Siassi skirt detail

This skirt, created in Hanoi, features hand-faggoted openwork, with suriya insertions, and machine stitches in contrasting rows. The designers said, "The method for embroidery in Vietnam is quite different to those in India, primarily because the work is done on a small frame either resting on a table, or set onto a stand like a tripod. This gives more flexibility when it comes to insertion work between panels. The rosette faggoting has been done over a strip of paper which was stitched to the lightly gathered panels above and below. Once the faggoting is complete, the paper is torn away from behind, leaving the open space. This could not have been achieved on a large frame, which relies on tension to form the tightly stretched fabric required for aari work or hand stitches". A suriya is what Easton Pearson called a circle of fabric that is gathered together and flattened into a disc. An aari is a handmade needle, or hook, with a sharp point at one end, used to embroider fabric. Faggoting is decorative needlework where vertical threads are tied together in bundles.