Glossary

Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern.

Afilling thread or yarn in weaving. For this, one weft yarn is used to weave a ground cloth and an additional weft is inserted at intervals to create a decorative pattern on the surface on the cloth.

Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique.

The stretchiest part of fabric, that is 45 degrees from the straight of grain (selvage)

Gota patti or gota work is a type of Indian embroidery that originated in Rajasthan, India. It uses the applique technique. Small pieces of zari ribbon are applied onto the fabric with the edges sewn down to create elaborate patterns.

A mitered fabric forms a popular striped pattern, which is created by a beveled line where two pieces are cut at an angle and fit together to form a joint.

Kala cotton (Gossypium herbaceum) is an indigenous strain of rain-fed 'old world' cotton. It is one of the most sustainable forms of cotton. Kala cotton is indigenous to Kachchh and by default organic, as the farmers do not use any pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. It is a purely rain fed crop that has a high tolerance for both disease and pests, and requires minimal investment. It is both resilient and resurgent in the face of stressful land conditions.

This is a Japanese resist dyeing technique using vegetable dyes.

Itajime shibori is a shaped-resist technique. Traditionally, the cloth is sandwiched between two pieces of wood, which are held in place with string. The shapes prevent the dye from penetrating the fabric they cover.

Chikan is a traditional embroidery style from Lucknow, India. Chikan is a delicate and artfully done hand embroidery on a variety of textile fabrics like muslin, silk, chiffon, organza, net, etc. White thread is embroidered on cool, pastel shades of light muslin and cotton garments.

Jamdani or Jamdhani is a fine art weave addition, intended to enhance the look and appeal of the clothing on which it is hand woven.

The art or craft of attaching beads to each other by stringing them or sewing them to fabric

This sort of metal casting has been used in India for over 4,000 years and is still used. Dhokra art is essentially stunning metal figurines fashioned from bronze and copper based alloys.

Azo-free dyes do not consist of nitrogen-based compounds which liberate amines. Azo dyes are considered to be dangerous as there has been a relation found between these aromatic amines and cancers. Whereas Azo-free dyes are eco-friendly and eliminate the use of toxic compounds.

Block, or relief, printing includes linocuts, lino prints, woodblock prints, rubber stamping - pretty much any method where you carve into a material (a block, plate, etc.) and print an impression of the carved surface with ink.

an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise

Copper Enameling is the age-old craft of fusing glass onto the copper surface for color enrichment. This glass enameling not only lends its vibrant colors to the copper surface, but also prevents it from oxidizing, thereby rendering it more usable.

Handmade flat weave rugs made in cotton or wool. They can be used for any place as they are easy to clean and inexpensive.

An eco-friendly product does not just mean an eco-friendly outcome or a vaguely reusable/recyclable product that leaves a smaller footprint on the environment. An eco-friendly product means an entire product lifecycle that is considerate towards the environment.

Gond art comes with the belief that a good image brings good luck. This inherent belief led the Gonds to decorate their houses and floors with traditional tattoos and motifs.

There are many different definitions of handmade, which vary to include a range of production processes from factory line assembly to home workshops. The Handmade badge on Flourish incorporates a wide range of associated terms that capture the different natures of work done by hand.

Pochampally, while essentially the same as Ikkat, comes from a different geography and design language. What makes Ikkat and Pochampally exquisite is the fact that the dye is applied to the threads and not the fabric.

It is a natural dyeing technique that uses pomogrenates. This dye is high in tannin (19 to 26%), therefore it works particularly well with cotton and other plant fibres but you can also use it to dye wool and silk.

Tarkashi is a kind of embroidery done by pulling out wood and etching into it with a wire.

Wicker is a technique for making products woven from any one of a variety of pliable plant materials, a generic name for the materials used in such manufacture, and a term for the items so produced.

The artisans of the Kharadi community of wood-turners makes delicate spindles in Acacia wood. In ancient Egypt the Acacia tree symbolized immortality. This wood with generational wisdom is used to make many different forms of decorative products.

Angarakha is an upper body garment with an asymmetrical opening from the chest to the knees. It is usually secured with strings.

Bidriware from Bidar, Karnataka, India, has been a prized symbol of wealth since the 14th century rule of the medieval Indian Kingdom of Bahamani Sultans. The forms are cast in a blackened alloy of zinc and copper inlaid with striking Silver inlay artwork.

Tucks are parallel folds pulled up from the surface of the fabric and held by stitching from one end of the fabric to the other. Blind tucks overlap each other covering the stitching and the intervals between them.

A metal frame which comes with a protective layer of zinc.

Hand-altered products mean that an original product was changed, embellished, or added to by an artisan. For example, an upcycled piece of clothing may have additional embroidery or dyeing done to it, resulting in an upgraded and altered product.

Hand assembled products are made with materials that were not produced by the final maker, yet were selected by them and put together to create something new.

“Made skillfully by hand”. Through the skilled use of hands, tools, and machinery, materials are brought together to create the final product.

Ikat is a dyeing technique that originated in Indonesia. The word itself, means 'bind'. It is used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. When the dyeing is finished all the bindings are removed and the yarns are woven into cloth.

Jhabla is a loose fitted dress for new borns. These are made from soft cotton or organic fabrics and are loosely fitted.

Kadhuan is a discontinuous Brocade handloom weaving technique whereby every motif is woven individually on the handloom.

Kadiyal, also known as Korvai, is a handloom technique used to weave borders which are in stark contrast to the main body fabric. It requires 2-3 master weavers.

Katran refers to fabric scraps that can be reused and repurposed to create something novel out of it.

Kolhapuri chappals date back to the 12th century. These are handcrafted slippers locally tanned using vegetable dyes. Originally they were made in leather but now alternate raw materials like plant waste etc are used to make them as well.

Kora Silk, also known as Organza Silk, uses Resham, ie pure un-degummed silk in the warp and the weft. Kora Silk Sarees are exclusive, light weight, & delicate.

Macrame is a form of fiber art. It involves knotting strings to make decorative items such as wall hangings, sometimes it is also used in designing clothing.

It is a form of needlework in which small pieces of cloth in different designs, colours, or textures are sewn together.

Similar to Ikat, Patola is a crossover between printing and weaving. The design motifs are first printed, or resist-dyed, onto the warp or the weft threads, or both, and then woven into a fabric or saree.

Pochampally, while essentially the same as Ikkat, comes from a different geography and design language. What makes Ikkat and Pochampally exquisite is the fact that the dye is applied to the threads and not the fabric.

Raw Silk Sarees typically use fine Resham (un-degummed silk) warp and Raw Silk Weft. Raw Silk, as the name suggests, refers to yarns which are pure silk in composition but are not processed and are often un-degummed.

It is a natural dyeing technique that uses pomogrenates. This dye is high in tannin (19 to 26%), therefore it works particularly well with cotton and other plant fibres but you can also use it to dye wool and silk.

Copper-ish pure pure Tasar silk threads are in the weft of this fabric. It is considered to be coarser than other forms of Silk.

Tissue is a kind of fabric that is made with metallic threads (zari), in the warp or the weft. It is woven with cotton or silk threads to give it its sheen.

The art of ornamenting objects of wood with a sharp handheld instrument.

A wooden pin fitting into a hole to prevent slipping or movements. It is usually common in handmade decor products.

A yoke is a shaped pattern piece that forms part of a garment. This piece usually fits around the neck and shoulders or around the hips such as a gathered skirt or the body of a shirt.