Cup + Cloth

View Original

The Beauty of Kantha.

Kantha means two things, patched cloth and the style of stitch. It refers to both the tradition of producing these unique quilted blankets by making something useful and alluring out of discarded and unused items. As well as the craft and stitch itself, a small, straight running stitch specially in Bengali embroidery.

The Kantha throws and quilts you see today have evolved out of a rich tradition. For many centuries, Bengali women living in the poorest regions have produced Kantha quilts and cushions as a way to cheaply reuse old fabric. In Bangladesh, old cloth is said to have protective qualities. Think about how you feel when you touch vintage fabric past down in your family, it carries so many emotions and can, quite literally, feel like a warm hug full of memories and positive feelings. We have stumbled across some lovely examples of Kantha quilts that will look great in any contemporary or traditional home setting. Perfect for adding a layer to a bed or sofa, and work really well as a table cover or hung on a wall. Check the range out in New In in the store.