Embroidery - Calangute, Goa
The making of machine embroidery on t-shirts and bags – a blueprint of the design required for the embroidery is taken first (the design is traced on a butter paper). Embroidery hoop is fixed to a black Cora cloth and the excess cloth that comes out of hoop is cut off with a pair of scissors for better control and less trouble of the hoop while embroidering. This hoop with black Cora cloth is then attached to a t-shirt or to a cloth where the design has to be stitched. The embroidery hoop holds the main t-shirt/cloth that has to be stitched below which the black Cora cloth is attached to prevent t-shirt from tearing and for the stitch to sit stiff. The threads used are silk threads imported from Mumbai (Bombay), once the threads are set to the embroidery machine the design needed to be stitched is acquired on the t-shirt.
To trace the design onto a t-shirt – the design is first copied on to a butter paper, outlines of the designs are pierced with small holes with help of sharp needles. After marking the outlines on butter paper it is placed on top of the hoop, a mixture of Kerosene and Chalk powder paste is spread over butter paper to get the outlines of the designs from butter paper on to the t-shirts. These outlines become reference for the embroidery to begin. The embroidery begins on the outlines initially and the outlines are later filled with lighter shades and contrasting color threads. Kerosene is poured on bobbin for the smooth flow of threads. Speed of running embroidery machine is according to the thickness of lines in design and the tailor person’s skills of working on Embroidery machine also adds to the finishing of embroidery work. More experience adds to the better finishing of complex designs. With the finishing outlines and highlights the embroidered t-shirt is ready, with the help of a lighter excess thread is burnt. The hoop is removed once the embroidery work is all done. The stitches are called Zig-Zag. This kind of machine embroidery is identical in Goa for its unique design style that they have been following. Few design inspirations are from the epic book Ramayana. Since Goa is a tourist’s destination the designs have got its influence from visitors as well. Hence the designs are diverse. The place welcomes more proposals and ideas to improvise on designs and utility of this embroidery.
