An introduction to Kantha

Kantha work is a style from the state of Bengal that uses the simple running stitch in the most beautiful ways imaginable. It is one of my favorite styles.

The word Kantha actually means rags or waste cloth used by the women of Bengal to make quilts. A traditional Bengali woman’s sari is a soft white cotton fabric with a red border. When the sari got old and soft after several washes, it was used to make quilts. The simple running stitch was used all over the quilt to hold the layers together and also to embellish it.

Quilt making was mostly a work of leisure and art and never meant for commercial purposes. It took several women to stretch and hold several layers of the fabric together. Once this was done, these women embroidered their own designs on the quilt. The design usually began at the center of the quilt and slowly extended out.

Today, we talk about Kantha more as a style of embroidery that is done using the running stitch. Sometimes, stem and herringbone are also used. Typical thread colors are red, green, black and blue. Commonly used designs are peacocks, elephants, fish, lotus, creepers, leaves, flowers and temples.

Kutch Tutorial

I used three strands of embroidery thread for Kutch work. Two strands will also work well.






Step - 1
This is the simplest form of kutch work. Trace this design on to your fabric. Do not draw the squares very big.










Step - 2
Begin by creating a grid. Bring the needle up at box 1 and pinch a tiny bit of fabric away from the center as shown.












Step - 3
Work your way to box 2. Note that the thread is passed under to go to box 3.











Step - 4
Finish box 3 and box 4. Note carefully where the threads are passed under and over.
You finish the grid near the point where you started. Pass the thread under to finish.









Step - 5
Now we move on to interlacing. Bring the needle up at the centre of the grid.

















Step - 6
Again, work you way to box 2. Interlacing is all about going up or down so that you lock the threads and not let it slip.








Step - 7
Here the needle is going through the tiny loop you created earlier by pinching the fabric.












Step - 8


If done right, box 2 should look like this. Move on to box 3.









Step - 9
You will finish box 3, 4 and then come back to finish 1.











All done!!!

Kutch Work Border Design-2

Step 1. Trace the design.

Step 2. Work the grid from left to right. The route is a little different here because of the extra diamond at the top.

Step 3. Complete the grid, working right to left.

Step 4. End by taking the needle to the reverse side.

Step 5. Begin interlacing, again left to right. We will complete the third diamond in the next step.

Step 6. Complete interlacing.

Step 7. End at the same point that you began. Tie a knot on the reverse side.

All done!!