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Activities / Kutch Embroidery / Shisha Mirror Patch

Shisha Mirror Patch

Shisha Mirror Embroidery Patch: Learn the Kutch Mirror-Work Stitch

Level
Intermediate
Duration
2 - 4 hours
Budget
₹1,000 – ₹1,300
Age
14+
State
Gujarat

Materials

  • Thick cotton, denim or felt scrap
  • Acrylic shisha mirrors, round, about 1.5 cm
  • Stranded cotton embroidery thread in 3 to 4 colours
  • Embroidery or hand sewing needles
  • Wooden or bamboo embroidery hoop, about 12 to 15 cm
  • Water-erasable fabric marker pen
  • Thimble or leather finger protector (optional)
  • Sharp scissors

Steps

  1. Cut a 14 cm square of thick cotton or felt and mark four mirror spots
    Cut a 14 cm (5.5 in) square from thick cotton, denim or felt, which gives you a 1 cm margin beyond the hoop. With the water-erasable pen, mark four small crosses in a square pattern, 3.5 cm apart, centred on the fabric. Each cross is where the centre of a mirror will sit. Common mistake: marking the spots too close, because the stitches around each mirror need room.
    Tip: Use a coin as a template: press a 1.5 cm mirror on the cloth and draw round it.
  2. Fix the fabric in the hoop so it is tight but not stretched
    Unscrew the outer ring of the hoop, lay the inner ring under the fabric and press the outer ring over it. Tighten the screw a little, pull the edges gently so the cloth is flat, then tighten fully. The fabric should feel firm like a drum skin and the marked crosses should lie near the centre. Common mistake: pulling too hard, which distorts the fabric and makes it pucker when you take it out.
  3. Thread the needle with a doubled 3 strand thread and knot it
    Cut a thread about 40 cm (16 in) long and pull out 3 strands of the 6 strand thread. Thread the needle, bring the two ends together so the thread is doubled, and tie one knot at the ends. A shorter thread tangles less. The mirror work needs a strong thread, so do not use a single strand. Common mistake: a very long thread that knots up in the middle of the mirror.
  4. Hold a mirror on the first cross and sew the four foundation stitches
    Place a mirror over the first cross and hold it with your thumb. Come up from the back at the left edge of the mirror, go down at the right edge across the middle, then come up at the top edge and go down at the bottom edge, so two long stitches cross like a plus sign. Add two more stitches, each parallel to the first two and about 3 mm away, to form a square cage. These hold the mirror down and must be snug.
    Tip: Keep the thread slightly loose at first, then pull each stitch snug before the next.
  5. Weave the thread over and under the cage to tighten it
    Come up just outside the mirror's edge. Slide the needle under one foundation stitch, then over the next, in a circle, without stitching into the fabric. Go round the mirror two or three times, pulling gently so the cage presses the mirror flat against the cloth. This weaving is called interlacing and it gives the buttonhole stitches something to sit on. Common mistake: catching the cloth, when the needle should only touch the threads.
  6. Work buttonhole stitch around the mirror edge
    Bring the needle out on the fabric just outside the mirror's edge. Slide it under the interlaced threads from the centre outwards, with the working thread looped under the needle tip, then pull it through so a small knot sits on the mirror edge. Next to it, put the needle into the fabric about 2 mm outside, bring it up again beside the last stitch, and repeat. The stitches sit side by side like a little fringe, about 1.5 mm apart, around the whole mirror.
    Tip: Pull each stitch toward the mirror's edge so the thread hugs it.
  7. Close the ring and finish the first mirror on the back
    When the ring of buttonhole stitches reaches the start, slip the needle under the first stitch and then down into the fabric. Turn the hoop over and weave the thread under 4 or 5 stitches on the back, then trim it. The mirror should be held tightly and not wiggle when you press it. If it moves, add one more round of interlacing before you finish.
  8. Repeat the same method for the other three mirrors
    Sew the remaining three mirrors one at a time with the same steps: four foundation stitches, the weaving, the buttonhole ring and a neat finish. Use a different colour for each mirror if you like. Each one gets quicker and neater, and the third and fourth often look best. Common mistake: starting the next mirror without finishing the previous thread end, which leaves loose threads that tangle.
  9. Fill the space between the mirrors with chain stitch and herringbone
    With a contrast colour, stitch a ring of chain stitch about 5 mm outside each buttonhole ring, using stitches 3 to 4 mm long. Then work a row of herringbone stitch along the lines between the mirrors, with crossed stitches 4 mm wide. Keep stitch lengths even, because the tidy stitches frame the mirrors. These are the same stitches used in Kutch embroidery.
  10. Sew a blanket stitch border, trim and take the patch out of the hoop
    Remove the fabric from the hoop. Trim it into a neat 11 cm square, then sew blanket stitch around the edge: go in from the front about 5 mm from the edge, bring the needle out at the edge with the thread looped under it, and pull so the stitch sits on the edge. Space the stitches 4 mm apart. Trim all the thread ends and dab the pen marks with a damp cloth until they disappear.

Sustainability

Medium - reuses fabric scraps; acrylic mirrors are plastic

Safety

Needle pricks, so use a thimble; use acrylic shisha, not glass, so there are no sharp edges; eye strain from fine work