Bed Kantha Quilt: 100% Pure Handmade Blanket Nakshi Kantha Quilt – COMMING SOON!

Kantha is a type of embroidery also spelled as ‘Qanta’ and ‘Kanta’. This embroidery craft is in Bangladesh and also in other Indian states namely, Odisha, Tripura, and West Bengal. Handmade Kantha is an embroidery craft from West Bengal. It displays the talent and skill of rural women in Bangladesh. Kantha means ‘throat’. This has an association with Lord Shiva. It is about a story of Lord Shiva consuming poison as he stirred the ocean and thus it relates to the past Vedic times. The stitch type of Kantha is a uncomplicated running stitch. This embroidery was mainly used in sarees, dhotis, and Kantha quilt. However, now it has entered the main streamline of Indian fashion. Today this embroidery is found on pillow covers, shawls, home furnishings, and dupattas. The old saree borders yarn is used on a design that is covered finally with running stitches.

History and Origin of this needlework

Kantha is Indian embroidery of the oldest forms relating to the AD. This was a simple thought that was done to reuse old materials and clothes and to turn into something new. This makes Kantha embroidery unique, one-of-its-kind. This embroidery artwork is 500 years old. It is a myth pointing out Lord Buddha and his followers wore old rags featuring patch-work in different kinds. The aim was to cover their body and this was the root for Kantha embroidery origin. The handmade blanket is a layer of 4 to 5 sarees and this had running stitches. This was more comfortable to cover children and became a trend. Kantha embroidery is a popular form in West Bengal and is over 500 years old. The word ‘kontha’ in Sanskrit refers to rags. Initially, Kantha was used on silk or cotton, but now it works on the crepe, georgette, and chiffon.

Inspiration Sources

The biggest inspiration source was within the day to day life activities. The motifs of animals, birds, fishes, folk scenes, and imagery revealed the livelihood of the Bengal people. Such motifs and designs were found on bedspreads or clothes. This was a form of motivation as women recycled old clothes and gave it some practical use such as a bed blanket or furniture covers. This looked beautiful, served a practical purpose, and was economical. This is all about the beauty of Kantha embroidery.

Faces behind this fabric

Kantha embroidery for decades is the rural women’s main income source in West Bengal. Many people have worked to revive this technique and skill. Such people have taken great initiatives to strengthen the Bengal women-power doing this craftwork. Strong support was given to women working on Kantha embroidery and the professionally serious approach helped the workers in having confidence. Thus the Kantha stitch gained popularity

Varieties

There are 7 Kantha stitches types. Lep Kantha, the first type is used for padded, warm quilts. Sujani Kantha for ceremonial occasion bed covers. Baiton Kantha to wrap objects and books. Oaar Kantha for pillow covers; Archilata Kantha covered mirrors and featured colorful borders and motifs. Rumal Kantha to cover plates and Durjani Kantha are small bits that made the wallet insides.

Scenario Today

Kantha embroidery today has engulfed the fashion industry. This Indian Kantha work was displayed with other ensembles and traditional Indian embroideries in the fashion shows. Even Hillary Clinton, during her visits, was highly impressed by this Bengal embroidery craftwork and loved the Kantha embroidery exquisite displays. This embroidery offers a style for each individual wearing it, while it offers the required leisure and appeal of comfort.

Innovations

Kantha work is not new, it is around for decades. It is something beyond the ordinary that people taking style and fashion is sure to see the new levels of approach Kantha work has. The motifs were of birds and animals, but the designers of the modern times find experiments in designs that they illustrate the Kantha stitch work as pop art found in Hindu mythology, Egyptian murals, and cave art.

Global Wearability

This embroidery type demand is not restricted to India; there are designers in Japan and the UK also reaching the local sellers. This Kantha embroidery is now popular worldwide and this embroidery is promoting the originality that makes Kantha work likable by many and also easily accessible. Kantha work is around for a long time, but the recent technique and development has added in the same Kantha work a different style and the flavors that this embroidery offers has become the highly preferred choice of designers.

Importance of Kantha embroidery stitch

Kantha embroidery features running stitch. The importance of Kantha embroidery is in this stitch, the basic hand stitching. It requires the basic stitching of taking the needle up and down. In this running stitch, Kantha, the stitch should go under the fabric and should be shorter in comparison to the stitch that is above. Remember the tighter and closer the stitches are; you will feel the fabric to be stiffer than stitching keeps gaps. Traditional Kantha embroidery features the fabric Bed Kantha quilt design with running stitches in a single color normally, but there are different styles for stitching. It is classified as JOD and BEJOD, meaning aligned and not aligned, while Butti refers to the small motif dotting the fabric throughout.