The Art of Sozni: Kashmir's Needle-and-Thread Tradition

Sozni (also spelled Sozani) is a fine needlework technique native to Kashmir, traditionally used to embellish Pashmina shawls, stoles, and garments. Unlike machine embroidery, Sozni work is done with a single needle and thread, stitched entirely by hand on the reverse side of the fabric so the design appears seamlessly on the front.

A slow, deliberate process

Depending on the density and intricacy of the pattern, a single Sozni shawl can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete. Motifs are typically floral or paisley, drawn from Kashmiri art traditions, and are often first sketched onto the fabric before an artisan begins stitching.

Because the work is entirely manual, no two Sozni pieces are ever perfectly identical. Small variations in stitch spacing and thread tension are part of what distinguishes genuine handwork from a printed or machine-embroidered imitation.

Why it has become rare

Sozni embroidery requires years of apprenticeship to master, and the time investment per piece makes it difficult to produce at scale. As a result, much of what is sold commercially as "Kashmiri embroidery" today is actually machine-replicated. Hand-done Sozni work from skilled artisans is increasingly uncommon outside of brands that work directly with artisan communities in Kashmir.