Textiles of India: Stitches of Vitality

This set is meant to help us to examine and survey the vibrancy and exquisite craftsmanship of the textiles of India. Within this collection we begin to learn more about and appreciate the ancient and modern creations of these works of art.

Created for the ArtsConnectEd iPad Challenge #2, this set is intended to teach high school level art students about the traditional beauty of the art of Indian textiles.

After viewing this presentation as an anticipatory set, students will create their own India inspired textile piece using the embroidery techniques of Shisha (lesson plan and detailed instructions are included). They will also learn how to use the ArtsConnectEd website and create their own Art Collector Set.

The detailed lesson plan, including the evaluation criteria, is attached as a PDF on the very last page of this presentation. There is also a PDF worksheet that details how to do the Shisha Embroidery Stitch as well.

Enjoy!!!

-Jenna Tanttila

Press the space bar for the next slide.

Coat

The textiles of India include a vast array of styles and techniques contingent upon the region or style period in history we are looking at. This lesson is focused mainly on the embroidery technique of Shisha, a brilliant example of Indian textile work used for centuries. Shisha Embroidery includes the use of glass mirrors in the textiles.

Artist: Artist Unknown (India)
Date: 20th century
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 43 1/4 x 48 in. (109.86 x 121.92 cm) (sleeves extended)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2001.288

More Info

What is Embroidery?

Embroidery is an age old traditional technique that uses strings of various materials and a needle. The thread is sewn onto the fabric with careful and deliberate needlework techniques, often times creating an intricate pattern or a picture onto the fabric. A wide variety of materials can be used in place of fabric; for example, leather.

Embroidery serves a purpose greater than to make the piece attractive. It serves as a form of self expression, of spiritual awareness, and is functional also in that it strengthens the cloth, making items that get a lot of use (dresses, shirts, shawls, etc.) much more durable.

Artist: Artist Unknown (India)
Date: 20th century
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 14 1/2 x 27 7/8 in. (36.83 x 70.8 cm)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 99.243.8

More Info

Making the Threads Colorful

Dyeing the colorful threads used in Shisha and other forms of embroidery in India is a very labor intensive task. Here we see a worker hauling the threads to be dyed. The threads must be carried between very hot and steamy basins of color where the dying occurs. These workers are creating blue threads.

More Info

Embroidery: An Ancient Art

Embroidery is a critical part of the textiles of India in addition to the use of dyes to create the colorful and detailed design patterns. Here we see images of people creating embroidered textiles.

Some pieces are very small and can be done while holding them in the lap while some pieces are so large they require a much larger loom to stretch out the fabric so that it is manageable.

More Info

Methods in Creating Textiles

Click here to get the Flash Player.

There are many methods used in addition to embroidery when the textiles of India are being created. Here are a few videos of craftsmen making textiles. Notice the amount of threads strung on the different looms and the careful precision needed to place them so they don't tangle.

More Info

Face Cover for a Horse

Even the animals used in everyday functional life were decorated with headpieces and blankets that included the same decorative embroidery used by the people of India in their own clothing and other various garments.

Shisha Embroidery was used widely in the desert tribes both on the animals and the people's garments. This was very functional as the reflective mirrors would shimmer and shine under the bright sun and made spotting an approaching tribe much easier in the vast landscape.

Artist: Artist Unknown (India)

Date: 20th century
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 12 x 12 in. (30.48 x 30.48 cm) (without tassels)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2005.136.39

More Info

Shisha Embroidery: Mirrors and Colorful Threads

Let's examine the art of Shisha Embroidery as seen here on the close up image of the "Face Cover for a Horse" textile piece.

The origins of Shisha Embroidery are traced back to Persia around the 13th century.
"Shisha" (shee-shaw) is the Persian word for "glass"
The sparkling glints of light seen on Shisha Embroidery come from the reflection of the glass mirrors that are stitched into the fabric.
Both beautiful as it is functional, the Shisha Embroidery technique is widely seen in both historical and modern textiles of India.
It is nearly a meditative experience to examine the mirrored shimmering reflection of the surface and the weight of the mirrors is heavy yet pliable when one holds a piece of Shisha Embroidery in their hands.

More Info

Bag

The reflective surfaces were originally created using mica flakes.

Later, it became custom to use glass in place of the mica flakes. Large hollow spheres of glass were blown and then shattered so that the small pieces could be embroidered on the garment.

The sharp edge on the mirrored glass that might cut the wearer is not a problem. The careful stitching process completely and thickly encompasses the perimeter so as to seal and lock the glass down against the fabric. This creates a smooth surface around the edges and the combined heaviness of the thread and reflective pieces make for a weighted garment to be used that is both durable and flexible.

Artist: Artist Unknown (India)
Date: 19th century
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 9 3/4 x 4 1/2 in. (24.77 x 11.43 cm)1/2 in. (1.27 cm) (fringe, bead fringe)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2005.136.31

More Info

More Examples of Shisha Embroidery

By clicking play on the image, you will watch a short YouTube video that shows examples of textiles of India, many of which include the Shisha Embroidery technique.

Notice the great amount of detail that is stitched into these garments. Some include details that are created by the use of dyes, which is another common characteristic of Indian textiles.

All are beautifully crafted. The material tightens and drapes on the body in perfect harmony and balance.

More Info

Bag

More examples of embroidered pieces. This bag is at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Mouse over the image and click the zoom tool on the top left to observe the details on this piece.

Artist: Artist Unknown (India)

Date: 19th century
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 3 3/4 x 3 3/8 in. (9.53 x 8.57 cm)1/2 in. (1.27 cm) (fringe)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2005.136.32

More Info

Blouse

While clothing is a very common place to find the Shisha Embroidery technique implemented, it is also used on a multitude of other items.

Everything from animal blankets and head pieces (as we examined in an earlier slide) to decorative blankets and pillows can be embroidered with the Shisha technique.

The embellishments on Indian textiles consist of heavily patterned and decoratively meandering embroidered and dyed designs that are rooted in a long history of tradition that is continued still today.

Artist: Artist Unknown (Rajput group)
Date: c. 1960
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 18 x 40 1/2 in. (45.72 x 102.87 cm)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2005.136.38

More Info

Woman's Wedding/Festival Blouses

More examples of garments used in celebration ceremonies.

Mouse over the images to enlarge them to better see the detail.

Artist: Artist Unknown (India)
Date: c. 1975
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 19 x 36 1/2 in. (48.26 x 92.71 cm)10 1/2 in. (26.67 cm) (object part, width at bottom of body)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2004.169.79

More Info

Toran

The heavily decorated surface of this toran includes shisha embroidery on the second hanging pendent from the right.

A toran is an embellished door hanging.

Artist: Artist Unknown (India)
Date: 20th century
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 18 1/8 x 38 1/4 in. (46.04 x 97.16 cm) (without tassels)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2002.191.1

More Info

Skirts

Imagine how these skirts would shimmer and shine as the person wearing them moves because of the little mirrors sewn on with the Shisha Embroidery technique.

Artist: Artist Unknown (Jat)
Date: c. 1970
Medium: Textiles, Textile-Surface Ornamentation
Size: 31 x 104 in. (78.74 x 264.16 cm)
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Accession #: 2002.280.69

More Info

Women of India

Here are images of women wearing garments that include Shisha Embroidery. Notice the heavily patterned and colorful materials and threads that are used. Embellishments such as jewelry are added to compliment the garments and are customary to wear.

More Info

Shisha Embroidery is Versatile

Shisha Embroidery adds a decorative flair to many modern day crafts. Here we see an embroidered stone and also an embroidered pillow ornament, showing that Shisha Embroidery can be both aesthetically decorative and also functional.

More Info

How to do the Mirror Stitch and Embroidery

Click here to get the Flash Player.

These two videos present a short demonstration on how to do a simplified version of the mirror stitch and also the embroidery techniques need to create a Shisha Embroidery piece.

More Info

Lesson Plan

Below you will find the formal lesson plan that details how this would actually be used in the classroom setting from start to finish.

The last page of this presentation set has an attached PDF version of this lesson plan that you can print and use. There is also a PDF worksheet you can print out that shows how to do the stitches. An evaluation form is attached that you can make copies of as well.

For your convenience, here is a link to this ArtsConnectEd set:

http://www.artsconnected.org/resource/127450/textiles-of-india-stitches-of-vitality

Topic: Shisha Embroidery: The Textiles of India

Project: Students will learn about the ArtsConnectEd program/website and how to navigate it. Students will create an ArtsConnectEd presentation based on the textile art of India. Students will also learn how to do Shisha Embroidery and will create a unique textile piece that functions as a bracelet.

Rationale: It is necessary and important for students to learn about the arts and cultures from around the world. Students become more globally marketable when they have a knowledge base that encompasses the world beyond that which they experience day to day. Students will also be learning about the ArtsConnectEd program and will become more literate in technology and can use this as a tool for future endeavors.

Goals: This lesson helps to satisfy the following Minnesota State Academic Visual Arts Standards: 9.1.1.5.1, 9.1.1.5.2, 9.1.1.5.3, 9.1.1.5.4, 9.1.2.5.1, 9.1.3.5.2, 9.2.1.5.1, 9.3.1.5.1, 9.3.1.5.3, 9.4.1.5.1, 9.4.1.5.2.

Objectives: Students will:

Participate in a lecture/discussion and view an ArtsConnectEd presentation on the textiles of India.
Understand how the culture in India encompasses certain designs and items into both their everyday and spiritual items and garments.
Learn about the art of Shisha Embroidery and be able to recognize and name this technique when spotted in their own life.
Use the ArtsConnectEd website to do their own research on Shisha Embroidery and other Indian Textiles and create an Art Collector Set based on the findings of their research.
Create a bracelet that uses the Shisha Embroidery technique which they can wear and use in their everyday lives. Students will understand how to use the Shisha Embroidery technique.

Grade level: 9-12

Approximate time: Approximately 6 fifty-minute class periods from start to finish:

1 class period for lecture/ArtsConnectEd presentation/discussion/thoughts/questions.
1 class period for student training on the ArtsConnectEd website and for work to begin on their research.
1 class period for students to work on their ArtsConnectEd presentation set.
.5 class period for demonstration of the Shisha Embroidery techniques.
2.5 class periods for work time/finishing time.

Historical & Cultural Context: During the introduction of the lesson, students will learn about the textile art of India and will gain an appreciation of this culture’s artistic styles. Students will listen to a lecture detailing the facts that are being taught. Then they will also be shown YouTube videos that show the traditional garments of India and also will see a video that details and demonstrates how to create their own Shisha Embroidery piece. Students will be viewing an ArtsConnectEd presentation that will show pieces of Indian Textiles that are at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as well as other images of the craftspeople who create them.

Strategy: A variety of instructional strategies will be used in the teaching of this lesson so that different learning styles will be addressed. The teacher will clearly state all the information/directions in a lecture so that audible learner’s needs are met; the teacher will hand out directions written down on worksheets so that literary learner’s needs are met; and the teacher will do demonstrations of the project techniques so that visual learner’s needs will be met. Kinetic learners will be working with their hands both on the computers and with the actual art project we will be making. Special adaptations will be made for students who need them.

Vocabulary: Shisha, Embroidery, Textile, Functional and Decorative Art, Culture

Materials: Heavy wool felt in multiple colors, cotton string in multiple colors, needles with larger eye holes, large round flat sequins, small round flat sequins, variety of buttons, examples of Shisha Embroidered textile pieces, examples of the Shisha Embroidered bracelet project, ArtsConnectEd presentation set, doc cam, worksheets detailing how to create the mirror stitch and also how to create an embroidered design (This for students to use as a quick reference as they work. They can take these worksheets home with them so that they can make another project using these techniques in the future).

Anticipatory Set: The lesson will be introduced with a presentation using the prepared ArtsConnectEd presentation set. Students will listen to a lecture and ask questions as needed. Examples of Shisha Embroidery pieces will be passed around the room as the textiles are being discussed. This presentation includes a few links to external webpages which will also be visited briefly and also a few YouTube videos that will be played to further pique student’s attention.

Procedures: The lesson will be conducted using the following steps:

The teacher will show the class an ArtsConnectEd prepared presentation on the art of Textiles from India. The class will participate in an active discussion about this art form. Examples of Shisha Embroidered textile pieces will be passed around for students to get a tangible experience of what we are learning about. Many images will also be shown via the presentation.
Students will be informed that we will be creating our own Shisha Embroidered textile piece as our next project. Students will learn how to embroider “mirrors” (actually just large flat sequins) onto fabric and also learn how to embroider decorative patterns around the sequins to look authentic. Students will learn how to create a slit in one end and attach a button on the other so that this becomes a functionally wearable piece.
Students will be told that before they can begin the Shisha Embroidery bracelet, they must learn how to use ArtsConnectEd as a research/informational tool to learn more about this kind of art. Students will be “trained” on how to use this website and then will spend some time creating their own Art Collector Set. This will solidify the information on the history and culture of the textiles of India.
Hand-outs will be given that detail the mirror stitch. Students will first practice drawing with our pencils the direction, order, and pattern that students need to learn to successfully attach the sequins to the fabric. After practicing a few times, the teacher will use a doc cam to actually demonstrate the stitch so all can see. Students will then try it for real and will practice a few times on a scrap piece of fabric.
The teacher will demonstrate how to create designs using the embroidery technique again, using the doc cam so that all can see clearly. The teacher will emphasize good technique like the proper way to hold onto the thread and needle as the sewing is occurring so that the thread does not slide out of the eye of the needle. The teacher will also stress balance and repetition as two very important things to consider when creating their pieces. Students will practice their embroidery on the scrap piece of felt before continuing on to their real project.
The teacher will demonstrate how to measure the appropriate size needed to create the bracelet by wrapping the fabric around the wrist. The teacher will demonstrate how to create a small slit in one end of the piece that will serve as the button hole. The teacher will demonstrate how to sew a button on to the other end of the piece so that the piece can function as a bracelet. This will again be done on the doc cam for ease of visibility.
Students will begin working on their projects. Examples of previously made bracelet projects will be out on display for their observation and inspiration if needed. The teacher will be circulating around the room and assisting students and guiding them as needed as they work on their textile pieces.

Closure: We will summarize this lesson by laying out all of the pieces we have created and walking around to see all that was made. Everyone will have a unique variation of this project which they have created and it will be interesting to examine the other ideas that were made. Students will discuss and critique their projects with each other and will share ideas as well. Students will get to leave with a piece of wearable art and a wealth of knowledge on how to create a Shisha Embroidered textile piece, as well as information on another culture’s art forms. Students will have experienced ArtsConnectEd and will know it can be used as an excellent research/learning tool.

Clean-up: It is important that all needles get returned to the proper container so no risk of injury is presented to the students and the materials are conserved for future use. Students will throw away any scraps of fabric or string they do not need and is deemed too small to be used in a future project.

Assessment: Students will be given a rubric at the beginning of the lesson that details how they will be assessed for this project. The grading rubric will appear as follows:

50 Points Possible: 25 possible points for Shisha Embroidered Bracelet and 25 possible points for ArtsConnectEd presentation set

Shisha Embroidered Bracelet (25 points possible)

Use of class time/Participation in discussion 5 points possible

Accurate use of the Shisha Embroidery stitch is included 6 points possible

Accurate use of decorative embroidered techniques is included 6 points possible

Neatly created button closure that is functional 4 points possible

Overall craftsmanship/Neat and clean finished product 4 point possible

ArtsConnectEd Art Collector Presentation (25 points possible)

Use of class time 5 points possible

Includes at least 5 images from Minneapolis Institute of Arts Indian textile collection. 5 points possible

Includes at least 5 images from Flickr relevant to this topic 5 points possible

Includes at least 2 YouTube videos relevant to this topic 5 points possible

Includes custom made annotations throughout the set describing the collection that was made. 5 points possible

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas!!!

This presentation and lesson plan is only a starting point in the world of Shisha Embroidery. There are so many possibilities for more project ideas or variations on this technique. Use this as a starting point and expand to include your own creative variations! Here are a few additional resources that showcase excellent examples of project ideas and variations of this idea.

To learn more about textiles in general, I recommend visiting the Minnesota Textile Center in Minneapolis. Visit their website to learn more on Indian textiles: www.textilecentermn.org

Books available on Shisha Embroidery:

Shisha Mirror Embroidery, a Contemporary Approach, by Jean Simpson.

Shisha Embroidery, Traditional Indian Mirror Work, by Nancy D. Gross and Frank Fontana

Sheesha Embroidery, A Work Book, by Surjeet Husain

More Info

Indian Art: Teaching the Arts

More information for teachers.

Follow the URL link to learn about other aspects of the art of India you may wish to include to compliment this lesson and information.

Artist: Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Date: January 2004
Medium: Web
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
URL: http://artsmia.org/education/teacher-resources/fivefacts.cfm?v=6

More Info

Dyeing to Please: Arts Magazine

We take fabric for granted. We wear it on our backs, it covers our couches, it hangs from our curtain rods. And yet the bounty and variety of beautiful dyed and printed fabrics that are available today point to a rich and colorful worldwide history."Dyeing to Please" is an exhibition celebrating both the creative genius of the world's great dye artists throughout history and the lust of demanding consumers for beautifully patterned cloth. The more than 60 pieces on view, from September 27 to April 1998, display the skill of highly trained and specialized urban artisans as well as the vitality of rural dye masters.We believe many remarkable dyeing processes were first developed in Asia. The elaborate resist-dyed ikats from Central Asia were produced in 19th-century Bukarha, a city where several colorists, including Jewish indigo dyers, worked with Islamic weavers to create costly cloth for rich merchants and nomadic tribal leaders.In Indonesia the technique of wax-resist batik became so refined that both realistic figures and abstract patterns could be created with equal ease to please local and export markets. An Indian bride's veil, a Rajput warrior's turban, and a Japanese woman's fine silk kimono, all included in "Dyeing to Please," are all brilliant testimonies to the tie-dyeing masters' attention to the subtleties of their art.Two thousand years ago, Peruvians, among the world's foremost textile specialists, were patterning their fine cotton cloth with the tie-dye resist technique and had mastered the arts of printing and painting textiles long before the Europeans arrived in the Americas. For the last several hundred years, bold ikat-dyed threads have been used by master weavers to create fine wool ponchos for Andean men. Meanwhile, in Guatemala the female descendants of Mayan dyers, now working in Salcaja, and the male weavers of Totonicapan prefer to emphasize the subtle effects of this technique as they create intricately patterned cotton skirts.During the first century A.D., the Roman historian Pliny described Egyptian cloth that also may have been created by a tie-dye resist technique. Today this technique continues to be popular in Africa and has been developed in a particularly distinctive form by the dyers of West Africa where indigo-dyed adire cloth for clothing is highly valued by both men and women. Their designs have become so popular that other Africans have begun to imitate the look through printing techniques. Meanwhile, today's American print manufacturers have been inspired by the paste-resist, mud-dyed fabrics of Mali to create everything from furnishing fabrics to dress fabrics.For centuries European dye masters disdained learning the subtleties of patterning, and block-printed fabrics were made for the lower end of the market. During the later Middle Ages, priests officiating at the death beds of plague victims wore printed chasubles made of the most inexpensive materials, which could then be burned after the death of the plague victim. However, by the end of the 18th century, the growing number of fine imported Indian printed and painted textiles proved that a commercial potential existed for these fabrics.Indeed, French, Dutch, and English manufacturers devoted considerable resources toward research and development that would enable them to compete in this area of textile production. The result was the creation of new and ingenious technologies, which not only gave designers additional tools to create extraordinary fabrics but cut costs, making printed textiles affordable to a much broader audience. These industrially printed textiles were seized upon by a grateful public that craved novelty, and by 1836 even American mills were manufacturing about 12,000,000 yards annually. The popularity of printed fabrics has continued into the 20th century. As one of the most readily available forms of decorative art, they have had a profound influence on popular costume and furnishing styles.Reflecting cultural, geographical, and historical aesthetic preferences, the objects in this exhibition tell us of the time, technology, material resources, and extraordinary energy that have been directed by textile specialists who are ever dyeing to please.Lotus Stack is textile curator and chair of the curatorial division.How they dye it
Historic dyeing practices necessitated total immersion in a dye bath. To create patterns, various resist processes were developed. One of the oldest is called tie-dye. Using this method, desired patterned areas of the cloth are tightly tied with string or cord in such a way that the dye liquid cannot penetrate the textile. The resulting patterns are often delineated by small dots.Ikat is a unique variation of the tie-dye resist method. Using this technique, designated sections of unwoven threads are tied off to resist absorption of the dye liquid. Elaborate patterns developed in Central Asia sometimes required up to eight trying sequences and dye baths. The resulting multicolored threads were sent to the weavers who were able to create intricately patterned cloth on the simplest types of looms.Another form of resist dyeing involves applying a temporary paste to patterned areas of the fabric and thus preventing the absorption of color. The paste must be made of a material that will not dissolve in the dye bath but can be removed after the pattern effect has been achieved. The best known form of this type of dyeing is called batik and employs a wax paste. Printing and painting are not resist techniques, because with these techniques the dye is applied to the surface of the cloth."Dyeing to Please"
Galleries 376, 377 and 378
On view from September 27 to April, 1998.Related ImagesMany fabrics of the 20th century have an international flair. Chimu, produced by American Jack Lenor Larsen, was conceived by English designer Eliza Wilcox, made with Swiss velvet, and dyed in Kenya using traditional West African fold dying techniques. Loaned by Larsen, Inc. Intricately patterned ikat fabrics, valued by city dwellers and nomadic herders of Central Asia, were made into formal robes, ceremonial bed coverings and ornamental wall hangings used for special occasions. The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip FundArtisans in Mogul India developed, painted, and printed fabrics into elegant and refined forms, which were the envy of the world and inspired European manufacturers to develop an entire new industry. This 19th-century hanging reflects Islamic cultures' love of gardens. The Dunwoody FundFor more than 2,000 years Peruvian dyers have created patterned cotton cloths. This tie-dyed fragment from about 1300 represents the aesthetic preferences of late Huari culture. Gift of Nobuko Kajitani

Artist: Lotus Stack
Date: 1997
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Arts

More Info

<div style="width:140px; height:120px;"><div style="position:relative; width:93.24px; height:79.92px; margin-left:0px; margin-top:0px;"><div class="gallery_item_text" style="width:135px; height:115px;" >We take fabric for granted. We wear it on our backs, it covers our couches, it hangs from our curtain rods. And yet the bounty and variety of beautiful dyed and printed fabrics that are available today point to a rich and colorful worldwide history."Dyeing to Please" is an exhibition celebrating both the creative genius of the world's great dye artists throughout history and the lust of demanding consumers for beautifully patterned cloth. The more than 60 pieces on view, from September 27 to April 1998, display the skill of highly trained and specialized urban artisans as well as the vitality of rural dye masters.We believe many remarkable dyeing processes were first developed in Asia. The elaborate resist-dyed ikats from Central Asia were produced in 19th-century Bukarha, a city where several colorists, including Jewish indigo dyers, worked with Islamic weavers to create costly cloth for rich merchants and nomadic tribal leaders.In Indonesia the technique of wax-resist batik became so refined that both realistic figures and abstract patterns could be created with equal ease to please local and export markets. An Indian bride's veil, a Rajput warrior's turban, and a Japanese woman's fine silk kimono, all included in "Dyeing to Please," are all brilliant testimonies to the tie-dyeing masters' attention to the subtleties of their art.Two thousand years ago, Peruvians, among the world's foremost textile specialists, were patterning their fine cotton cloth with the tie-dye resist technique and had mastered the arts of printing and painting textiles long before the Europeans arrived in the Americas. For the last several hundred years, bold ikat-dyed threads have been used by master weavers to create fine wool ponchos for Andean men. Meanwhile, in Guatemala the female descendants of Mayan dyers, now working in Salcaja, and the male weavers of Totonicapan prefer to emphasize the subtle effects of this technique as they create intricately patterned cotton skirts.During the first century A.D., the Roman historian Pliny described Egyptian cloth that also may have been created by a tie-dye resist technique. Today this technique continues to be popular in Africa and has been developed in a particularly distinctive form by the dyers of West Africa where indigo-dyed adire cloth for clothing is highly valued by both men and women. Their designs have become so popular that other Africans have begun to imitate the look through printing techniques. Meanwhile, today's American print manufacturers have been inspired by the paste-resist, mud-dyed fabrics of Mali to create everything from furnishing fabrics to dress fabrics.For centuries European dye masters disdained learning the subtleties of patterning, and block-printed fabrics were made for the lower end of the market. During the later Middle Ages, priests officiating at the death beds of plague victims wore printed chasubles made of the most inexpensive materials, which could then be burned after the death of the plague victim. However, by the end of the 18th century, the growing number of fine imported Indian printed and painted textiles proved that a commercial potential existed for these fabrics.Indeed, French, Dutch, and English manufacturers devoted considerable resources toward research and development that would enable them to compete in this area of textile production. The result was the creation of new and ingenious technologies, which not only gave designers additional tools to create extraordinary fabrics but cut costs, making printed textiles affordable to a much broader audience. These industrially printed textiles were seized upon by a grateful public that craved novelty, and by 1836 even American mills were manufacturing about 12,000,000 yards annually. The popularity of printed fabrics has continued into the 20th century. As one of the most readily available forms of decorative art, they have had a profound influence on popular costume and furnishing styles.Reflecting cultural, geographical, and historical aesthetic preferences, the objects in this exhibition tell us of the time, technology, material resources, and extraordinary energy that have been directed by textile specialists who are ever dyeing to please.Lotus Stack is textile curator and chair of the curatorial division.How they dye it Historic dyeing practices necessitated total immersion in a dye bath. To create patterns, various resist processes were developed. One of the oldest is called tie-dye. Using this method, desired patterned areas of the cloth are tightly tied with string or cord in such a way that the dye liquid cannot penetrate the textile. The resulting patterns are often delineated by small dots.Ikat is a unique variation of the tie-dye resist method. Using this technique, designated sections of unwoven threads are tied off to resist absorption of the dye liquid. Elaborate patterns developed in Central Asia sometimes required up to eight trying sequences and dye baths. The resulting multicolored threads were sent to the weavers who were able to create intricately patterned cloth on the simplest types of looms.Another form of resist dyeing involves applying a temporary paste to patterned areas of the fabric and thus preventing the absorption of color. The paste must be made of a material that will not dissolve in the dye bath but can be removed after the pattern effect has been achieved. The best known form of this type of dyeing is called batik and employs a wax paste. Printing and painting are not resist techniques, because with these techniques the dye is applied to the surface of the cloth."Dyeing to Please" Galleries 376, 377 and 378 On view from September 27 to April, 1998.Related ImagesMany fabrics of the 20th century have an international flair. Chimu, produced by American Jack Lenor Larsen, was conceived by English designer Eliza Wilcox, made with Swiss velvet, and dyed in Kenya using traditional West African fold dying techniques. Loaned by Larsen, Inc. Intricately patterned ikat fabrics, valued by city dwellers and nomadic herders of Central Asia, were made into formal robes, ceremonial bed coverings and ornamental wall hangings used for special occasions. The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip FundArtisans in Mogul India developed, painted, and printed fabrics into elegant and refined forms, which were the envy of the world and inspired European manufacturers to develop an entire new industry. This 19th-century hanging reflects Islamic cultures' love of gardens. The Dunwoody FundFor more than 2,000 years Peruvian dyers have created patterned cotton cloths. This tie-dyed fragment from about 1300 represents the aesthetic preferences of late Huari culture. Gift of Nobuko Kajitani</div></div><div style="position:relative; width:93.24px; height:79.92px; margin-left:46.62px; margin-top:-39.96px;"><div class="unzoomed_thumbnail" style="width:93.24px; height:79.92px;"><img class="inline_img fake_1" src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1156/783621507_48a6187d34_q.jpg" height_offset="0" style=" border: 1px black; position:relative; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"/></div></div></div>

Special Thanks.....

I would like to express a special thanks to the many talented photographers who submit their work to Flickr. Their images enriched this ArtsConnectEd presentation and help to teach our students about the life, culture, and art of India.

Select images from Elisham's Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elishams/767521240/in/faves-jennatanttila/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elishams/772553977/in/faves-jennatanttila/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elishams/783621507/in/faves-jennatanttila/

Select images from Syaza's Photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/syazajia/4417319836/in/faves-jennatanttila/

Select images from Cloudlbep's photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25399674@N00/4182079415/in/faves-jennatanttila/

Select images from Karen Cattoire's photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14552556@N06/2307420532/in/faves-jennatanttila/

Select images from angel7dream's photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/angela7/76188632/in/faves-jennatanttila/

Select images from designldg's photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/designldg/4736866495/in/faves-jennatanttila/

Select images from Anoop Negi's photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezee123/3670984925/in/faves-jennatanttila/

Select images from Erratic Needle's photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erraticneedle/4807892255/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erraticneedle/3992293791/

You have reached the end of the slideshow.

Please close the window or start over.

Attachments:
Diagram of Shisha Embroidery Stitches (Worksheet) (pdf)

Print out copies of this to give to students. This will serve as a great resource for them to refer to while they are working on their projects.

*Be sure to right click on the link and choose 'open in a new window' so that you can come back to this page to grab the other pdf.

Shisha Embroidery Lesson Plan (pdf)

Here is the formal lesson plan for the Shisha Embroidery project.

*Be sure to right click on the link and choose 'open in a new window' so that you can come back to this page to grab the other pdf.