I've loved Indian block print cotton for many years. I love the prints, the colours and the feel of the material on my skin. I have some gorgeous long wrap skirts and I particularly like bedspreads.
Several months ago, I was browsing the Ian Snow website They have a lovely range of products and I really admire their ethics. Among the collection of kantha bedspreads, there was one in particular that I fell love with instantly. I mentioned it to my cousin Jacqueline, an artist who has a lot of knowledge about textiles. She explained that kantha is a type of straight stitching originating in India. The Cloth Roads website has a lovely section describing the tradition and history of kantha. There are also some stunning online images of a wide range of clothing made using kantha stitching.
As I had my birthday coming up at the time, I asked my partner if I could have the kantha bedspread I had seen as a present. I was thrilled when it arrived. If feels and looks beautiful, with patterns and colours I like looking at while snuggling under it on the sofa. Here's my kantha 'blankie' (as I like to call it), in all its magnificent glory:
Jacqueline also explained to me that there is a Japanese straight stitching tradition called 'sashiko'. Originating in Japan around 400 years ago, it was used to stitch layers of cloth together to create warmth. You can read all about the history of sashiko on the Japan Crafts website. There are many beautiful online images of how sashiko is used to decorate clothing - from jackets, to tops, skirts, jeans and more.
I have a feeling my next purchase of clothing is going to be a kantha or sashiko jacket!
Blog copyright Barbara Grehs
Published on 5 March 2021
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