Gujarat has a very rich tradition in embroidery It has basically been a land of nomadic tribes who have thus been responsible for amalgamation of designs and techniques of various cultures. Here embroidery is used for all aspects of life; decoration of the doorways with torans or pachipattis and walls with chaklas or chandrawas , ganesh sthapnas (all these are important in a nomadic lifestyle), garments for men, women and children in styles specific to various tribes, coverings for cattle, horses, elephants. Many of the embroideries are known by the names of the tribes – Mahajan, Rabari, Mochibharat, Kanbibharat, and Sindhi . Most of the colours used are bright and loud.
Appliqué work in Gujarat has its own style. It is a patchwork, in which the pieces of fabric with different designs are cut in different sizes and shapes and sewn on a plain background. This is used mainly on household items. Bead work of Saurashtra and Kutch is also an important art.
It is not an embroidery, but interlacing of different coloured beads through a network of threads to create coverlets for utensils, hangings, purses, etc. The close proximity of the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and because Rajasthan also has a tribal population has resulted in embroidery in a similar style. The colours and the motifs used vary between the tribes and the occasions for which they are produced.