The embroidering technique Kantha is original upcycling. For generations, women of Eastern South Asia have hand sew long running stitches in parallel lines through layers of worn saris, discarded cloth, and other used textiles to create Kantha Dorokha, or two sided quilts. Of course other garments and household textiles demonstrate this technique as well, such as this jacket from the Himalayan Bazar in Sonoma, California.
The centuries old Kantha artistry embodies everything we have come to value about the Slow Fashion movement, being recycled and handmade, reducing waste and lowering carbon foot-printing. Even the thread used to piece the separate layers together is pulled from the used saris. But moreover, Kantha artistry is born of women’s resourcefulness, a way to make use of the limited cloth available to rural and poor communities, and a way to keep children and loved ones warm.
Aside from being beautiful folk art, Kantha tells the story of life itself, of bringing disparate pieces of experience together, and stitching through them with the passing of days and the increasing of understanding. A Kantha Dorokha might be six layers of saris thick, stacked like decades of a life. A finished piece is wisdom itself, the knowledge you use to navigate challenges, the quilt you use to keep warm from the storm.
