Blue kantha on dark blue tunic-4

This tunic also as a motif below the yoke borders.

B&B kan-motif pattern

The motif worked with medium blue, dull gold and white threads.

B&B kan-m1

The motif looked like this after working with dark pink thread.

B&B kan-m2

Some more running stitch filling and stem stitch outlines were done with medium blue and light blue threads.

B&B kan-m3

The motif, after working the antique gold beads inside stem stitches.

B&B kan-m4

The completed tunic-
The yoke with printed fabric-

B&B kan-tunic yoke

The tunic-

B&B tunic

The sleeves with printed border.

B&B kan-tunic sleeve

I wear this tunic with light blue [same shade as the printed fabric base] leggings. I do tend to work with these colours quite often!

 

Blue kantha on dark blue tunic-3

The pattern for yoke was similar to the sleeves, except for the dark pink details.

B&B kan-pattern yoke

Filling done on part of the squares.

B&B kan-y1

Triangles on the border worked with the same blue thread.

B&B kan -y2

After working with light blue thread and dull gold thread. The centre space is for the printed light blue fabric.

B&B kan-y3

 

Blue kantha on dark blue tunic-2

The crosses done with dull gold cotton skein were worked with running stitch filling in dark pink thread.

B&B kan-s4

The medium shade blue thread was used for lining the oval shapes over the dark pink circles. These  were worked in stem stitch. light blue thread was worked on other part of the triangles on the squares and the border lines.

B&B kan-s5

Tiny antique beads were added inside the oval shapes. The picture is out of focus here.

B&B kan -s6

After completing the embroidery on the sleeves, they were placed on the printed light blue fabric which will the border the sleeves.

B&B kan -s7

 

Blue kantha on dark blue tunic-1

I was inspired by tunics embellished by simple Kantha embroidery of Bengal. This embroidery was done mainly on sleeves and front of the tunic. The chosen tunic fabric was dark blue striped Mangalagiri handloom cotton. I had this block printed light blue fabric, which I used for the sleeve border and yoke.
The sleeves-
A geometrical border was drawn on graph sheet.

B&B kan-sleeve pattern

The used two strands of cotton skeins in two shades of blue, gold and dark pink. Kantha embroidery is running stitch worked on various patterns. The work looks like weave at some places. Starting with medium blue,

B&B kan-s-1

The triangles which form the square are also worked with this blue-

B&B kan-s2

Then moved on to golden colour skein

B&B kan-s3

 

Multi coloured cream yoke-2

Chain stitches were worked with bluish green thread.

mccreamyk-3

The curves connecting the border and the small squares were worked in chain stitches with light green thread

mccreamyk-4

The closer look of the embroidery.

mccreamyk-closeup

I gave this embroidered yoke to my friend.it was hard choosing colours without seeing the background fabric, because I sometimes get inspired by seeing the fabric to be embroidered. I generally use colours similar to vegetable dye ,which is important aspect of kalamkari fabrics, to work , but this time it was different

 

Multi coloured cream yoke-1

An acquaintance of mine wanted an embroidered yoke in cream. She said that her cream based kalamkari fabric needed a multi coloured embroidered yoke. Since I had not seen the fabric, the colours were chosen on the basis of matching it with cream/gray/black.
The embroidery was done with, chain, herringbone filling, back stitch and double cross stitches. Starting with dark blue thread-

mccreamyk-1

Then moved on to dark pink, majenta, medium blue

mccreamyk-2

 

Indigo print on yellow tunic-2

The yoke and the neckline worked with mirror outlines-

Ipyellow-4 neckline

Another outline for mirrors were worked with pink and gold zari thread.

Ipyellow-5

Yoke with large mirrors worked in four strands of blue cotton skein.

Ipyellow-6

The small mirrors on the neckline were worked in two strands. Light blue cone thread was couched down around the neckline and yoke.

Ipyellow-7

The yoke placed on the fabric

Ipyellow-8 yoke on tunic

The completed tunic.

Indigo print on yellow tunic

The fabric looks different, because I wanted avoid my reflection, flash and light source from the window on the mirrors. This tunic is ideal to be worn with blue jeans or leggings or salwars.

 

Indigo print on yellow tunic-1

This tunic fabric is soft handloom cotton in mustard yellow colour and on it are large block printed floral prints in Indigo blue.

Ipyellow-tunic fabric

The idea was, to embroider neckline and yoke with large and medium round mirrors.This yoke fabric was indigo blue with small stripes in black, which was perfect.

Embroidery details-
The spaces in between the mirror placements were embroidered in Cretan stitch filling in yellow colour of the tunic fabric.

Ipyellow-1

The yoke part- the Cretan fillings were outlined with zari[metallic] thread. The mirror circles were also outlined in chain stitch with majenta cone thread.

Ipyellow-2

 

 

 

Embroidery, tunic, border pattern, bead work,own design

The tailor had given me the centre piece of the tunic fabric to work the yoke. I was eager to start the embroidery, but forgot to take picture after each thread. The threads used were cotton skeins and metallic threads in green and copper and gold. The yoke-

gregold-y1

The yoke after completion with beads and sequins.

gregold-y2

The pattern for the yoke-

gregold-ypattern

The tunic-

gregold-t1

Sleeves-

gregold-t2

Yoke-

gregold-t3

I wear this tunic with same yellow fabric of the borders. This kind of colour combination is typical of south Indian silk sarees. I love this tunic and enjoyed working on this.

 

Green tunic with beads-4

Sequins and beads were added to the outer borders worked in chain stitches.

gregold-s7

The borders are completed and were placed on the tunic .

gregold-sleeves

The border pattern

gregold-spattern