By, Ms.Mahima Malik (student) B.Design (Textile Design) Dr. Vandana Jaglan (Principal) Satyam Fashion Institute The art of embroidery is deeply rooted in the cultural history of Afghanistan as well as India, which unites the two countries beyond boundaries. Embroidery work is traditionally done by women and girls in Afghanistan. The Afghan technique involves counting each minute thread in the woven fabric to develop patterns that are symmetrical, evenly spaced and perfectly matched. Unlike other forms of embroidery, one cannot embroider it by printing design on fabric. Afghan embroidery directly develops designs onto fabric with perfection in stitchery. This often takes a physical toll on artisans as they have to carefully count each thread. The work is so intricate and precise that it is often mistaken for a weave or machine embroidery. This embroidery is done with silk, wool and cotton thread, used on hand woven cotton and woolen backgrounds. Afghanistan and India have traditionally been strongly connected and friendly. For more than 17 years, hundreds of women and men who were trapped in the wars in Afghanistan, and robbed of their dignity and hope, escaped to India. India provided them much-needed refuge. Women are given the opportunity to be free and regain control of their lives in a foreign land. Typical embroidery of Afghanistan is done with a frequent use of one dominant stitch on each piece; this stitch depends on the ethnic group of the embroiderer, denoting an integral part of their tribal life. The distinctiveness of Afghan embroidery lies in the way it is executed and by its small stitch size and length, which is sometimes reversible. It is done by counting each minute thread which runs in width or length-wise direction on the fabric. The fabric used is hand-woven khaddar, cotton or any available fabric that is...
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