Sozni is a popular needle point embroidery technique from Kashmir valley. It is usually practised by the local craftsman in a home-based workshop called Karkhanas. Most of these are located in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district. In the local dialect, the craft is also referred to as Sozni Kaem, Kani Sozni or setchzinikaem. To make a Sozni embroidered shawl, a pashmina shawl is chosen first. Sozni can also be done on other types of fabric such as cotton and silk, but the embroidery appears best on Pashmina Shawls and Toosha shawls (high quality wool). The chosen shawl is sent to a Naqash ( Block printer), who prints the outline of the designs to be embroidered by using finely carved walnut woodblocks. The design can be selected from amongst the hundreds already carved by expert walnut carvers over the years or the Naqash can carve a custom design based on the requirements.

Various motifs are employed to adorn the shawls. From traditional motifs such as Badum ( almond) also commonly known as paisley, bird motifs such as parrot, canary and woodpecker to nature-inspired marigold, daffodils and Chinar leaves in abstract colour. After the design has been approved, the shawl is then passed on to the artisan who completes the embroidery based on the approved colours. The finished shawl is then washed by a specialist in spring water by striking the fabric repeatedly against a smooth stone.

A Sozni embroidered shawl can take from a few months to three years to complete depending on the intricacy of the needlework, hence a thorough wash is necessary. The shawls are also classified into various types such as Jamawar, Jaaldar, Dorredar, Palldar and so on, based on the intricacy of the needlework, which can vary from 5 stitches per cm to 500 stitches per cm. For instance, to create embroidery panels of 0.5 inch to 1 inch on all 4 borders of a shawl takes 1 month, 2 months for jaali work(mesh work), while doing embroidery all over a shawl (also known as Sozni Jama) takes close to two years.

The motifs are created in satin stitch. The motifs are created in satin stitch and are worked identically on both sides of the cloth, but sometimes in different colours (for example, the dominant colour may be red on one side and blue on the other). This type of work/stitch is sometimes called Dorukha.

The most popular motifs consists of abstract geometric designs, stylised flowers, as well as paisley patterns. They are normally worked in one or two colours, or very occasionally three colours. Sometimes the ground cloth is woven in such a manner (such as with a compound weave) that it has different, dominant colours on either side of the material, to complement the different colours of the embroidery threads.

Sozni embroidery is, among others, used especially to decorate shawls, especially for the panels along the side of the cloth in stitch, and are worked identically on both sides of the cloth, but sometimes in different colours (for example, the dominant colour may be red on one side and blue on the other). This type of work/stitch is sometimes called Dorukha.

The most popular motifs consists of abstract geometric designs, stylised flowers, as well as paisley patterns. They are normally worked in one or two colours, or very occasionally three colours. Sometimes the ground cloth is woven in such a manner (such as with a compound weave) that it has different, dominant colours on either side of the material, to complement the different colours of the embroidery threads. Sozni embroidery is, among others, used especially to decorate shawls, especially for the panels along the side of the cloth.