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Textiles and Traditions – Class 7 Arts Chapter 18 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 7ArtsChapter 18NCERT book: Kriti - Arts Class 7

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 18 of the NCERT Class 7 Arts book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 18: Textiles and Traditions (Visual Arts)

Introduction

Just as you use pencil and paper to create pictures, artists use cloth, thread and needle to create artwork. Indian textiles are famous for their motifs, each with its own symbolic meaning.

Motifs are decorative images that usually repeat and form patterns. They vary from region to region and are seen in many fabrics worn today.

Key Ideas

Motifs and their meanings (as given in the book)

  • Dots and circles — wholeness and one's energy
  • Lines — movement and progress
  • Mango (paisley) — fertility, life and eternity
  • The parrot and peacock are also traditional motifs; the book links them with truth, knowledge and love, and with royalty and immortality.

    • Notice the elements of art — dot, line, shape, colour, pattern — inside each motif.

    Threading Stories: Dhaaga and Soodi

    Dhaaga (thread, in Hindi) and Soodi (needle, in Telugu) argue over a curtain and tear it. The curtain tells them its story: it is a patchwork made from the clothes of their late Aaji — a piece of the sweater she knitted, a yellow saree whose tea stain was covered with embroidery, a square window made by crochet, and tassels of knotted threads along the bottom edge. Through the tear you can see the warp and weft of the weave. "I am not just a curtain, I am a patchwork of stories." Dhaaga and Soodi stop fighting and repair the tear together — a lesson in cooperation.

    Embroidery traditions of India

    Embroidery is the art of different kinds of stitches, patterns and needlework on fabric. Some traditions add mirrors, beads and sequins.
  • Chikankari — Uttar Pradesh
  • Chamba Rumal — Himachal Pradesh
  • Kasuti — Karnataka
  • Toda — Tamil Nadu
  • Ahir — Gujarat
  • Kantha — West Bengal
  • Khneng — Meghalaya
  • Gota — Rajasthan
  • Kashida — Kashmir

    • Basic stitches — process

  • Take thread about 50 cm long.
  • Thread the needle, keeping one end short.
  • Knot the longer end.
  • Prepare a card sheet or cloth by marking lines and piercing holes with the needle.
  • Stitch, following the pattern.
  • At the end, knot on the reverse side and cut the thread.

    • Materials: card paper, old invitation cards or a thick drawing sheet (about 20 cm × 15 cm), a medium needle, thread or wool.

    Textile artwork can be 3-D

    Textile art need not be flat — cloth toys, woven, knitted, crochet and macramé pieces, fabric painting, printing and tie and dye all count. Some museums display textile artworks that can be touched, so visitors with visual impairment can enjoy them too.

    Activities in the Chapter

  • 18.1 Fabric journal — collect fabric samples from discarded clothes, bags, mats and a local tailor; note where each came from, its fibre (cotton, silk, wool, jute…) and patterns; organise pages by material, colour, texture or pattern.
  • 18.2 Explore embroidery traditions — identify embroidery around you; invite local artists for a workshop.
  • 18.3 Basic stitches in embroidery — practise on card following the process above.
  • 18.4 Make your textile artwork — flat or 3-D, inspired by local traditions.
  • Summative idea: make a rag doll or fabric toy from unwanted cloth or fibre.

    • Key Terms

  • Textile (वस्त्र)
  • Motif (अभिप्राय/मोटिफ़) — repeating decorative image
  • Pattern (प्रतिरूप)
  • Paisley (कैरी/आम बूटा)
  • Patchwork (पैबंदकारी)
  • Embroidery (कढ़ाई)
  • Crochet (क्रोशिया)
  • Tassel (फुँदना)
  • Warp and weft (ताना-बाना)
  • Weaving (बुनाई)
  • Macramé (गाँठ-कला)
  • Fibre (रेशा)

    • Connect to Your Life

    Look at a saree, dupatta or bedsheet at home. Can you spot a motif? Is it paisley, a peacock or a pattern of dots?

    Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to knot the thread — the stitches pull out.
  • Knotting on the front side instead of the reverse side.
  • Mixing up regions, e.g. Kantha belongs to West Bengal and Kasuti to Karnataka.
  • Thinking textile art must be flat.

    • Let's Reflect

    What would you do if you were Dhaaga or Soodi? What do you think happens when threads fight among themselves?

    💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Textile artists use cloth, thread and needle just as painters use pencil and paper
    • ✓Motifs are repeating decorative images with symbolic meanings, like the mango (paisley) for life and eternity
    • ✓India has many regional embroidery traditions such as Chikankari, Kantha, Kasuti and Toda
    • ✓Basic embroidery follows simple steps: measure thread, knot, prepare holes, stitch, knot on the reverse
    • ✓Textile artworks can be flat or three-dimensional and can carry family stories

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Read the Dhaaga and Soodi story aloud and discuss cooperation
    • →Ask students to learn the words for thread and needle in other Indian languages
    • →Have students bring fabric scraps to start their fabric journals
    • →Show real samples or photos of each embroidery tradition on an India map
    • →Invite a local tailor or embroiderer for a hands-on workshop
    • →Use card sheets with pre-pierced holes for first stitching practice to build confidence
    • →Display finished rag dolls and textile artworks in a class exhibition

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the student explain what a motif is and give the meaning of two motifs?
    2. Can they match at least five embroidery traditions to their states?
    3. Can they complete a line of basic stitches following the correct process?
    4. Can they organise and describe fabric samples in a journal?
    5. Can they create a simple textile artwork using stitches or another technique?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Kriti - Arts Class 7

    1. 1. Understanding Emotions
    2. 2. Say More without Speech — Mime
    3. 3. Let’s Design — Stage Technicals 2
    4. 4. Story of India’s Storytelling Tradition
    5. 5. Making Music
    6. 6. Music, Emotions and Creativity
    7. 7. Ragas and Talas/Taal
    8. 8. The Music of the People
    9. 9. Performance
    10. 10. Dance and Sculpture
    11. 11. Dance Vocabulary and Techniques
    12. 12. Dance, You and Creativity
    13. 13. Personalities
    14. 14. Natya
    15. 15. Objects in Icons and Symbols
    16. 16. Nature’s Palette
    17. 17. How You Feel
    18. 18. Textiles and Traditions
    19. 19. The Art of Calligraphy
    20. 20. Integration of All Art Forms — Sculptures Come Alive!