Kerawang Embroidery

This application brings together a collection of kebaya Nyonya cutwork embroidery patterns. There are various categories of fashion with interesting cutwork embroidery patterns and designs. Each cutwork embroidery pattern will be updated every day from time to time. It's done exclusively by Kerawang Embroidery Boutique for clients all over the world.

The Nyonya kebaya is a translucent blouse that is usually made from voile, which is a sheer, lightweight fabric of plain weave that comes in various colors and shades. It is often decorated with embroidered motifs known as sulam, which are sewn on using a combination of stitches, including cutwork, running, satin, and buttonhole stitches.

Popular sulam motifs for the kebaya include flowers, butterflies, phoenixes, dragons, insects, and even people. The intricate embroidery work usually takes weeks or even months to complete. Nyonya kebayas meant for home wear feature simpler embroidery motifs along the edges. The sulam embroidery for the kebaya top was initially done primarily by hand.

However, the cottage industry for kebaya embroidery began to decline by the 1970s as a result of the emergence of mass-production technologies for clothes.