What is the process of making Lucknavi Chikankari ?

Making Lucknavi Chikankari is a multi-stage, largely hand-driven process that involves preparing the fabric, transferring the design, hand embroidery, washing and finishing. Traditionally, different stages are carried out by artisans with specialised skills, making Chikankari a collaborative craft rather than a single embroidery operation.

1. Fabric Preparation and Cutting

The process begins with selecting and preparing the fabric according to the garment or textile being created. The fabric is then cut and prepared for the subsequent stages of printing and embroidery.

Chikankari is not simply embroidery applied to a finished garment. The preparation, cutting and sewing of the fabric are an important part of the traditional craft process.

2. Designing and Block Printing — Chappa

The chosen design is transferred onto the fabric using wooden blocks, a process traditionally known as chappa or chapayi.

Different blocks are used for floral motifs, butis, borders and other elements of the design. A temporary printing medium is used so that the design acts as a guide for the artisan and can later be removed during washing.

This printed outline is not the finished embroidery—it is the map that guides the artisan's needlework.

3. Hand Embroidery — Tanka

This is the heart of Lucknavi Chikankari.

Skilled artisans work over the printed design using a needle and thread, selecting appropriate traditional stitches according to the motif, fabric and desired effect.

A single design may combine several different stitches, including bakhia, tepchi, murri, phanda, jaali and hool. Flat, raised, embossed and open-work techniques can be combined to create different textures and levels of detail.

The character of the finished embroidery depends greatly on the artisan's skill—the fineness of the thread, the tension of each stitch, the density of the work and the way different stitches are combined.

4. Additional Embellishment

Depending on the design, Chikankari may be complemented with additional embellishments such as mukaish, badla, sequins, beads or other decorative elements.

These embellishments are not essential to Chikankari itself. They are additions that can be used to create a richer or more festive expression of the craft.

5. Washing — Dhulayi

Once the embroidery is complete, the fabric is washed.

This stage is particularly important because it removes the temporary printed design from the fabric, revealing the finished embroidery. Washing also forms part of the traditional finishing process of Chikankari.

The result is quite different from the piece of fabric the artisan originally received: the temporary printed lines disappear, leaving the hand-embroidered motifs visible.

6. Finishing and Final Preparation

After washing, the fabric goes through finishing processes before becoming a finished garment or textile product. This may include drying, pressing, thread trimming, final inspection, tailoring and other finishing work depending on the product.

This is one reason Chikankari should not be thought of simply as an embroidery technique. As Paola Manfredi highlights in Chikankari: A Lucknawi Tradition, its distinctive finesse comes from the combination of embroidery with fine sewing and dressmaking skills and a long-established production process.

Is the Entire Process Done by One Artisan?

Usually, no.

Traditional Chikankari production involves different stages and specialised skills. The Government of India's documentation describes separate activities such as cutting, printing, embroidery, washing and finishing, while research drawing on Manfredi's work describes the traditional division of labour within the craft.

This means that a finished piece of Lucknavi Chikankari can represent the work of several skilled people, from the person preparing and printing the fabric to the embroiderer and those responsible for washing and finishing.

How Long Does It Take to Make?

The time required varies considerably depending on the fabric, size of the piece, number and complexity of stitches, and density of embroidery.

Government craft documentation gives approximately 10–15 days for a garment in some workshop settings, but more intricate pieces can require substantially longer.

This is why the price and value of hand-embroidered Chikankari cannot be judged simply by the cost of the fabric. A significant part of its value lies in the time, skill and labour invested in creating the embroidery.

In Summary

The making of Lucknavi Chikankari involves a carefully coordinated sequence of preparation, design transfer, hand embroidery, washing and finishing. From the initial block-printed design to the final removal of the printing marks, every stage contributes to the character of the finished piece.

What looks like a delicate pattern on fabric is therefore the result of many hours of skilled human work and, often, the contribution of several artisans.

At Manjari Chikankari, we value this entire process—not just the finished embroidery—because every stage represents knowledge and skills that have been developed and passed down through generations of Lucknavi artisans.