What to Look for When Buying a Vintage Kantha Quilt Online

It is critical to understand all of the quirks and intricacies that come with vintage items before purchasing them. After all, the term "vintage" implies that something lived a long time before it came into your possession, and our vintage kantha blankets are no exception.

While each vintage kantha quilt is unique, there are a few characteristics that many of them will have in common. Fading, patching, and wear all add to the vintage kantha's allure; they sing with personality, substance, and culture. These are not the blankets for you if you want a brand-new Indian throw in pristine condition.

 

Vintage kantha quilts by jaipurhandloom.com

Here's some more information on what to look for in a vintage kantha quilt:

Softness

The snuggle factor of one of these 100 percent cotton quilts will take your breath away. The best thing about buying a vintage kantha quilt is that it is made from saris that have had all of the stiffness of new fabric washed and worn out of them. You'll be surprised at how comfortable and cosy one of these Indian quilts is right out of the box.

Fading

The saris used in one of our kantha blankets would have been hung out to dry in the Indian sun for months or even years. Cotton does not retain colour as well as synthetics or silk, so the fabric of your quilt will likely fade. This gives it the appearance of a family heirloom, which only adds to its allure.

Wear & Tear

The fact that preloved fabric has lived a life before becoming a kantha quilt is unavoidable. Although the fabric will not be completely worn through or physically torn, you may find areas that have been worn more than others.

The blankets are made by layering fabric, so where the fabric has thinned, the additional layers beneath will peek through, adding to the character (and softness) of a vintage blanket.

Patches

If a sari has a small tear, it is simply patched before being used in a vintage kantha quilt. While some of our items, such as the silk kantha quilts, feature an all-over patchwork pattern, the majority of the vintage blankets will only have the occasional patch where necessary.

Mismatched colours

Traditional Indian kantha quilts may not usually have a consistent palette or theme in terms of colours and motifs. In fact, there is often a wide range of beautiful colours and prints. If you have a specific colour in mind or want a uniform pattern across the fabric, vintage is not the greatest solution. Instead, consider one of our indigo kantha quilts or blockprinted kantha quilts.

 Indigo kantha quilts

 

Frida kantha quilts - block print kantha quilts

Still not sure if vintage is right for you?

When choosing a quilt, the greatest advise we can give is to look over the photographs carefully to assist you decide. We strive to add as many photographs as possible to show whether any of the above elements apply to a particular quilt.

 

To see the most recent vintage kantha quilts that have been added to our inventory, visit our website today.

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