Soof embroidery is a type of counted thread weaving practised these days around the Kutch district of Gujarat and beyond. It is characterized by a sort of economy stitch worked from the back. The examples are for the most part dependent on a triangle or soof, and are geometric, symmetrical and exceptionally intricate. The coveted motifs of Soof embroidery aren’t ordinarily drawn onto the base fabric; instead, they are developed around a progression of triangles and diamonds. Frequently, little bits of glass or mirror (shisha) are incorporated into the patterns.
The Meghwaad Maaru community came to India as war refugees – a fact that has had a profound impact on the community.
During the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, the Indian Army took control of some areas in Pakistan, including Tharparkar. In their own words; ‘when we realized that the land would be given back to Pakistan after the war, we knew we could not continue to live there.
The Meghwaad Maaru community practices two embroidery styles – Soof and Khaarak. Soof embroidery is fine and delicate. It is known as counted-thread-embroidery style: there is no outline or drawing done on the fabric to guide the embroiderer. Khaarak is also a counted-thread-embroidery style. Unlike Soof, this embroidery is rendered on the right side of the fabric. Craftswomen
begin by plotting the squares and rectangles that constitute the grid of the geometric forms.