The embroidery’s name, ‘Kasuti,’ is derived from Karnataka’s regional language, Kannada — ‘kai’, which means hand, and ‘suti’, meaning cotton. Its literal meaning signifies a task that requires cotton and hands. 

Despite several theories surrounding the origin of Kasuti embroidery, it is believed that the handicraft originated in the 7th Century AD in North Karnataka. Several literary Kasuti Works from the 15th Century point toward the same theory. Under the rule of the Chalukya dynasty and the Mysore Kingdom in the 17th Century, women thrived as artisans of this renowned domestic art. They were expected to be skilled in over 64 art forms, with Kasuti being one of the many.

Each woman was supposed to adorn a saree and blouse featuring their handiwork, making it popular in almost the entire state. Skills, training, and traditions were passed from generation to generation, with mothers teaching their daughters from a young age. 

A more unique, and lesser-known fact about Kasuti embroidery is that it can only be done by counting the warp and weft threads. Using this technique ensures a clean and elaborate appearance. Generally, it is done on hand-woven silk, georgette or chiffon of purple, crimson, black, red, green and orange colours. Multiple colour shades are used in a single pattern to make it more eye-catching, and white is primarily utilised on darker backgrounds. Each colour combination should have a chemistry of its own and an underlying harmony within, thereby adding an artistic flair. 

For the Kasuti style of embroidery, only steel needles are required to be used. The threads are mainly acquired from Mysore, unlike in ancient times, when they were drawn from the raw fabric. Single-strand cotton threads, namely Kohinoor and Anchor have also begun to be used. The technique of this embroidery lies in its four stitches, which must be done vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. Further, the stitches are made without creating any knots so that the fabric looks smooth, and both sides can be put to use. 

‘Gavanti’ is derived from the Kannada word, ‘gaonti’, which means knot. It’s a traditional line and back, double running stitch. Geometrical designs are formed with this stitch, but the lines and patterns are only completed when the artisan doubles back. Empty spaces are filled during this. ‘Negi’ refers to a basic running stitch which gives the appearance of a non-identical woven design. 

The word itself is of Kannada origin and means weaving. It is specifically used for more significant, and more elaborate patterns. ‘Murgi’ is similar to gavanti since it is a zig-zag running stitch and extremely neat. Each stitch is symmetrical and uniform in length. ‘Menthi’ is a cross-stitch, named after the fenugreek plant in Kannada. It requires a substantial amount of thread to be used to create a heavy-looking appearance. This is the main reason this stitch isn’t commonly used, but the purpose of it is to fill the background of a design instead.  

In this embroidery, patterns are not traced, outlined, or drawn before the stitching process. The designs are stitched on a blank canvas, while the artist has an image of their artwork. It is said that drawing the designs before stitching can ensure symmetry is maintained. While this is not recommended, it is the traditional way.