Developing our new Crewel Embroidery Range of bags with Navaraj and Sadaf

This year, I developed a small range of cotton bags with a palm leaf embroidery design with our producer Navaraj and his team. The embroidery is completed by Sadaf at his nearby workshop who specialises in crewel and fine embroidery who I was really excited to find and work with for the first time!

The crewel technique is free embroidery that can be done on a sewing machine with a chain stitch. The design is printed onto paper and pin-prick holes are neatly punched around the edge of the design.  This is dusted with chalk to allow the design to be marked onto the cotton bag fabric below so the machinist can see the design to follow.

Sadaf and his machinists are a whizz at creating these designs, following the design markings on each bit of fabric to create my design, which Navaraj then stitches into the bag designs.