SUJNIEMBROIDERY

CONTENTS

1.

LOCATION
Mapofthecraftcluster

2.

INTRODUCTION
ThedifferencebetweenSujniandKantha History

3. 4. 5.

SUJNIPRODUCTIONININDIA PRODUCERCOMMUNITIES RAWMATERIAL

Cotton TussarSilk EmbroideryThread

6. TOOLSUSED

Niddle Frame Scissor Inchestape

7. PROCESSOFSUJNIEMBROIDERY

Drawing Embroidery Finishing Washing Packagingandlabeling

8.RANGEANDUSESOFTHEPRODUCT 9. MARKETING
Financialmarketingassistance Labourcost

10.CHANGESINRECENTYEARS
Technology

 Design Market Womenstatus

11.PROBLEMFACEDBYTHECRAFTSMEN 12.REFERENCE(Sourcesofsecondaryinformation) 13.INTERVIEWOFTHECONTACTPERSON


1.Mapofthecraftcluster
LocationoftheCraftCluster LocationofAdithi/Plan ProjectsOffice MahilaVikasSahyogSamiti WestofPrabhattaraSchool SouthofChakkarMaidan SouthofChakkarMaidan P.O.Hasna Muzaffarpur ViaBhocha Pin842001 Pin843104 Bihar Distt.Muzafferpur Bihar

2.Introduction
The Sujni s of Bihar are very similar to the Kanthas of Bengal. Initially Sujni was madefortraditionalpurposes.Atthetimeofchildbirth,patchesofdifferentcoloured cloth from old saris were sewn together with a simple running stitch to make a quilt calledSujni. But Sujni production had virtually disappeared until it was revived in 1988 by ADITHI and its products adapted to urban market. ADITHI works through the Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti (MVSS), a small autonomous society, based in Bhusura Dist. of Mujaffarpur,Bihar.

ThedifferencebetweenSujniandKantha

[Photograph:Sujni][Photograph:Kantha] Sujni is very similar to Kantha. Because both are made of old materials and embroiderwiththethreadunpickedfrombordersofsaris.Buttheydifferintechniques: In Sujni, running stitch worked in straight line but in Kantha they use spiral, circularandconicalforms. InSujnitheoutlineofthemotifsaredonebychainstitchindarkcolourbutin Kanthaoutlinesaredonebyrunningstitch. In Sujni the motifs are filled with running stitch and rest of the area is also embroideringbytherunningstitchwiththesamebasecolourthreadbutinKanthaonly motifsarefilled.

3.History
Thehistoryofthiscraftdatesbackto18thcentury.Peopleatthattimeutilizeof old materials like saris or dhotis to make quilts and other utilitarian products for new bornbaby.Thedesignoftheseproductsinterpretsamothersemotionandimagination

regardingherbaby.Inthesequiltthedesignismainlythedepictionofmothersdream forhernewborn. It is made by old materials like saris or dhotis. Saris or dhotis in this area are predominantly white and border in black or red or blue and some time yellow or blue. Three or four section of saris or dhotis was laid on top of each other and than quilted with the thread unpicked from borders of saris or dhotis. The filling of the motifs is done by simple running stitch and the out line of the motif is usually done in chain stitch in dark colours filled with running stitch.[Photograph:Sujniembroideryonthequilt]

3.SujniproductioninIndia
SujniispracticedindifferentpartofBiharlikePatna,Madhubani,Muzaffarpurand alsoSujniisdoneinNewDelhi.

4.Producercommunities
InitiallyexpectingmothersofallthecommunitiesusetomakeSujnifortheirchild. But now women of all community, mainly below the poverty line are engaged in this craft. Nirmala davi was the first women to take the initiative in the Sujni project under the Mahila Visas Sahyog Samiti. Today about 600 women from 22 villages around Bhusuraareworkingunderthisproject.

5.Rawmaterial

Cotton SALITA:Itisusedasbaseoftheembroidery.Salitaisaverygoodqualitycotton andmainlyusedforexport.Salitais75Rspermeter. WHITEORCOLOUREDMARKEEN:Thisisnotofverygoodqualityandmainly usedfortheexportsmarket.Markseenis30Rspermeter. CASEMENT:Itisusedforwallhangingandcushioncover. Tussarsilk Itisusedforsaris,dupattas,ordressmaterials. EmbroideryThread MOONTHREAD:Moonthreadisuseforbackgroundfilling.Thecolourofthe threadissimilartothebasecolour. RANGOLIORANCHORTHREAD:Itisuseforfillingofthemotifandtheoutline ofthemotif.Perreelpriceis1.80Rsandtheboxpriceis25Rs.

6.Toolused

NEEDLE:9numberneedleisusedforembroidery. FRAME:Frameisusedfortighteningthecloth.Itishelpinavoidingthewrinkles. SCISSORS: is used for giving finishing touch and cutting the extra knots and threads. INCHTAPE: Inch tape issued for measuring the cloth and does marking when designisdrawn.

7.Processofsujniembroidery:
FollowingstepsarefollowedduringthemakingofSujni: DRAWINGANDTRACING:Theoutlineofdesignistracedordrawndirectlyontothe clothbythewomen.Stories,compositionsandcolourcombinationareworkedoutby thewomenontheirown.
.

[Photograph:Womendoingsujniembroidery]

EMBRIODERY:Thebackgroundisfilledwiththefinerunningstitchwiththreadwhose colourissimilartothebackground.Itgivesawavyeffect.Chainstitchusuallyinblack, brownandredthreadisdoneforthemainoutlineofthemotifandthedesignisthen filled with running stitch in coloured threads. Sujni embroidery is very simple but requiresalotofpatienceandtime.Thesmalleritemscanbemadeindividuallyandto make large bed sheets or quilts, three or four women work together, starting from differentendsapproachingtowardsthecentre.

[Photograph:TechniqueofSujniEmbroidery]
FINISHING: In this process all the extra threads or

knots are cut from the edges to give it better finishing. WASHING AND CALANDRING: When the embroidery work is finished then the article is properlywashedandthencalandered. PACKAGING AND LABELLING: Finished products are properly labeled with the brand name Sujni andpricetags.Theydonospecialpackagingforthe product, if they give special packaging the cost wouldbeincrease.

[Photograph:Processofsujni embroidery]

8.Rangeandusesoftheproduct
InSujniembroideryartisansmakebedsheet, cushioncover,wallhanging,sari,dupatta,suit,top, kurtapajama,shirtandbag.Sujniproductsareusedfor decorativeaswellasutilitarianpurposes. [Photograph:Sujni embroideryonsilksari]

9.Marketing
WiththeimprovementinmarketingfacilitiesandassistancefromADITHI.Market ofSujnihasgrownfromnationalleveltointernationallevel.NowSujnicanbeseenin localhaats,aswellasinexhibitions,designstores,exportstores.Theyareearningalot fromtheexposurestheyreceivedfromcraftfairs,exhibitionoverseas,andatnational levelalsowiththebrandnameSujni. FINANCIAL MARKETING ASSISTANCE: In marketing Sky Morisan was first lady whosupportedSujniembroideryinexportmarket.AndalsoinNationalmarket SujniembroideryissupportedbyGovernmentandNGOs. LABOUR COST: Because of the intricacy in the work, labor cost of Sujni is very high.Itis10paisepersquareinch.Abedsheets(60*90)laborcostisRs.1500 (forOctober2oo4)approximately. NowSujnihasbecomeaproductforNichemarket.InIndiaonlysomepeopleare abletobuythiscraftandmainlyitismadeforexportmarket. Differentiationinpriceinnationalandinternationalmarket Onebedsheetwhich(60*90)inIndiacost1700Rs.(forOctober2oo4)inexport marketitisabout5400Rs.(forOctober2004). One bed sheet which (100*100) in India cost 3000 Rs.(for October 2004) in exportmarketitisaboutonelakh.

10.Changesinrecentyears

TECHNOLOGY:InitiallyinSujnitheyuseoldmateriallikesariordhoti.Different layerswereswantogethertomakeitbuttodayonlyonesheetofnewmaterials likesalita,markeen,casementandtussersilkisused. DESIGN: Initially the design use to depict daily life, flowers, trees, flying birds, fishes, elephants with rider, deities whose attributes are reflected in various ways the energy emanating from Durga manifesting it self through the prickly qualityofthehairofthetigeronwhichsherides. ButtodaydesigndepictdetailsofvillagelifeandHinduepics,issueslikefemale infanticide, election violence, education of girl, scenes of domestic abuses dominates in the design. Lessons of health care, parables about environment and images of women struggling for their right are very empowering. This is

especially interesting and encouraging because it comes from Bihar, where dowrycasesandinstancesoffemaleinfanticidearewidelyprevalent. [Photographs:Differentmotives]

MARKET:Wesawlotofchangesaccordingtothemarketdemand.InitiallySujni wasmadeonlyforpersonalusebuttodaySujnihascreatedanationalandinternational market.SujniisfacinglotofcompetitionfromKanthaandotherscrafts.InitiallyinSujni differentcoloured cloth from old saris were swan together but todaySujni is created withdifferentmaterialaccordingtomarketdemandlikesalita,markeen,tussersilkwith onlyonelayer.Nowtheymakeutilityaswellasdecorativeitems.Changesindesignis quiteprevalentwiththechangeinconsumertaste,initially,designmainlydepictdaily life, flower, trees, fishes, elephant and nature but today motifs depict Hindu epics, femaleinfanticide,electionviolence,educationofgirlandothersocialissues.

[Photograph:OldDesign]

[Photograph:NewDesign]

WOMENSTATUS:TodaySujnicraftisseenmoreoverlikeanimportantsourceof incomeforwomen.Ithasalsoplayedamajorroleinruralsociety. Initially,womenrarelylefttheirhomes,menandwomendidnotinteractatall and male members used to drink and physical violence against women was common. Now because womens are working and are getting self dependent they move around, interact with men and protest them if they are wrong and nobodythinksillofthem.

11.Problemsfacedbythecraftsmen

InBiharfloodisamajorproblemandpoorpeoplesufferalotbecausetheylack thebasicinfrastructuralfacilities. BhusaraandsurroundingvillagesareonlypracticingSujniastheyaregetting financialandmarketingassistancefromADITHI.Butintheremainingareasthe craftisdyingduetolackofmoneyandotherbasicnecessities. Lackofeducationisalsoamainproblemforthiscraft,theartisansdontknow howcometomarkettheirproducts.

12.Reference
We have collected main information related to Sujani embriodery from Adithi/Plan project,MuzaffarpurwiththehelpofMs.PoornimaDevi. Adithi/PlanProject WestofPrabhatTaraSchool SouthofChakkarMaidan Muzaffarpur842001 Bihar,India http://www.craftrevival.org/CraftArt. Embroidery:IndianEmbroidery By:JamilaBrijbhushan 1990,PublicationDivision MinistryofInformationandBroadcasting GovernmentofIndia [Photograph:PlanProject] Textile:TraditionIndianTextile By:JohnGillowandNicholasBarnard 1991,ThamesandHudsonLtd,Lossndon

13.Interviewofthecontactperson:
Poornima Devi a 34 years old social worker, works for women empowerment in Muzaffarpur under an NGO ADITHI. ADITHI a voluntary agency based in Patna, the capitalofBIHAR,hasdonepathbreakingworkintherevival ofSujni,andinprovidingamarketconduitfortheproducts. ADITHI works in Muzaffarpur through the Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti (MVSS), a small, autonomous society, based inBhusura. Ms.PoornimaDeviisworkingfor MahilaVikas SahyogSamitisSujniproject.Whenthevillagepeoplehave no work, she promoted them for this craft. She organized manytrainingprogramfromADITHI. [Photograph:Ms.PoornimaDevi]