Game Boards in Kasuti Embroidery

The Kasuti of Karnataka state seems like an all embracing world, the motifs range from architecture to a cradle, from an elephant to a squirrel, the tulsi platform, nandi - the sacred bull etc.

Stitches in kasuti have to be vertical, horizontal or diagonal and the lines or the motifs have to be completed on the return journey filling the blank partitions. It is done in two types of stitches, the gavanti line (double running stitch) and murgi (zig zag) done within the darning stitch, akin to gavanti. In both, the two sides are neat and identical. Neyge (weaving in kannada) is the ordinary running stitch which is used for large designs and the overall effect is of a woven design by weft threads.Kasuti shows up best on thick materials against dark shades.

Excerpts from Handicrafts of India

by Kamala Devi chattopadhyaya

The designers at RKP have used raw silk cloth and 80gms of silk cloth with woven borders incorporating both gavanti and murgi technique to create these embroidered game boards.

http://kreedaakaushalya.blogspot.com/2008/05/game-boards-in-kasuti-embroidery.html