Kadwa or Cutwork: Banarasi Weaving Techniques Explained

A rich vibrant world of Asian textiles is one that has captivated people for decades. One of the most renowned and admired categories of Indian textiles is the fabric known as Ikat, which originates from a city of Varanasi, also known as Banaras. It's a fabric that boasts some of the most delicate and beautiful weaving techniques, two of which are the Cutwork, which are often misused interchangeably.

Kadwork are a technique utilized in Banarasi weaving, characteristic of intricate floral patterns crafted by hand. The term 'kad' is an Urdu word, which translates to 'to cut'. However, differing cutwork and crewel embroidery from other regions, the outcome of Kadwork in Banarasi fabric features motifs in light design threads Kurta pant set with dupatta against a primarily dark-contrasting setting. Also known as the "flower weaving technique", a standard feature of classic Banarasi fabrics. This labor-intensive process involves threading an intricately designed needle again and again, which makes each and every floral design unique. Since these patterns need additional careful efforts to prevent thread breakage, expert artisans are preferred while working on precise designs in Kadwork pattern.

Cutwork is a form of needlework that utilizes small shears or a special hand tool known as a "scissor-like tool" and relies on the material removal of threads to demonstrate relief in design compared to the others like kadwork that uses single thread on plain weaving machine and cutwork in a broader sense, seems relatively simple but actually entails several technical aspects like maintaining an uniform pressure on woven fabric so both professional and professional tailor appears to take this care while sewing cutwork whereas on the other hand, the other option depends on the emplacement of threading.

The difference between Cutwork techniques is Kadwork is traditionally linked to the weavers of Banaras who put up fastidious patterns on the fabric, and Cutwork weavers mostly depend upon hand-tinkering on the design by hand as part of a small industry on the fabric rather. In theory, their procedures and outcomes can transform in distinction substantially, and both techniques can be apparent on numerous fabrics.