pakistan region and called Indus River, the civilizations flourished along the banks as early as 2600BC, the Mohon-jo-dero, Harappa sites excavations has the traces of textile and embroidered patterns, today also same river flows and provide a life line to millions of people from the icy mountain to the plains. The people who live along the Indus River enrich the world with variety of cultures, religions, languages and artistic expressions. The expressions of creativity by embroideries are done for centuries as this has been practiced by the people of Pakistan since antiquity. Copper Needles for embroidery were found in the Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa excavations. Beautiful embroideries produced at the court workshops of the Mughal were distinguished for their excellent quality and artistic merit. Their embroideries embellished numerous curtains, canopies, and drapes. Extremely fine silk embroideries were made on a cotton base. The designs of these objects, including branches, flowering plants then decorated court costumes: belts, shawls, and turbans.

Patch work called Rali In Sindh(Pakistan)

Embroidery has always been an integral part of our clothing and handicrafts. When it comes to embroidery the different regions of Pakistan has different type of embroideries and the patchwork is one of them .

Its typical Sindh crafts where ladies make bed spread called Rali but now a day a lot of cushions also created.The technique is very interesting and all the stitching is done with hand using running stitch. joining multicolor little piecesso the pattern range is huge, with intricately designed embroidery patches and ethnic geometical designs.