Exquisite Kantha Quilts: Handcrafted Elegance for Your Home | Jaipur Handloom / vintage kantha pillows

Vintage Kantha Quilts Summer Sale Now On at Jaipur Handloom

If you ever wonder where you can buy that perfect kantha quilt online at best price in india, you ought to visit jaipurhandloom.com and will witness plethora of vintage kantha quilts choices at affordable prices.

 

Allow your lifestyle to reflect pure traditionalism with surreal indian vintage kantha quilts throws from Jaipur Handloom. The magnificent designs and hand block prints have been painstakingly devised and handcrafted by skilled artisans who uphold Indian customs and beliefs through these cotton indian vintage kantha quilts.

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BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM – MORE KANTHA QUILTS ADDED DAILY AT JAIPURHANDLOOM

Kantha quilts can have two distinct patterns on each side.
Kanthas make wonderful bohemian quilts, but they can also be used for other purposes such as kanta baby bedding, kantha cushions, kantha scarves, kantha sofa throw , kantha bags and kantha clothing.
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Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws

Kantha is the most prominent form of embroidery often practiced by rural women in east Asia, especially in India and Bangladesh. It is often used to make simple kantha quilts, also known as Nakshi Kantha.

The traditional form of Kantha embroidery are usually handmade or hand-woven with soft saris and dhotis,with a running stitch along the edges. The finished products are known as sujni Kantha or lep Kantha depending on the use of the finished product. The embroidery are sometimes made into scarves, bags, covers for mirror, boxes, pillows and even bed covers.

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

Vintage Kantha quilts are products of 2-3 layers recycled Indian vintage saris- this could either be in cotton fabric or silk. They are usually covered with running stitches, employing beautiful designs of flowers, birds, animals, shapes as well as designs from everyday activities.

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

 

The origin of handmade kantha quilts can be traced to some very resourceful women centuries ago. Poor women in rural area of west Bengal in India needed blankets for their babies, so they sourced for the softest parts of their old cotton saris and handmade them together with an all-over running stitches. This unique stich came to be known as kantha, and this brought about the advent of handmade Kantha quilts. The best aspect of vintage or handmade Kantha quilts is how easy it is to repair patches, especially their loose and uneven threads that adds immense character to the throws. This completely hand-weaven vintage Kantha throws are such a beautiful and refreshing break from the mass produced machine made products.

 

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

This beautiful handcraft has gained more international recognition and acceptance as it portrays the beauty of India craftsmanship. However, there are various types of kantha quilts;

1. Lep kantha quilts

The lep Kantha quilt is a much larger type of quilt used mostly during the winter season, in places with more severe winter experience, The lep Kantha quilt is mostly made up of 7 layers. Lotus is usually the central motif with the other designs coming up in small sewn stitches to present a wavy surface. It is also called lahari, lahari is known toean waves. The lep kantha quilts often has geometric patterns or designs. Motif designs of plants and trees can be prominently seen.

2. Sujni Kantha quilts

 The prominent sujni kantha quilt is generally four and a half feet wide and six feet long in measurement. It is often used as bedspread for guests to sit or lie on . just like the lep kantha quilts, the sujni kantha quilts equally usually have a lotus motif in the center,border designed with different kinds of plants and flowers. It reflects the rich art of Bengal embroidery. The sujni kantha can be classified into two categories. The anchal bunani  where designs resemble the end of a sari, then there is the Dorokha kantha,design also appear in identical form in the back of the kantha quilting making it a reversible kantha quilt.

3. Asian kantha quilting

This is usually used during functions for guest to sit. In Bangladesh it is also also known as khat or bed kantha, khat means bed. In other words it could be referred to as blanket size kantha quit, its motif are related to religious belief.

4. Shawl kantha quilt

This kantha quilt is usually used to wrap the body and has only two layers of fabric and its motif is dotted with flowers and plants in the center and rows of decorative embroidery along the border.

Story Behind Kantha Quilts | Vintage Kantha Quilts and Throws by Jaipur Handloom

Indian kantha quilts is today being appreciated around the world for its beauty and uniqueness. Shop these adorable Cotton Kantha quilts.

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What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt

With countless blankets that we refer to as “kantha throws”, “kantha quilts“, “indigo kantha”, or “kantha blankets“, you might simply awe, what is kantha? and often wondered to know more about – History of Kantha –

Kantha (simply means : “patched cloth”) refers to both the tradition of producing these unique, colorless quilted blankets (making something useful and alluring out of discarded and unused items), as well as the craft and stitch itself (a small, straight running stitch specially in Bengali embroidery).

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

 

WHERE DOES ORIGINAL KANTHA ORIGINATE?

Kantha is a classical type of embroidery native to eastern South Asia, in particular Bangladesh and the neighbouring Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha, along the Bay of Bengal. For this logic, it is treated a craft of the Bengal region (“Bengali”), which is not the same as Bangladeshi (meaning, of the country of Bangladesh).

All of our kantha blankets are hand-stitched in Bengal,  India. Formally, it is pronounced KAHN-taa, (nevertheless we will unofficially continue to incorrectly call it “can-tha”).

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

 

For as many as 500 centuries, impoverished Bengali women have taken their discarded cloth scraps and sewn them together with a simple running stitch; taking the old and reimposing it into something useful and possessive. Far from trend-setting, or even artfulness, kantha was constructed originally for the most basic and practical aspiration: to keep warm.

Over time, kantha developed as a generational artistry, a craft that could symbolically impart story, desire, and well-wishing for loved ones & gift recipients. Elaborate kantha were made as wedding gifts or gifts for mothers and for generations, with stories, history and wishes weaved in, allowing illiterate women to leave a eternal mark.

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

 

Kantha Today :

Today, the rich tradition of kantha has attained popularity in the West; no surprise, given the beauty, intricacy, and “wow” factor of each piece.

As we culturally trend away from disposable consumer goods, and en-route meaningful, well stitched goods with a low environmental buffet, Kantha blankets happily fit the bill.

The cloth is repurposed, which means no new dyes or inks (except for the environmentally happy natural indigo blankets), no by-products of production; the only factory-produced supplies we use are thread and new, undyed, natural cotton (for our modern quilts).

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

 

Our kantha blankets — sometimes called sari quilts or homemade quilts— are not made of rugs, nor do they feature deliberately designed stitch patterns. But, they are indeed formed and fashioned from old cloth that has been junked and is ready for new life.

Our “special” silk-blend blankets are made from silk-blend cloth discarded by the producers for flaws, colour variation, out-dated arrangement, or as remnants. All the cloth that makes kantha blankets sold at Jaipur Handloom is sourced mainly in West Bengal.

 

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

 

All of vintage kantha quilts & other goods are made at Jaipur Handloom has following features:

Thickness: Each layer of sari cloth is very thin (imagine a soft muslin for a baby swaddle), so if there are only 2, the blanket will be very light. The standard one is 3 layered. This is the most common thickness in the native regions, but region where cold in heavy there generally 6 layered are used to keep the body warm.

Our kantha quilts are made with 3 layers of sari cloth. We also accept customized orders where we construct quilts based on requirement of customers – pattern ,size and other. The final product is still not bulky, but definitely as “robust” as kantha come. They are light weighted, but provide a good warmth, as well. (Any kantha made with new cloth, like our modern paisley, fruit and floral blanket, have additional thickness & weight) and are accepted worldwide.

Stitching : How heavy do you expect the running stitches to be? A blanket with very tight, close stitching will have a more stark, generous feel than stitching that is farther apart.

Edge Stitching : This is where a more inexpensively produced, lower quality kantha will divulge itself. A well-made kantha should have a straight edge, with a kantha stitch right up to the edge, hinder any erode or interior cloth coming out.

Our kantha are stitched with rigor all around!

Color / Fading : Keep in mind that if a kantha quilt features faded or very pastel colors, it is more likely that the fabric has been more frequently washed, or is old; the fibres may break down more quickly than other fabrics. Consider this as uniqueness and charm as these are rare. Women in Bengal (who are originally wearing these saris) love different color & vibrance, so these are what you will (should) mostly find with authentic kantha blankets.

Cost : Of course, we are all cost-conscious. But, there is a large amount of labour involved in generating even a single kantha throw. Our kantha throws take, on average, 24-48 hours to handcraft and for final finish. Our kantha blankets are all made in a generous, safe, whole-hearted business by vulnerable & at-risk women who can work with dignity and work to earn livelihood.

We have a strong belief from our products and are confident that you won’t find a kantha that is as unique, colourful, versatile, rich in story, or as well-constructed as our hand-stitched kantha quilts.

 

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

 

What is Kantha? | History of Kantha | Untold Story of Vintage Kantha Quilt - Manufactured by Jaipur Handloom

Contact us to know more about patterns and vibrant colors of kantha quilts and other kantha handmade products

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8 Reason why kantha quilts are so special and Why we love'em | Jaipur Handloom

These kantha quilts has multi-usage, these can be used as a bed cover as well as a throw over a sofa or chair, cushion covers, curtain, mobile holder and has other many more usage. The layering depends on the requirement. Sometimes, it's just 2 layered and can goes upto 8-9 layers.
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