If you’re an HGTV fan, love to browse home goods stores, or are constantly thinking up new ways to decorate your home with cosy textiles, you may have heard the term “Kantha quilt” thrown around quite a bit. Lately, it seems like kantha quilts are everywhere! Whether we’re scrolling through Instagram or reading the latest blog posts, these bright, beautiful quilts seem to be hitting our feeds at every turn. What’s all the fuss about? Isn’t it just a blanket?
Kantha or “kontha” is derived from a Sanskrit word, which means rags. It is traditionally used to make simple quilts, blankets, for infants and covers of household accessories. Kantha quilt or throw is unique in its colour and design. Each one is made from recycled saris stitched together with a running stitch called kantha. Women in West Bengal used their old saris and layered them with a kantha stitch to make a blanket, throw or bedspread.
Why we love them: Bright, happy colours! Wildly intricate hand-stitching! An exotic place of origin! What’s not to love? One of these South Asian blankets will add just the right amount of oomph your home needs in the sunshiny months ahead.
Where they’re from: Kanthas originate in Bangladesh and the eastern states of India, where women stitch together layer upon layer of old saris and tossed-aside cloth scraps to create thin throws used as blankets and cushions.
Silk Road Gallery’s Kantha Throws are all unique and the throws and quilts are machine washable and made from up-cycled fabric; there is a regularly changing selection as we receive new stock.
Kantha refers to the lines of hand stitching originating in Bengal; we have both old and new Kanthas – the new being lighter in weight with slightly longer stitching and very rarely, if ever, have patches; the old are usually thicker with finer stitching and do have occasional patches. We have been buying from India since 1978 and buy from smaller suppliers wherever possible – the old Kanthas direct from the family who makes them. There is more information here.
One side of this reversible Kantha throw has a dramatic zig-zag pattern in pink, yellow, turquoise and grey.
The reverse side has an intriguing figurative print showing people and animals engaged in village life. There is also earth red geometric border.
All our Kanthas are unique & upcycled from vintage cotton saris.
Dimensions: approx 150x220cm
Machine washable, cool wash.
