The Beauty of Indian Embroidery - Shisha Embroidery or Mirrorwork !

 Shisha embroidery , is a very old and traditional technique  done in the western regions of India. While the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan  excell in beautiful embroideries using small mirrors and beads , the Lambadi ( gypsys of Andhra ) too use a lot of mirrors in their traditional attire . And these Lambadis carefully trim small pieces of mica by hand to produce different shaped shisha or mirrors .  It is said that these mirrors were attached to dresses not only to add beauty to the garment but also to ward off evil eye .

Here`s a sampler that I had made a few years ago using stitches like herringbone , cretan , fly . french knots , lazy daisy etc Though it has discolored over the years , I still think that these  motifs are pretty even now. I have done a lot of shisha embroidery since then but this

 sampler is  my favorite .

Well , what do you think ? do drop in a line , as I love hearing fro you . And keep visiting for more on Shisha embroidery .