Photo Extras from "Bakhiya: A Tale of Tiny Stitches"

Enjoy these bonus images from Judy Frater’s “Bakhiya: A Tale of Tiny Stitches” in our Winter 2025 issue. Her article delves into the remarkable embroidery of the Rabari nomads in India’s Kutch region, where bakhiya—tiny backstitches worked in white thread—captures the stories and daily lives of the women who sew them. Judy’s photographs and reflections come from her decades of work with the Rabari people. Discover the full story in our Winter 2025 issue.

Kanchaliyu, unmarried girl’s everyday blouse,Viyar. Before girls married, their blouses did not have gathers at the breasts. Unmarried girls and young women wore blouses made of colorful and patterned fabric. The fabric of this blouse is synthetic with an industrial print derived from a bandhani resist-dyed pattern. By the 1960s and 70s, cheaper replicas began to replace traditionally used handmade fabrics. One of the first time-saving measures was substituting rickrack for makudiya—ants—traditionally represented by a white wavy chain-stitched pattern. That substitution dates this blouse to late 1970s to early 1980s. The sides and bottom border are embroidered with traditional Rabari patterns. Photo by Ketan Pomal, L.M. Studio, Bhuj, courtesy of Kala Raksha Museum. Kanchaliyu detail. Bakhiya embroidery at the top indicates suhag—a state of happiness— used by everyone except widows.

Traditional Rabari blouse. Click on each photo to read a detailed caption.

Kapadu, backless blouse, Dhebaria Rabari, circa 1980. Dhebaria Rabari women traditionally stitched devadi, or shrine, patterns in bakhiya at the neck, center front, and raglan sleeve seams. In this subgroup, the mark of suhag was the small mugro motif stitched in bakhiya in the middle of the center front seam. Collection of the author. All photos by Judy Frater unless otherwise noted. Kapadu detail showing the devadi, or shrine, patterns at the neckline and in the center panel, the mugro motif.

A Rabari backless blouse. Click on each photo to read a detailed caption.

Kanchali, festival blouse, Kachhi Rabari, circa 2000. In the 1990s, to save time and effort while embroidering, Kachhi Rabari women began to use machine zigzag stitching to outline motifs and filled in mirrors and detailing by hand. In this early example of the innovation, the machine-stitched gold lines in the body of the blouse emulate the tight hand-embroidered chain stitch black outlines in the sides. The artisan filled the body with fine buttonhole and Romanian accent stitches and included bakhiya on the center front seam. Collection of the author. Kanchali detail highlights the machine-stitched gold lines.

A Rabari festival blouse. Click on each photo to read a detailed caption.

Kapadu, backless blouse, Dhebaria Rabari, Kukadsar, circa 2010. As time went on, Dhebaria Rabari women began to machine stitch bakhiya on their blouses, and the mugro motif signifying suhag was eliminated. Collection of the author. Kapadu detail showing a lack of the central mugro motif.

A Rabari backless blouse. Click on each photo to read a detailed caption.

You can learn more about the embroidery traditions of the Dhebaria Rabari nomads in our Winter 2025 issue. Or Subscribe to receive this, and every issue, all year long.