Pack of 10 greeting cards, textile, Kantha

Kantha is a layered quilt traditionally made in India and Bangladesh.Worked by women in their homes as a way to extend the life of old saris and dhotis. Kanthas are made by stacking the old textiles on top of each other to create a padded quilt-like base. Embroidering threads are then taken from the woven border of the sari, and close running stitches darn the pieces together so that the join is almost invisible. Kanthas are generally household textiles; bed and floor cloths, blankets and wraps, or even shrouds.The earliest preserved examples date from the first half of the 19th century. To find out more see Selvedge Issue 33, page 71.