Hand Stitch Clothing

What it is

Hand stitch clothing means garments whose decoration is stitched by hand with a needle and thread instead of on a sewing machine. In Bangladesh that includes sarees, kurtis, kameezes and men's panjabis.

Kantha is a type of embroidery craft in Bangladesh and eastern India. Kantha work ranges from a simple running stitch along the edges to running stitches that cover the entire cloth. Today kantha stitching is used on saris, kurtas or panjabis, churidars, dupattas and shirts for men and women. Other needlework with a long history in the region, such as chikan and karchupi, is also done on clothes.

The stitches and techniques

• Kantha stitch: various forms of the running stitch, arranged in patterns to build motifs and borders. Rural women traditionally drew the thread for it from sari borders.
• Cross stitch and back stitch: Rajshahi is known for kanthas worked in cross stitch and for sujni coverlets worked in back stitch.
• Satin, chain and lazy-daisy stitches: used on kameezes as well as on pillow covers, bedspreads and tablecloths.
• Chikan: white work on fine white cotton such as muslin and nainsook, now done on kurtas and kameezes.
• Karchupi: gold and silver work done on tightly stretched cloth, also called adi or iri. It comes from karchob embroidery, for which Dhaka was once famous.

Where it's made in Bangladesh

• Dhaka: chikan embroidery on kurtas and kameezes is done in Mirpur, Kachukhet, Mohammadpur and Dayaganj, and artisans in Mohammadpur and Mirpur still do karchob work.
• Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur: a busy embroidery hub where karchupi is worked, sometimes with beads. Before Eid the needleworkers work around the clock, and embroidering a single outfit takes seven or eight hours.
• Nilphamari: women in about 15 remote villages of the district, including Golahat in Saidpur upazila, do embroidery and ornamental stitching on saris, scarves, blouses and other clothes, adding sequins, beads, coloured stones and lace. Many learned the work by watching and practising, and local traders link them with Dhaka-based traders.
• Jashore, Faridpur and Rajshahi: long known for nakshi kanthas.

How to tell hand from machine stitching

• Look at the motifs. On industrial machine embroidery they line up as if placed with a ruler, and the stitches are very regular in shape and size.
• Look for threads that run across the front of the cloth from one part of the design to another. That is a sign of machine work.
• Turn the garment over. Hand embroiderers normally hide their thread on the back of the cloth.

Caring for it

• Wash it by hand in cold water with a little mild soap. Cold water helps stop colours from bleeding, and machine washing is likely to shorten the life of the embroidery.
• Avoid bleach and fabric softener.
• Do not wring. Fold the garment and squeeze it gently to remove the water.
• Hang it to air dry and keep it out of the tumble dryer.
• Iron through a pressing cloth or a thin, clean towel, or steam the garment inside out.
• Check the care note on the listing first: silk and gold or silver thread work may need dry cleaning instead.