Soof Embroidery

The word 'Soof' means neat and clean. The embroidery form is so named because the outlines of the design are done using a single stitch. The Soof embroidery is practised by the women of the Soofs Sodha, Rajput and Mewar communities. Though this form of embroidery is done with simple stitches (also termed as Soof), the pattern looks all the more eye-catching and impressive. Soof EmbroiderySoof embroidery work requires high skill because the artisan has to calculate the design in mind without even actually drawing the motifs beforehand. Highly stylized motifs created through Soof embroidery make the dress materials look uniquely attractive and elegant.

It is interesting to note that the threads of the weave are counted before it is inserted through the needle. The craftsmen who develop soof embroidery pattern seem to have an innate talent and they can easily imagine various geometrical patterns and begin creating the design on fabrics and other dress materials. The Soof embroidery characterised by extreme care and great effort as it is worked from the back of the material, unlike most of the other styles of embroidery. And the designs appear on the front side of the material. Since the Soof embroidery is worked from the back of the material, the artisan has to calculate the geometrical patterns in the reverse.

A free hand embroidery type, Soof embroidery is used to create a wide range of designs and shapes on the fabric. The counting of the warp depends on the design pattern being created. The perfection of the pattern always depends on the accuracy of the counting of warps. The beginning of a Soof embroidery pattern is mostly a triangle or a triangular shape. The designs in this type of embroidery can be inspired by the lives of the artisan. These patterns can depict various parts of the artisan's lives. Infinite variations of the peacock are also widely used in the Soof embroidery design. These designs variations are believed to focus psychic energies. Today, the Soof embroidery work is used to decorate traditional cloth, table cloth, wall hangings, cushion cover, salwar kameez, Sherwanis and a variety other of dress materials.