Qasab was an initiative decades back in 1997 for the re-establishment of embroidery craft in Kutch. The organization is a network of rural women dedicated to the development and empowerment of women in Kutch district. They created opportunities for the embroidery craftswomen and created a platform for them to express their creative ideas.
Qasab is a Kutchi word meaning craft work. From 1989 to 1995, the artisans were getting the embroidery work from the government which came to a halt in 1996. This was the time when an independent organization named Qasab was formed.
Qasab became a registered producer company owned by traditional craftswomen. It is a collective organization consisting of 1,200 rural master craftswomen from 11 ethnic communities spread across 62 villages in the arid interiors of Kutch.
The embroidery is an art form which is being practiced in the different parts of the world for several years. The ancient artwork has its own history which is transferred from generation to generation. The veteran artwork still carries that essence of the craftsmen who settled in Kutch in the last 400 to 500 years. The embroidery and quilts have been practiced since centuries with love by the rural craftswomen as gifts for their daughters at the time of their marriage.
The craftswomen now in collaboration with Qasab have become proficient in a number of techniques, one of which is hand embroidery. The work has provided them with a good medium of earning for their living. Some of the forms of embroideries being practiced by them are:
JAT: The distinct characteristic of Jat style comes from the closely stitched patterns that completely cover the cloth. The Jatarea takes pride in the fact that their stitches outlive the cloth on which they are stitched.
AHIR: Ahir embroidery has bold and their motifs are geometric shapes, floral patterns, animals and birds. It also contains Krishna motifs. The outline in their style is called Sankdi which is done around the mirrors with filling stitches called Vano. Characteristically, Ahir embroidery has round mirrors.