Handwoven bed linen is very different from the machine made ones. While fine sheets in high thread counts meant for highly luxurious feel are usually produced in India's modern vertically integrated textile plants, handloom sector lends a completely different dimension to bed linen. Though it is possible to produce the basic sheet sets on handlooms, their real charm is in textured and decorative bed linen range produced mostly from dyed yarn with a variety of surface decorations. Designs include yarn dyed woven checks, stripes, seer sucker, dobby, jacquard woven, embroidered, appliquéd, quilted with a variety of value addition for surface decorations. The handwoven bed linen range includes basic bed sheets and sheet sets to decorative bed covers, duvet covers, pillow covers, cushion covers, quilts, comforters, summer blankets, shams, coverlets and co-ordinate bed sets.
While the daily use range is produced in medium count 100% cotton and linen, decorative bed linen is handwoven in 100% silk, linen and blends of linen, cotton and silk. From exquisite hand embroideries and block printing, a variety of fine appliqué and cotton hand quilting are key features of handwoven bed linen.
Panipat is the key production centre for dobby and jacquard handwoven bed covers, mostly with floral and geometric designs, also known as Chaddar in India. Entire states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, specially Jaipur, Sanganer, Jodhpur, Pali, Rajkot are key producers for block printed, batik, Dhaboo print, hand quilted and appliqué varieties of bed sheets, bed covers, quilts and comforters. Karur in Tamil Nadu and Cannanore in Kerala specialize in finer yarn dyed cotton plain checks, stripes and dobby designs. Silk and linen based high-end embroidered, decorative and embellished designer bed covers, quilts, cushion covers and decorative made-ups are produced in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
