Chikankari Mul Chanderi Dress Material Pink Green Jaali Yoke

An unstitched chikankari dress material from Lucknow ivory cotton kurta fabric with a hand embroidered yoke of pink lattice jaali framed in mehndi green stitchwork soft pink and green floral butis trailing down the body and a light dupatta carrying scattered butis of its own Hand chikankari is easy to verify once you know where to look Examine the pink lattice in true jaali work the embroiderer parts the cloth s threads with the needle and binds the openings nothing is cut so the mesh cells are soft edged and vary slightly in size Machine made chikan punches perfectly uniform holes Compare any two butis stitch density and petal shape differ a little from flower to flower each one the work of a few minutes of hand needlework And on the reverse you may find faint printed outlines the embroiderer followed they wash out and they are a hallmark of genuine Lucknow work Chikankari has been embroidered in and around Lucknow for over two centuries a craft passed largely between women working from home in the city s old quarters A yoke this dense represents many evenings of phanda knots jaali and stem stitch Tailor it into your favourite silhouette the pastel pink green pairing suits daytime functions summer office wear and Eid or Teej gatherings alike Finish with kolhapuris and a potli bag