Gone but not forgotten…if you love Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements Thread, we suggest you try Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP Heavy Thread. The classic stitches of Kantha are gentle, purposeful and full of modern possibility! This traditional Indian art is enjoying a well-deserved revival in today’s “throw-away” world. First used by rural Bengali women to invigorate and re-purpose textiles, Kantha holds endless potential for today’s fiber artists, garment sewists and quilters. Image Source: The Kantha Project The History “Kantha, making whole again that which was fragmented or broken.” — Crafts Museum, New Delhi The Kantha stitching of India began as practical quilt making, but many pieces are luxuriously embroidered in colorfully filled designs. Skillfully using a basic running stitch, beautiful motifs and borders are stitched. Some designs are significant historically or reflect common objects and scenes of everyday life. Image Source: Moksha Online. Simple enough for beginners, interesting and creative enough for advanced sewists, there are infinite ways to use the Kantha technique. Add it to the cuff or collar of a jacket or create an allover stitched scarf. Let your stitching passion take over and soar! Image Source: Annette Millard, Kantha Patchwork on linen. Use Kantha as the focal block of a quilt, stitch together treasured fabrics or add texture and interest to an art quilt. It’s a marvelous way to be creative without worrying about precision and a wonderful, meditative take along project! The Supplies Supplies are simple and may already be on hand. Creating Kantha pieces from otherwise unusable, but beautiful fabrics honors the tradition of the art. But modern applications using new silks, cotton, rayon or other wonderful textiles can be exciting, too! Top Fabrics — scraps or lengths of leftover fabrics, out-grown, no longer worn or damaged garments, thrifted clothing and home décor pieces or vintage linens. Backing — a solid color or allover print the size of your finished project Inner Layer — larger scraps, thin batting or flannel Threads – Dual Duty XP All-Purpose thread in a neutral color for basting, Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements thread is my favorite for Kantha stitching, but Coats & Hand Quilting thread, Coats & Button & Craft thread, embroidery floss or perle cotton can also be used. Image Source: Sasha World. The Techniques and Stitches Kantha is based on a simple, running stitch. Stitches under the fabric tend to be shorter than top stitches, but anything goes in modern stitching! Decide and mark the shapes your stitches will follow or just enjoy the flow of inspiration as you stitch. Tiny stitches add maximum texture, but long lengths will make project completion much faster. Perfection and stitch length consistency are not required. The beauty is in the handsewn look and fabric combinations you select. These things are the unique features that make Kantha marvelous! Image Source: Annette Millard, stenciled and outline stitched leaves. Before you begin stitching, a sandwich of backing, inner layer and top fabrics will be created. Once the sandwich is assembled, I highly recommend using Dual Duty thread to baste your layers together so they don’t shift as you stitch. It is best to use short lengths of thread to avoid tangling while you are hand stitching. Make sure your needle has a large eye for the thicker threads and a sharp point that will easily go through the layers of your project. Click here to watch a fascinating video showing a woman who has mastered the art of quick and simple Kantha quilts. Image Source: Annette Millard, unstitched and stitched jacket cuffs. The running stitch is simple – up, down, up, down and repeat. Combine thread colors for interest or use a variety of stitch lengths for creativity. It’s up to you and your mood! Most of all enjoy the quiet, calm of hand stitching and it’s wonderful portability. No more idle fingers, no matter where you are! Image Source: Global Fabric Hub. The Inspirations Kantha stitching is showing up everywhere these days! Image Source: Anthropologie, Kantha Jacket. Image Source: Santa Fe Dry Goods, jacket by artist Mieko Mintz. Image Source: Global Fabric Hub, book cover. Used liberally by textile artists and fashion designers, you’ll also find Kantha in home décor. Image Source: Urban Outfitters, throw blankets. Image Source: Eyes of India, scarf. Modern Kantha is a marvelous medium for expression and an artistic method of upcycling what would otherwise be unusable. Quilts, throws, jackets, baby wraps, pillows and many other things we use in our daily lives can be adorned with gentle stitches. The joy of creativity, reuse of materials and mindful stitches are values we as sewists already know. Kantha is the perfect art to add to your stitching “toolbox”!
