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Crewel work is a special kind
of embroidery done with a pointed hook on thick Cotton 'Dosooti' fabric
hand-woven in Kashmir. Crewel fabric is mainly used for draperies and
upholsteries, commonly made into curtains, bedspreads and cushion covers.
However, crewel fabric may be used to cover chairs or sofas and even made into
table runners. Crewel work fabrics come in a range of embroidery patterns and
colors; the cost of fabric being determined by the amount of embroidery work on
it and whether single or double-ply wool is worked on the fabric. Crewel fabric
is mostly used to make curtains, however they are suitable for upholstery
purposes as well.
Shown here is crewel work embroidery on silk organza fabric. Organza is a thin,
plain weave, sheer fabric traditionally made from silk, the continuous filament
of silkworms. Nowadays , though many organzas are woven with synthetic filament
fibers such as polyester or nylon, the most luxurious organzas are still woven
in silk. Silk organza is woven by a number of mills along the Yangtze River and
in the province of Zhejiang in China. A coarser silk organza is woven in the
Bangalore area of India. Deluxe silk organzas are woven in France and Italy.
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