Kantha Stitched Blankets & DIY Details

KANTHA STITCHED BLANKETS

collected Kantha blankets for sale @ www.worldsendny.com

Kantha quilts originate in Indian Bengal. Kantha quilts came out of the waste not want not tradition. Old sari’s, lunges and dhotis are layered to create a padded quilt when stitched with the kanthan stitch. The stitch creates design and patterned textures thru out the surface, while joining and binding the old tattered clothes into a usable textile. Kantha quilts are used as blankets, bags, coverings for sacred objects, curtains, tablecloths and rugs. I have spent many hours, on my trips thru out India, sitting with girls on the road side selling old clothes for kanthas. I always return home with hords of tattered, darned and ripped old silk saris just in case, one day I find myself inspired. Kanthas are about generations of women, who make and repair thru simple stitch.

To make a sampling pull out a bunch of old cloths, iron flat and layer on top of one another. Next cut the square sample out. Use the running stitch to bind the edges of several layers of cotton fabric. Now that the many layers are held together, start your rhythmic flow of stitching. It is the space between the stitch that creates the pattern or flow.

Check out my friends Kantha green hanging on the clothes line!

Colorful Kantha stitch samples