Kantha is a style of embroidery originating in Bangladesh and used to make blankets, purses, padding for beds, and draped and pinned garments such as saris. Kantha embroidery is most often done using two layers of cotton fabric with no padding between them, and often the cotton is recycled in patchwork from other damaged materials, or from the leftovers of a bolt of fabric which was not used in its entirety on another sewing project.
Kantha is distinctive for the manner of sewing itself: it consists typically of a straight running stitch along the full length of the piece, with stitches approximately 1/8 inch in length, in consecutive rows spaced 1/8 inch apart from each other. Sometimes a second set of stitches are done at a right angle to the original set, using the same spacing. Additional embroidery designs may be done in addition to this basic rows and grids setup, such as flowers and geometric figures, but always with very close spacing between the stitches, leaving no large spans of fabric lacking close stitches. This creates an extremely tight and sturdy structure to the resulting piece, resilient against strain and ripping, and relatively resilient against puncture and accidental cutting.
Kantha as an art and marketable skill is highly accessible as a way for working-class women in India and Bangladesh to get started in careers in fibrecrafts, because the initial skill set is not overly difficult, and the base materials are inherently cheap by virtue of being leftovers and waste materials from other processes, yet the final result can often sell at a higher price than the local value of materials and labour. Many western store chains, such as Earthbound Trading Company, sell fair trade kantha blankets and bags, marketing them as supporting the financial independence of women in developing nations. Some regions of India and Bangladesh regard kantha blankets as a traditional wedding gift, and these particular blankets are sewn communally by women associated with the couple.
The word kantha is likely derived from the Sanskrit word kontha, meaning rags.
Iron Noder 2022, 19/30