Aari work
Chain-stitch embroidery worked with a hooked needle.
आरी
What it is
Aari work is embroidery made with a long needle that ends in a small hook, also called an aari. The hook pulls thread up through stretched fabric from above, producing a fine, continuous chain stitch.
The same needle can carry silk, metallic thread, beads or sequins. This makes it flexible. It can draw a delicate vine or fill a dense field of colour.
How it is made
- 1MountThe cloth is stretched evenly on a frame.
- 2TraceThe motif is transferred to the cloth.
- 3ChainThe artisan works from above, driving the hooked needle through the cloth and drawing a loop of thread back up. Each loop locks the last.
- 4FillShapes are filled with rows of chain stitch worked close together.
- 5AddBeads and sequins are threaded on the hook and set in place.
The tradition
Aari embroidery is practised across India. It is well known in Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It shares a lineage with tambour work, which uses the same hooked-needle principle.
How to recognise quality
- Chain stitches are even in size and tension.
- Lines flow without wobble or gaps.
- The reverse shows a neat, secure underside.
- Dense fills lie flat and do not bunch the cloth.
Care
- Dry clean recommended.
- Store folded with tissue to protect the loops from snagging.
- Avoid rough surfaces and jewellery clasps while wearing.