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 is embroidered using coloured silks, metal threads, sadi and 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 and is used in many exciting designs and applications, both classical and innovative.

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

There are no holes drilled in shisha, so to attach the mirrors, you must make a framework of stitches over and around the shisha.

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