Maharashtra SSC Hand Embroidery (MSBSHSE) key terms

A blunt-tipped, large-eyed hand needle used for embroidery on woven fabrics because its rounded point passes between yarns instead of splitting them.

A medium-length embroidery needle with a sharp point and an elongated eye, suited to woollen and cotton threads used in crewel and surface work.

A short, thick needle with a sharp point and a large eye, chosen when bulky threads or ribbon must pass through closely woven fabric.

A pair of concentric rings, usually wood or plastic, that hold fabric taut while stitches are worked and prevent puckering or distortion.

A rectangular wooden frame to which fabric is laced or tacked under tension, giving even working tension for large embroidered panels.

A divisible embroidery thread made of six loosely twisted lustrous strands, used with two to three strands for most fine surface stitches.

The short length of thread secured at the back of the work before stitching begins, giving a clean start without a visible knot.

A simple straight stitch worked by passing the needle in and out of the fabric at regular intervals, used for outlining, quilting and gathering.

A firm line stitch made by bringing the needle up ahead of the previous stitch and returning to meet it, producing a continuous unbroken outline.

A slanted overlapping stitch worked from left to right along a line, giving a twisted cord-like effect used for stems and fine outlines.

Parallel straight stitches worked closely side by side to fill a shape with a smooth, glossy surface, requiring firm fabric and even tension.

A filling stitch in which alternating long and short straight stitches blend shades smoothly, widely used for shaded naturalistic embroidery.

A looped stitch formed by holding the thread down and re-entering the fabric at the starting point, creating linked loops for lines and filling.

A single detached chain loop anchored with a small straight stitch, grouped to form flower petals in floral motifs.

A small raised dot made by wrapping the thread around the needle before re-inserting it near the exit point, used for flower centres and texture.

An elongated coiled knot worked by wrapping the thread many times around the needle and drawing it through, forming a raised cylindrical shape.

A looped edging stitch worked along a fold or raw edge, used both to finish edges and as a decorative border in surface embroidery.

A closely spaced looped stitch with a knotted top edge, worked over raw edges or worked bars to strengthen and decorate buttonholes and cutwork.

A single repeatable design unit, such as a flower, paisley or bird, placed on a garment or fabric as the basis of an embroidered composition.

The regular spacing or mirroring of a motif across a surface so that a design continues evenly along a border or over an area.

An ornamental strip running along a hem, neckline or sleeve edge, usually built from a repeated motif with a defined top and bottom line.

A circular arrangement of hues used to identify primary, secondary and tertiary colours and to plan harmonious combinations in a design.

Two hues lying opposite each other on the colour wheel, which contrast strongly and are used for emphasis or balanced accent in embroidery.

The relative lightness or darkness of a colour, controlled in embroidery by choosing thread shades that step gradually from light to dark.

The gradual blending of light and dark thread tones within a motif to suggest form, volume and light direction.

A Punjabi embroidery tradition of dense floss-silk darning stitch on hand-spun cotton cloth, worked from the reverse so patterns appear on the front.

A Bengali tradition of running-stitch quilting on layered old cloth, with simple motifs and borders outlining the quilted lines.

A Karnataka embroidery style using counted running, double running, zigzag and cross stitches in geometric motifs on dark handwoven cloth.

A Maharashtra style adapted from Warli wall painting, using white or light straight and running stitches to depict figures, huts and trees on dark fabric.

A patterned form of Bengali kantha in which narrative and floral motifs are outlined in running stitch over quilted layers, often made as a gift.

The firmly woven edge running along the length of a fabric, which does not fray and indicates the lengthwise grain direction.

The direction of yarns in a woven fabric; lengthwise grain runs parallel to the selvedge and is the most stable direction for embroidery.

Transferring a design outline onto fabric by placing it beneath thin fabric or over a light source and drawing the lines with a suitable marker.

A transfer method in which holes are pricked along the design lines and coloured powder is dabbed through them, leaving a dotted outline on the fabric.

Placing dressmaker's carbon paper between the design and the fabric and drawing over the lines so the colour is pressed onto the cloth.

A surface technique in which a shaped piece of fabric is stitched onto a base fabric, usually with buttonhole or blanket stitch along the edge.

A technique where small areas of fabric are cut away and the remaining edges are bound with buttonhole stitch to form open patterns.

Attaching beads to fabric with small stitches or thread runs to add shine and texture to embroidered motifs.

A metallic embroidery style in which gold or silver wire, coils and beads are couched onto fabric to create raised ornamental motifs.

Laying a thick thread, cord or wire on the fabric surface and holding it down with small spaced stitches worked across it.

Finishing the embroidered article by ironing it face down on a padded surface, without flattening the raised stitches.

Dampening an embroidered piece and pinning it square on a padded board to dry, correcting distortion caused during stitching.

A worksheet listing material, labour, overhead and profit elements so that the price of an embroidered article can be calculated accurately.

Indirect costs of running an embroidery business, such as rent, electricity, machine upkeep and packaging, that must be recovered in pricing.

The amount added to the total cost of an article to arrive at its selling price and provide a margin for growth.

A small stitched test piece made on the chosen fabric with the chosen threads to check stitch effect, tension and colour before full work.