About Shisha

An integral part of the folk embroidery of Russia & Central Asia for centuries, Shisha is believed to originate from the Jats of Banni on the Indian subcontinent.

The wealthy classes wore clothing and made furnishings embroidered with precious metal threads & jewels. Camel girths & animal decoration was & is embroidered using coloured silks, metal threads, sadi & much shisha. Less prosperous people used cheaper decorations, e.g. mica and beetles wings, to give clothing and furnishings a rich look. During the 1500's, shisha replaced mica and appeared in the beautiful stumpwork of Tudor & Stuart England.

Shisha work is an exciting part of the great embroidery tradition & is used in many exciting designs and applications, both classical and innovative.

Shisha is available in large & small diamond shapes, and large & small circles.

There are holes drilled in shisha, so to attach the mirrors should be sewn onto fabric, that is, held in place by a framework of stitches.

Shisha is a charming and inexpensive way to add interest & beauty to many crafts.