Surface Ornamentation: Meaning and Techniques (2024)

Surface ornamentation transforms a garment’s appearance and adds great charm. Fabric decoration’s main goal is to offer a fascinating aspect. Mirrors, beads, sequins, threads, wires, buttons, and other embellishments are the most often used materials for surface adornment. Surface decoration requires expertise. It has long been a tradition in India. Each area of India is renowned for its distinctive form of surface ornamentation. For instance, mirror work is well known in Gujarat and Rajasthan; phulkari embroidery is well known in Punjab; and so on.

When one looks back in time, one can actually see evidence of surface ornamentation in the clothing and accessories worn by the populace at the time. Daily items like bed covers, tablecloths, jewellery boxes, and shoes were decorated with precious stones and thread work. The kings, queens, and other members of the royal family wore bulky clothing with intricate ornamentation. It was an indication of social standing to wear clothing that was adorned with costly metals and stones.

What is Surface Ornamentation?

Surface ornamentation refers to the process of adorning a fabric’s surface after it has been formed using a variety of techniques like tie-dye, block printing, batik, embroidery, etc. It currently plays a huge part in fashion design. In order to draw in and keep clients, surface decoration is preferred.

Techniques of Surface Ornamentation

The following are some techniques that are used to embellish clothing and textiles.

Embroidery

To embellish garments or other items, colourful thread is used in the sewing technique known as embroidery. Making clothing more beautiful can be done by hand or machine. Viscose thread is the term for the fabric used in embroidery. It is made from staple fibres or continuous filaments made from regenerated cellulose.

The tedious technique of embroidery calls for perseverance and patience. However, this action is also incredibly nerve-calming and relaxing. Fashion’s design trend never goes out of style. Everything is fresh in embroidery. The garment’s needle-thread patterns add a touch of artistic beauty. Using a needle to weave colourful thread patterns onto cloth is an ancient practise. The texture of very common clothing becomes effortlessly distinctive with the rhythmic movement of needle and thread. Clothing has been made for a very long time with a needle and thread.

Applique

This is a contemporary method of decorating clothing. Simple twisted stitches or straight stitches that overlap the corners of each shape are used to attach shapes of one fabric to the surface or backdrop of another. Typically, interfacing is used to line the pattern parts that make up an appliqué to give them strength.

Fabric Manipulation

Chemicals or heat can be used to alter the characteristics of fabric or cloth. Japan’s Shibori technique explores this kind of fabric manipulation in a basic manner. The fabric’s structure can be tied in intricate or simple designs before being treated to hot steam and colour addition. Since synthetic textiles have thermoplastic qualities that enable the material to maintain its shape, this method works well with them. After being heated to a high temperature, a fabric cannot change its structure or form without being heated to a high temperature once more.

Chikankari

A well-known embroidery technique from Lucknow, India, is called Chikan (Hindi: Urdu). The phrase denotes embroidery. One of Lucknow’s most prominent textile designing techniques is thought to have been established by Nur Jehan, the wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

Phulkari

One of India’s most dynamic, active, and culturally rich northwest states is Punjab, where locals, primarily village women, make good use of their free time by working on a variety of artistic crafts. One of them, phalkari, is the oldest and most well-known custom that its people still strive to uphold despite uncertainty and the passing of time.

Bobbin Lace

Italian ornate braid made of gold and silver during the 16^th century led to the development of bobbin lace. As wrapped threads or coloured silks became more exquisite, bleach linen yarn was eventually used to create braids and edgings.Bobbin lace is a type of lace made by braiding and twisting lengths of yarn or thread that are then managed by being wrapped around bobbins. A lace pillow is used to hold the weaving in place while the job is being done; the placement of the pins is typically determined by a pattern or piercing fixed on the pillow.

Embellishment

This is accomplished by combining a number of processes into a single fabric. Shisha embroidery, for instance, is a recent fad in which fabrics are embellished with small mirrors. An elaborate design can also be created using further stitching, dyeing, or printing techniques. An embellishment is a decorative addition that improves upon an existing fabric’s quality and adds value to the structure. In informal clothing, techniques like light needlework, various pleats, dyeing, and printing might be employed. When embellishing, loose (removable) pieces are also used, and they are affixed with hooks, pins, and buttons. The components of the craft must be shaped or aligned in order to get a decent design on fabric.

Kasuti

A classic historical art form that is primarily practised in Karnataka is embroidery. The word Kasuti, which means cotton, is derived from the words Kai, which also means hand, and Suti, which also means activity.

Conclusion

All over the world, people are drawn to the embellished fabric’s splendid appearance. To make the cloth texture lively and appealing, the surface is decorated. Its growth has been especially rapid. It goes without saying that, with the advancement of technology, surface decoration will eventually adorn the world of fashion design in a more sophisticated, remarkable, and creative way. Therefore, it plays a crucial role in fashion design.